The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-12-22
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. e %.


THE last Legislature, prompted with a desire
to reduce the expenditures of the government
and to remove an injustice which had long
been allowed to exist in a particular branch
of industry in which it's subjects were en-
gagged, passed a law authorizing the Minister
of the Interior to place the government print
ing on n different basis, and thus remove the
objections which were acknowledged to exist.
We r~epublish this law
An ACT To AUTHORIZE THE MINISTER OF THE lNTE-
nIoR TO SELL OR LEASE THE GOVERNMENT Pass.
Be 1t enacted 6y the King, the .No6ies a nd Repre-
s~entaiiUes Of the HaraiiaR Islands, an Legisia-
fire Council assembled.
SECTION /. The Minister of the Interior is
hereby authorized to sell or lease the Government
Press and all the appurtenances belonging TO the
same, whenever, in his discretion, he shall deem it
best for the public interests.
SECTION 2. The Minister of the Interior is hereby
authorized to contract for the government printing.
and for the publication of all laws, orders, %proclama-
tons, reports, decisions, circulars, and notices, that
may be required by either Of the departments of gov
eminent, with any person or persons, upon such
terms, and for such a length of time as he may deem
best for the interests Of the Government.
SECTION 3. The Minister of the Interior shall be
the keeper of the Public Stamp, which it shall be his
duty, or the duty of his clerk or agent, TO impress
upon all documents required by law TO be stamped,
whenever the duties of the Director of the Govern
A1Nh l. VS. guam NNNCNs - ANaCCh VI YIN sur VI fC~N
Of the said Press, as provided for in section l.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and become
a law from and after the date of its passage.
Approved this 14th day of February, A. d. 1853.
KAMEHAMEHA.
KAAHrxASU.
This law went. into force on the 18th Of
February last. The year 1859 is now drawing
to a close, and we have yet to learn that the
first step has been taken to execute the ex-
pressed will of the Legislature. Although that
body, in the language of the act, simply
- authorized" the Minister to carry out its
provisions, yet the enactment undoubtedly indi-
Gated that not only was a change desirable,
but that public sentiment called for it. 1t
therefore must be viewed as a Legislative order
to the Minister to make the change.
The Ministry do not appear to be sensible
of the fact that, in the continuance of its
press on its present basis, the government is
committing a gross and palpable trespass on
the rights of a portion of its subjects, which,
were the same thing done in any other branch
of business, would never be tolerated. For
the government to sustain a printing Office at
the public expense to do its Olon irOrk, may
not appear to all to be unreasonable, provided
it can do it better and cheaper than the work
could otherwise be done. But when it goes
beyond this, and invades the legitimate prov
ince of private capital, it is doing what
it would not tolerate in individuals, were
the tables reversed. The Polynesian printing
Office, as it has always been conducted, not
only does the work of the government, but
uses the public moneys to do the private work
of citizens. Is this right? Is it just for the
government to lend itself and the public funds
to compete with private industry? There is
not a man on these islands who will not
answer, No.
Let US see how it would be in another
Aanch of trade. Suppose that the Ministry
were prompted with the very laudable pur-
pose of fitting out a whaler or two, to en-
courage a business which has been the main
stay OF our islands for many years, as well
as to teach the natives to become whalemen.
Surprising that they not only manned and
sent out their whaler at the public expense,
but even conducted the enterprise at a loss.
no doubt would cause, grumbling to the
who would have to foot the loss,
but still the government might argue as an
apology that it was only encouraging. COM
merce. But, not content with simply fitting
put a ship, should they 60 to importing ship
and ship stores with the government
funds, and furnish them to whalers and
others, underselling all other dealers by i'm
porting duty free, or by other facilities which
,ival merchants could not have would this
,e tolerated? Is there a ship-chandler or a
merchant who would submit to such groS
imposition? No, it would soon become a mat
er of diplomatic correspondence, and if not
hus corrected, public indignation would inn
nediately put a stop to it, even though it
vere done under the specious ples az seeking
o encourage domestic whale fishery. ISL
Such, however, is precisely she position ~
vhzsb. We. are. and, fbf tie slaa four ysasos