THE REFERENDUM.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sia,—In view of the recent articles and correspondence in the Spectator upon the subject of the Referendum you can
perhaps find space for the following short extract from a public lecture, presided over by Lord Justice Atkin, and recently delivered by the Solicitor-General for Australia (Sir Robert Garran) at the London School of. Economics and Political Science, on the subject of " The Development of the Australian Constitution."
After stating that the Constitution of the Commonwealth had been in operation for nearly twenty-three years, and discussing the question of written Constitutions in general, the lecturer added that provision was usually made in a written Constitution for its alteration or amendment ; he also stated that only twice had an amendment of the Constitu- tion of Australia been carried, and then only in respect of minor details. He then proceeded as follows :-
"Substantial amendments had been proposed by the Common- wealth Parliament on several occasions, but they had never suc- ceeded in passing the ordeal of that conservative institution, the Referendum. The electors had more than once gone to the polls and returned to power the Government which proposed the amend- ments, while rejecting the amendments which were principal planks in the Government's policy."
I venture to think that this statement throws an interesting light upon the situation brought about by the action of the Government in relation to the recent appeal to the country.
Previous page
