The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-05-12
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
A u.

THURSDAY, MAY II.
On the first page of to-day's paper will be
found the Appropriation Bill for the years 1859,
which was approved on the 4th instant, and I'M
der the provisions of which the Treasury has been
relieved of its plethora and a good deal of gold
put in circulation during the past few days. AS
a whole, the present bill is the most complete in
all its details and, in all respects, the best that
has ever been adopted by the Legislature of the
country. To the Chairman of the House Com
mittee on Finance, Mr.. James I. Dowsett, is due
much credit for the patient labor which he be-
slowed on its construction, and. i'm conjunction
with several other foreign-born members, strenu-
ously and successfully opposed its being swelled
beyond the estimates. This last, as we said be-
fore, is its best feature.
In his proclamation dissolving the Parliament
of the year 1855, the King said that one princi-
pal reason for sending the Representatives back to
their constituents was the fact that they had
passed an appropriation bill which exceeded the
estimates by 500, 900. And SO it has been with
every bill before the present year-the total
amount voted has always largely exceeded the es-
timated receipts. The reason of this is found in
the desire of each member to obtain an appropri-
alton for some object in his own particular dis
trict, oftentimes for the purpose of ensuring a re-
election 1T does not matter that it is an ionis
fdfuus, existing only on paper, and never ex-
pected to be paid-the returned Scion will point
to its appearance in the bill as an unanswerable
proof of his arduous labors in behalf of his con-
s1tuency. But the present year there was a
great deal less of this kind of work ttempte
than usual, and the credit is due to the frmness
of a few members, that SO fair a bill has been
passed.
We have printed the bill in a convenient shape
for reference, with the name of each ofice-holder
opposite the amount of salary appropriated. This
may not be complete, or perfectly correct, but is
as much 50 as the means at our command would
allow. We are indebted to Messrs. McCoughtry
and Spencer of the Government House for inform
alton. The insertion of the names of the Office
holders wiz make it better for reference. Among
the new items and changes are the following:
For His Royal Highness the Prince of Hawaii, at
the rate of $1,000 per annum from the date of
his birth, May 20, 1859. The salaries of the
chief clerks of the Interior and Finance Depart
ments have each been raised $500, making their
pay s $500 per annum. 1t has been questioned,
and perhaps with reason, why these two chief
clerks should be selected for an increase of COM
pCiiciliOus WHilc u Is nOUOIiOuS LnaL the similar Or
fcials in the Departments Of Public Instruction.
Foreign Relations and Custom House, are worked
as hard, and perhaps harder, than those in
the Interior and Finance Offices. The pay of
Associate Justice Robertson has also been in
creased $1,000, that of the Superintendent of
Public Works $500, and that of the Postmaster
General $1,000 per annum.
The Marshal and Sherifs are put on salaries
alone, instead of receiving a part of the fines.
This will no doubt work well generally, but we
notice a provision which may, in out of the way
places, lead to fraud and oppression. As follows:
"PrUvided, That said Marshal and sherifs shall be entitled
them Incurred for travelling in the discharge Of their duties On
costs from the parties in whose behalf such duties are rendered.
Any one who has lived for some time in the
remote districts of the islands will require no ex- :
PLANTATION as to how the above might in the hands
OF INSCRIPTIONS officials. be made an instrument
of extortion.
Among other new items is Sl2, 900 for pay of
ASSESSORS for 1859, in view of the propertv tax
which the New Code imposes. The appropria-
ton We judge is none too large for a first ASSESS
ment, which must necessarily involve much extra
labor. Also one of $4,000 for a new Custom
House, to be built ON the esplanade and for a
ASSptHa ~ S%oVV. ucapprOprldLlOn
for an s. anchor and buoy at Kawaihae, $780,
is again repeated this year, after having been sew
eral times before appropriated. We hope it may
at length become a reality instead Of myth. 1t
is a fact not generally known, that, next to Homo
lnlu, more whalers visit Kawaihae each spring
than any other port at these islands. Over sixty
ships have been thereduring the past four months,
while only forty-seyen have visited Lahaina.
That hitherto ~insatiate monster, the Depart
ment of War, still continues to cry stgiye.''
{ give though content with the rate of appro-
priation of 1857. The explanation Of this other
wise mysterious circumstance is doubtless to be
found in the fact that the Mormons have appa-
rcntIy given up the idea Of coming down on us
like q swarm of ~loeusts, and the fears of the ssSec-
rotary at War and the Navy are somewhat al
layed- II has, boveger, apparently escaped his