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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 77

How has the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon Discharged this Trust?

How has the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon Discharged this Trust?

Out of 43 members of the Legislative Council in 1905 the Government nominated 28 members.

With a few brilliant exceptions the Government has—by nearly every exercise of its power of nomination—deliberately lowered the Upper House in the public esteem, and it is to-day regarded with contempt by a great majority of the people.

Of one recent appointment the following biting satire was passed as a motion by one of the Colony's Trades and Labour Councils:—

"That this Council heartily congratulates Mr Seddon on the appointment of Mr————to the

Upper House, and trusts that henceforth all appointments to the Legislative Council will be made from the ranks of the Liberal and Labour Federation, which is neither liberal or labour, but solely a body representing the brewing interests. Such appointments form the best arguments for the abolition of such an absurd appendage to our Constitution as the Upper House. Mr————has only been known in—————as a forlorn trailer at the heels of——————politicians and has never once been returned to a public or semi-public position by the public voice."

When the seven years' term of office of certain Legislative Councillors recently expired the Government bowed to the growing public indignation and refused to reappoint anyone to the vacant position.

Speaking at Masterton on June 16, 1905, the Right Hon. the Premier said: "With respect to the question of the Legislative Council, regarding the two vacancies that will occur in the membership of that branch of the Legislature in the course of the next few days, the Government had considered the matter, and decided that, as the Council was the subject matter of controversy at present, it was not intended to fill the vacancies." The announcement constitutes an un-answerable impeachment of the morality of the Seddon Government's administration, because neither the people or Parliament control the Ministry in its use of the power of nomination which calls the Legislative Councillor into existence.

If a Ministry confesses publicly its wanton abuse of such an important function as the creation of the second legislative chamber involves—what is probably the moral tone of the great number of administrative actions upon which the light of public or Parliamentary criticism never rests, owing to their being buried in departmental offices and records?

The Right Hon. the Premier practically created the Legislative Council as it now exists.

By his abuse of the power entrusted to him he has degraded the Council and so lowered its efficiency that today he declares, in the face of an indignant public opinion, he will make no more appointments, and that he will let the institution die a natural death. One chief cause of the lowered tone of the Legislative Council—of its failure to command the public esteem—is that the Premier has used it to reward those who have fawned upon or flattered him or who have in some way lent themselves page 8 to further his narrow political ambitious.

The Premier appears to have always permitted personal and party interest to dominate the use he has made of the power of nomination entrusted to him, and he has thus been false to national interests.