The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-09-11

san,rtment. to see whether the public monies are
nronerlv collected, and when collected, properly kept
and accounted for, or used for private advantage.
Az Il now is Ministers render their annual &C
counts. made out generally not by themselves, which
accounts are SUPPOSED to be correct, and that is the
end of II. There may be q large deficiency, but that
IS his own business, if he chooses it to remain secret.
The Minister of the Treasury, or indeed any officer OF
the Kingdom, has no right to go behind the report OF
8 Minister and examine the vouchers and proofs.
The Minister of the Interior may build with the pub
lie funds a bridge or a turnpike to render valuable a
land speculation he has just embarked In, or the Min
lister of War may import on his own account a thou
sand muskets and supply them to his department at
his own figure, or the Superintendent of public
schools may pay o score of inefficient teachers, who
have not earned the salt in their fish, or the Minister
of the Treasury may discount on his own account ex-
chcouer bils-but under the present system, if such
II cln he called. each OF them can bid defiance to any
cxnosure of their acts, for no one has the authority to
look over their accounts and vouchers, and thus GER
tify to the public that all is right, or that whatever
is wrong shall be promptly rectifed. We do not say
that such acts do take place, but that they may take
place without the public knowing it. The only
guaranty that the people now have for the honesty
CT the ADMINISTRATION is in the integrity of the Minis
try, but when each Minister has to employ from ten
to two hundred subordinates, from whom a very in
definite accountability is demanded. that guaranty
becomes reduced to a mere cipher.
Strict accountability in receipts and expenditures
is a fundamental rule for success in all business,
from the smallest penny trader to the wealthiest gov
ernments of Christendom. And this alone inspires
confidence in a nation at home and abroad. What
would the world say, what would her thousands of
creditors say, if England should break up her noble
system Of strict official accountability, which has
made her bills of credit like gold in every portion of
tho globe? Our government is now, for reasons
which we may hereafter examine, forced to borrow
money. There never has been a time since its indie
pendence was proclaimed to the world, when its fnan-
cs needed more careful and judicious management
than this present-whena firm and experienced pilot
is needed to direct the financial affairs of the King
dom-when retrenchment and the strictest accoun-
liability should be exercised in every department.
No measure that can be adopted, no plan that can
be introduced to sustain our credit, will inspire so
great confidence both at home and abroad, as the ap-
pointment of an able auditor, fully capable for his
duties, who would be entirely independent of minis
terial dictatiOn, and responsible only to the King.
In one year he might save to the nation ten times
the cost of his Office, in checking small and illegal
drains from the public funds and in creating a feel
ing Of accountability from the lowest tax collector to
the highest minister, which will inevitably create
confidence and faith in the Government. We are
fully aware that such an officer is offensive to those
who for years have kept their own unaudited accounts,
and managed the funds appropriated for their use,
to suit their whims. But the question comes to this
point whether the public interests shall be supreme
or not. But this we distinctly declare, that unless
some reform is made, some system of accountability
to q superior, more than now exists, is introduced
into every department of the Government, it is
launching into a gulf of pecuniary embarrassment
and debt from which it can never become extricated
except by the imposition on it's subjects of burdensome
taxes now unknown, which will crush the life and
enterprise Of our growing but feeble nation. Its
credit, instead of remaining firm and unquestioned
as it has been for years past, must become impaired.
1t may borrow money now at the legal rate of inter
est, but unless reforms are made, and the public
thereby inspired with confidence, the day is not dis
tant when usurious rates ofinterest will be paid by it,
and the people taxed with a load of unnecessary debt,
and all for want of public officers in whom they can
repose full faith, and for want of some proper audi
ting system and responsibility which are the basis of
public credit.