The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-02-04

Poll tax, (all alike) %
Horse tax, oo
Mule tax, 70
Dog tax, W
Road tax, w
1t is only with the inequality and injustice oi
the Honolulu school tax that we have now to do,
the others are less Objectionable. In the school
tax we have three grades of taxes. Now can the
government through their organ, or in any other
wav, inform the public. who have a right to
know, why, under our Constitution, which isthe
source of all laws, some of the people are taxed
f,ro, some three and some fire dollars. The stat
ute of 1850, p. l39, section II, reads:
Zach taxable male subject of his Majesty shall
pay to the collector Of the district IN which he resides
on or before the first day of January of each year,
the sum of two dollars for the exclusive support OF
common schools in that district"
The statute of 1851, p. ST, section l, reads as
follows
Every foreign resident or male person Of foreign
parentage, of legal age, residing or doing business IN
Honolulu, who shall have been q resident in this
kingdom for one year or more, shall pay the hIngs
Minister of Finance as n distinct school tax on or be-
fore the first Monday in January of each year the
sum of three dollars for every individual without chill
dren under legal age, and five dollars for every indi-
vidual having one or more children under legal age;
the avails of such tax to be disposed of as hereinafter
provided"
Now will the Kings Chief Justice or Mr.. R.
c. Wyllie, (who is the Kings Prime MINISTRY
both of whom are responsible under the Constitu-
ton for the faithful execution of laws, explain to
the people why these unconstitutional laws areal-
lowed to be enforced? Is such enforcementright
in a moral point of view? What justice is there
in taxing the Honorable Minister or Chief Justice
(both men of ample ~fortune) three dollars each,
and at the same time TO tax Mr.. Samuel johnson
or Mr.. Jeremiah O'Neil, both hard-laboring and
Industrious mechanics of limited means, with
large families, fire dollars each2 The above are
not solitary cases. The majority Of those who
pay the larger tax are less able to pay it than the
other class, while they receive no benefit from it.
1t is true that the late Chief Justice Lee, in his
decision of the suit of p. Naone VS.. 4. G..
Thurston, in 1856, held that the Honolulu school
law, imposing a special tax upon foreigners and
persons of foreign parentage was not unconstitu-
tional but it is equally true that public opinion
has never sustained the Chief Justice in that decis-
ion, and that the law is looked upon as unconstitu-
tional and arbitrary. Will the Honorable Minis
ter of Foreign Relations (who is the leader in the
House of Nobles) call the attention of the next
Legislature to the gross injustice now practiced
on the people?
But this is not the only abuse To which we call
the attention of the Honorable Minister. I'm
der the British treaty, bearing date 9th day
of May, 1852, signed with his own hand, he has
solemnly c~ovenanted TO and with the British na-
that her subjects residing in this kingdom
shall not be tared higher than matire subjects. The
10Th article of said treaty recorded in our laws at
page SO Of the statutes of 1855, reads as follows
1.-The subjects Of her Majesty residing in the Ha-
waiian Islands and Hawaiian subjects residing in the
dominions of her Britanic Majesty shall be exempted
from nil compulsatory military service whatsoever,
by sea or land, and from all forced loans, or
military exactions or acquisitions, and they shall not
be compelled, under any pretext whatsoever, TO pay
any ordinary charges, acquisitions or taxes other or
higher than those that are or may be paid by native
subjects"
The treaty with the United States is the same
the treaties with Norway, with Bremen,
and with Denmark are the same all these
are the children of the Minister of Foreign Rela-
own creation, or at least he stands god
father to them all and will he, who has so often
the s%anctity of treaties, silently allow the
or citizens of the high contracting parties
10 be taxed three and five dollars, while natives |
are taxed but two thus violating every prin-
ciple of Justice by disregarding the provisions of
our own Constitution and setting at defiance the
solemn obligations of treaties? Is this treaty
10 be a dead letter does not the Constitution de-
clare that laws shall be made for all the people
and has not the Honorable Minister agreed
the citizens and subjects of other countries
hall not be taxed under any pretert tohaterer,
or greater than native subjects, and are
not all foreigners taxed three and five dollars for
achool purposes while natives are taxed but two
Jan this be denied by any one?
But this usurpation of injustice does not stop
,ere- Unjust as the laws are, that tax one Of his
subjects or foreigners higher than
nother-the law itself (bad and unconstitutional
IS it lie, as well as being contrary to treaty stipu-
ations) is grossly vi lated by those who execute
&. Let us look at the facts as stated by the Fire
nan in our last issue. When called to answer at
he bar Of the Police Court for the amount of the
AK and costs, what is he charged? Three dollars
chool-tax and four costs in all seven dollars. A
olerable tax, when the richest chiefs of these
stands escape with two dollars. Beautiful sys-
EN- this. Now let us see where Mr.. Police JUS
ice Griswold gets his authority from to charge
our dollars costs, except he gets it from the in
of some of the Ministry who are
with the execution of the laws at least
he King is, VIII can do no wrong, and his
.iinisters alone are responsible. Now we will see
that the tax law says in relation to costs
he statute of 1855, p. "a, section IL, reads as
" II any person shall neglect to pay his taxes, or
tfnse whom called upon by the tax collector, until