The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-07-15
Correspondents of the Commercial Aavertisera

Mr.. EDITOR :-Rumor reports that the new Minis
ter of Finance has made a good beginning, a success
full debut, as the theatricals have it, for that he has
already saved the amount of his salary by a sdutary
interference with the Harbor Masters and Marshal's
perquisites. If report speaks true, some FIVE Or six
thousand dollars which, till the present tine. have
annually swelled the profits Of the above named Off
GERS, will now find their way to the public purse.
Ii it be true that his example is contagious, and
that since the transferenee of the bureau of public
works from the War Department to the Interior.
several sums which would swell, to a considerable
aggregate, have been saved, we have doubly reason
to congratulate ourselves, and to acknowledge that
the infusion of new blood into the eFste corpus of
Government has already worked wonders.
This transference itself we map (who knows y have
to thank the new Minister for; but whatsoever the
suggestion, he deserves well of the community, for
we have every reason to believe that the business will
now be properly attended to, which was simply i'm
possible whilst it was under the control of an officer
who, whatever his will might be, was certainly inca
pable, with the assistance of only one clerk, of per-
forming the multifarious duties which devolved upon
him, as well as the transaction of his own private
affairs.
Whilst the Minister is in a reforming humor. will
ne take Il mint from one OF the - great unWaShei,F
and move to abolish the offices of Minister of Foreign
Relations and Minister of War. There are many in
this community, ninety-nine we believe out of every
hundred unoficials, who think that these offices are
only sinecures, and that the duties would be equally
well perrorrned 10y al CLERK uudcr tire direction or Tire
rrivy councr1;-oesides, how much valuable time
would thereby be saved to the present ~incumbent
which he could devote 10 the prosecution of his own
affairs and the hnsineSs of his clients.
One word before parting, about the remarks made
by the new Minister at the dinner at the Merchants
Exchange. ON the 4th. Of course, everybody under
stands what the satisfactory considerations were that
induced him to accept Office. Four thousand dollars
a year, picking and parsonage, are not to be despised
by a sensible man looking for something to occupy
his spare time, especially if he has not been particu-
larry prudent in the management of his pecuniary
affairs. No sane man, in such a position, if he knew
himself capable of fulfilling the duties, and did not
fear the responsibilities, would allow such golden OPP
portunity to escape; but the Minister must pardon
me for saying that the allusion TO his honesty was in
bad taste. Nobody questioned his honesty, and it is
probable there are not many persons in the commu-
nifty, if any. who would pronounce adversely to it
were it made a subject of canvass. A Minister, like
Caesars wife, should be above suspicion, and if he be
not like Caesars wife, he should be repudiated. The
most solemn reservations made by any man of his
honesty would not be believed were his acts proved to
be in direct opposition to them; on the contrary, he
would add falsity and hypocrisy to his evil deeds. and
as such are, in the long run, sooner or later, certain
to he discovered, he would thereby only incur addi-
tional odium.
Taking these facts into consideration, the Minister
will see that his profession of honesty was out of place
and uncalicd for, and gave impairment fellows like
myself, he being the first TO breach the subject, an
opportunity to criticise his sayings. 1t would be
charitable to hope that his doings. public or private
might never need unfriendly criticism.