The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-08-21
Dis NJ
- DFETY Enorr.
". II kAAU.AI.
REPORJE
OF TIE COMMITTEE on TIE Bill TO LEGALrzr
DISTILLATIvN.

is n minority on this bill the undersigned has
been prevented by circumstances which it i unnec-
cessary 10 state particularly from reporting certain
amendments, which would. in his opinion render it
seTviceabie anu progressive in the levelCpemeut Of
the material and moral well being Of the people.
The great defect Of this bill as II comes t. this
House, appears To the undersigned TO consist ia the
fact that II contains no provision for collecting an
excise duty on the spirits the producer of our stills, it
being now full late in the session TO undertake an
etTectual provision for the omission.
The undersigned believes that the mposition Of
nm excise duty would etectually protect the revenue,
aui that point once settled, there i no question in
his mind about the ~propriety of legaIizing the distil-
lation OF spirits-it IS not for an instant 70 be
supposed, that, because, under certain restrictions,
distiIlation Is permitted, the whole capital Of the
country. or even a larger part Of il, must necessarily
be transformed into distilleries and that We should
have them s~pringing up like mushrooms in all parts
Of the country
We-men possessed or the requisite knowledge and
capital to carry on 4 business Of that description
would not De apt to invest until they had discovered
that IL would be, or At all events, was likely 70 be, n
paying business. IL does not necessarily follow that
because the ii-tiliarion Of spirits l. allowed, the null
tituie Will At once engage in II. Ii il some years
now. since the manufacture Of wine was legllizei,
and how many licenses have been taken out: Why,
during the last two years. one. The revenue Vas
benefited 10 the extent Of fifty dollars by the w.ae
licenses. and would probably benefit to IN equal ex-
tent IN that one item Of licenses by the legaIzItion Of
Installations; so that if it he e~xpedient that this bill
properly amended, should not pass this House, the
true reason IS. not that the revenue would suffer. for
that could effectually be prevented by a proper excise
law, but, because no person. perhaps. Is To be found
8ho would undertake the business, not being assured
that it would pay The fact Of its paying once salts
factorily established what an advantage u the cOun-
tTy-copstant employment for = certain number Of
mechanics and aborers-the utilization ofsubstances
now lost or wasted, additional employment for the
shipping, and wealth for our merchants.
But say the opponents to their bill-the principle
still remains. IL would bring death and destruction
upon the native race. Here again the undersigned
is directly AZ issue with them on the fact. The effect
Of the repressive laws under which this people has
struggled for the last forty years is patent 70 all.
We have seen them dwindie under our very eyes, TO
one half or nearly CO. Of their original numbers,
shersas these same laws, hal there been any etncasy
in them for good. should have been productive OF =
very different effect.
Vie have seen these people, in those places "here 4
wholesome beverage was not TO be obtaIne1' as AT
Maui. Kauai. and some parts OF HaWan, poison
themselves on their vile potation of fermented XII
,wse, potatoes. grange ard other a5ominat'ons' ia