The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-08-07
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. AUGUST :.
The I.cgi=Iaturr.


Of the Joint C,mmittee of ten, to whom wa
committed the Appropriation Bill, that it nigh.
be placed in such shape as to receive the sanction
Of both houses. The meetings Of the Committee
have been very harmonious, and a disposition
shown on the part Of both MOBILES and Rerresen-
tatives to pursue a cOncilIatory course, honorable
alike to both. such being the case, the result
viii probably be, that the bill Will be 50 modified
that no reasonable objections can be raised in
either house against its passage. The sum, how
ever, that will be voted, will considerably exceed
the receipts for the current biennial term, which
will be more likely to fall below than exceed the
Minister'S estimate, which was $492, 600.
On Saturday last, Il new report Of the affairs
Of the Treasury, made up, we learn, by Messrs.
,. Spencer and j. o. DOminis, was presented TO
the House of representatives These statistics
show Il very different state of the public finances,
although the aggregate total Of receipts and
expenditures varies only a few thousand dollars
(S29Gj) from what the Minister had reported.
The Representatives not having yet taken action
on this report, we defer entering into its details,
but Will issue it as soon as it is obtainable.
Ii Is stated, however, that it contains sufficient
evidence Of errors, even in the statistics Of the
Finance Office itself, to show the utter incompe-
tency Of not only the head of the Office, but of
the register Of finances. under whose charge the
accounts are placed. 1t Will appear that sums
were reported as having been paid out by the
Minister, trhich hc has nccer paul, sums reported
is received which he has acrc- rcccircd, and other
charges and entries which exhibit either the
grOsScst cdrclessness or wilful fraud. We doubt
not that the report of the Finance Committee,
which will be presented to-day, VIII exhibit Il
state of affairs, that will satisfy all that the
representatives ought not to vote the Bill Of Sup
plies until it becomes apparent that the further
conduct Of the public finances is to be placed in
more competent hands than those Of the present
incumbent.
Accompanying the statistical report referred
to, the Minister sent "A very indrscreet and unsen-
tlemanly letter, excusing his conduct regarding
the payment of - 900 for Sir John Bowring's
Mission and Mr.. Hopkins passage to England.
The Minister appears to mistake the polnt in the
conflict between the representatives. and himself.
Us we understand it, they do not call in question
the right Of the Privy Council to vote on It's otc74
responsibility anil RISK any sums it may choose to,
to meet any emergency, real or con ceived, nor
do they blame the Minister for carrying out those
Instructions. That right has always been con-
conceded to the Privy Council. But it is the
course Of the Minister in the manner in which
he has sought to bring those expenditures before
the Legislature, and thereby establish a prece-
dent that any sums, small or large, can be thus
voted, and the Legislature must Llindly sanction
elm. fhc Minister, i'll his letter, cndeavorS to
throw the blame of his conduct on t. His Majesty
the King, which OF itself is an act of the gross
st character, that should cJnsign him to public
l'sGrace. In the administration, the King is
supposed ID do no wron2-to be Irresponsible
lis Ministers alone :. are reSponsible.'' and this
asst act of the Minister of Finance must rob him
# any political sympathy that may remain for
lin. We cannot conceive of a more degrading
nd unmanly act, and feel ashamed to record it.
following is the language used by the Minis
er, i'll his letter to the speaker Of the House, re-
erred TO above, italics being our own
You may condemn me as to the payments 10
'r John Bowring and Mr.. Hopkins, but i'm do
~ 80, ii must be remembered, that mt the same
YoU ceRStpc HIS Majesfy The hing. the cham
Of thc kingdom. and all the Privy Council /
nj Cabinet, by whose direction | have acted" ,
The representatives have inserted in the .Appro- +
ration Biz the sum of Sc, 600 to rebuild the
ahainaluna Seminary, recently destroyed by f
re. While the necessity that requires this cx- 9
cnditure i greatly to be regretted, this would '
to be the only course left open for the gov
-nmcnt. if the school Is to be continued as form :
Fly. The sum named IS probably the least that /
lould be voted for the object, and it Will only h
ifice - put up Il building Of the requisite ca
tcity. To provide il with the necessary furni- t
and supply it with apparatus, laboratory "
aVS. &c. a further sum of two OF three thou n
nd dollars will be needed. From the kUaEoo. II
@ learn that an effort i to be made among the st
aduatcs Of the institution To raise a fund for o.
e seminary. They number among them the Ii
o>t competent and wcll-to-do of the natives. b
ii we doubt not they viii literally respond to
e appeal which viii be made to them. p
\ report Of the Finance Committee Of the i.
,wer House. giving its opinion on the rights of !,
q representatives, to originate the bill of aprro- d,
iatious, will be found under tie Legislative ca
al.
Several amendments TO the Constitution have il
adopted by the Lower House. but a they
Il probably be considerably changed by the I'll
,bles, we defer further notice Of them, till their be
Is taken on them. Any amendments,
they can become binding, must be passed e
two consecutive Legislatures. ne
OF all the abominably filthy productions
1t have ever been exposed to the public gaze n
re in Honolulu, 4 letter which appears in the pc
t issue of the government organ, under the u
.dinr Of Correspondence. deserves the ralm. ad