CHAP. vii] RELATIONS OF THE HOUSES 639
fact that the members had a property qualification; that
they were elected for wider areas, and that plumping was
allowed in elections for the Upper House but at no other
elections. The result was naturally that the Upper House
reflected as a rule the views of the Lower House very
closely. Moreover, when the Houses were not in agreement,
the express power of amending Money Bills given to the
Upper House by the Constitution! was remarkable and
inconvenient. The difficulty was well illustrated by the
Circumstances in which Dr. Jameson’s Ministry found itself
Compelled to ask the Governor to dissolve Parliament.
At the end of 1907 the Lower House sent up a Supply Bill
to the Legislative Council. At that moment, by the defection
of a member who had formerly supported his Ministry,
Dr. Jameson ceased to have a majority in the Upper House.
It was true that when the House was sitting the Govern-
lent still had a majority, thanks to the President’s casting
Vote, but when the House went into Committee to consider
the Bill in detail the Government actually lost its majority
3d could make absolutely no progress with the Bill, nor
could the House force the Committee to proceed with the Bill,?
Ror for want of a quorum dispense with the Committee stage.
In general legislation the Upper House again has acted
4S a co-ordinate body with the Lower House, and it cannot
be said that the duplication of machinery has resulted
I particular advantage to the country? It has repeatedly
had differences with the Lower House,* and in one case
0 1898 it is said to have been instrumental in securing the
¢aItying through of a redistribution scheme by the Govern-
Ment But all the same, it is difficult to see that it has
done much good : for example, the legislation of 1887
and 1892 restricting the franchise as regards natives was
farried quite easily in the Upper House.
" Ordinance No, 2 of 1852, 5. 88. The Upper House could have amended
ills 80 a8 to increase the burden on the people ; in practice it did not.
He of Assembly Debates, 1907, pp. 582, 589, 590, 597; Legislative
: cil Debates, 1907, pp. 338-74; above, Pp. 211.
: UE The Government of South Africa, i. 422, 423.
See Wilmot, South Africa, i 189. 345. See Wilmot. op. cit. iii. 347.
