THE COi-ISTITUTK )X OF THE SENATE. 



Bv Frank Flowers, F.R.A.S.. F.R.G.S. 



At the Kimberle}' meeting of the South African .Vssociation 

 for the Advancement of Science an interesting paper was read 

 by Dr. ,\. H. W'atkins, M.L.A.. entitled " A .Suggestion Con- 

 cerning the Constitution of tlie Senate." I am glail that this 

 paper was subsecjuently pubhshed*. because it is well thai any 

 suggested revision of our constitution should be discussed in the 

 al)solutely non-party spirit of Dr. W'atkins" pai)er, and uf this 

 Association's I 'roceedings. 



The debates in the last session of I'arliament clearly indi- 

 cated the necessity for some revision of the Senate ; thus one 

 member of Parliament referred to the *' dormant Senate," and 

 the daily ])ress stated that the rapidit}' of business in that House 

 is limited <inl\- 1)\- the speed of the Clerk to read the titles of the 

 Bills. 



I am thoroughly in agreement with Dr.^^'atkins" main ]^ro- 

 positions, which are worth repeating: — 



riic niain function uf ;;n L'pper Cliamljcr is lu act as a chaniiiL-r uf 

 review, so as to assure all legislative measures receiving careful con- 

 sideration hy an independent anthoritv removed from the controversial 

 atmospliere of tlic Mouse in which ihev in^i.^inate, to check that hasty 

 le.i^islation which is apt from time to lime to occur in any country during 

 times of national stress or national e.xcitment, and to give time for its 

 beins^- subjected to the sober "second thought of the nation" (page 25.^). 

 The Upper Chamber should not possess the power of permanentlv block- 

 ing the deliberate will and wish of the nation, wiien after calm con- 

 sideration it is determined tci i^lace certain measures on the statute l)ook 

 or to follow a certain line of policy, whether it be social, economical, or 

 financial. t 



I cordially agree with Dr. Watkins that under any party 

 system nominated Senators will be party men. 



Dr. W'atkins' suggestion is that whilst the Lower House 

 should be elected Ijy voters over 21 years of age, the election for 

 the Upper House should be limited to those voters who are over 

 40 or 45 years of age. 



This ingenious suggestion suffers from the defect that the 

 Upper Chamber will " jiossess the power of permanently block- 

 ing the deliberate will and wish of the nation." Dr. W'atkins 

 tells us, however, that in such a case, the young voters must 

 Avait until they are 40 or 45 years of age, when they will have a 

 chance of putting in other .Senators. T su]~)pose the average 

 " wait " would be 15 years, and it seems to be too long a time. 



I would rather suggest that the Senate be replaced liy the 

 ad(^)i)tion in our constitution of the Referendum Vote. This 

 would ensure that every act of legislation would be certain of 

 receiving " careful consideration by an independent authority," 

 and that it could not be placed upon the Statute Book until it 



* Rept. S..\. Assn. for Adv. of Sc, Kimberley (1914), 253-260. 

 tp. 254. 



