Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1862-08-23
Ghe polunesialr.
Majority Repers Of the CommiItee ON Dissilin-
fion.


fion.
To THE HONORABLE THE SPEAKER:
Your committee, to whom referred the "Act
to License the Manufacture of Spirituous Liquors,
beg leave to report as follows:
The Act sets forth in its preamble, that where
as, the subjects of this kingdom have, by the law
of nature TRANSLATED in the native verslon-by
90 the law of God'') the right of acquiring and
possessing property" ETC., etc. and IN corrobo-
ration of that law, the Constitution OF this king
dom, Art. 1st, guarantees that right, and declares
His Majestys subjects free and equal and endowed
with certain inaienable rights" ETC., etc.. and
whereas, all prohibitions against the subjects of
this kingdom in the acquiring and possessing pro-
perty, in cOntraventiOn of the established prIn-
ciples of the declaration of rights. suicidal blow
against the organic law of the realm and the de-
velopment of the resources OF the country there
fore, be it enacted" etc., etc.
The Act, then, provides In its SIX sections, that
the Minister of the Interior may grant licenses to
manufacture brandy, rum, or other splrltnous
liquors. to any person or persons applying therefor
that the said person or persons, before receiving
such license, shall file bond with the Minister,
the condition of which shall be that the ilcensee
shall, each year, furnish to the Minister state
ment on OATH of the quantity Of spirituOus liquors
manufactured; that be shall not sell in less than
- quantity, nor to any other person than a
wholesale or retail spirit dealer, or to any person
for export under the usual penalties OF forfeiture
etc The Minister to receive for each license -
dollars. The 5th section providing penalties by
fine and imprisonment for the first and second Oh
fences of distilling without license.
Touching the preamble, your committee have
been unable to discover in what manner either the
law of nature or the law of God, bears upon the
right to distl spirtuous liquors; neither have they
been able to discover, after a careful examination
Of the Constitution. any change IN that instrument,
by which the manufacture of spirits can De classed
as privilege with 1" life and liberty" But 1t ap-
pears to your committee, that the Supreme Court
is competent to adludcate the constitutlonalty
of the question when raised !; they will therefore
only direct their attention to the merits OF the bill
ITSELF after strictly referring to the Custom House
statistics relating to the home consumption OF ar
dent spirits.
By these statistics it appears that there has been
consumed in the year 1861, within the kingdom,
1862 gallons of ardent spirits, and the duty col
lected. at So gallon, would amount to S25,956.
fair valuation your committee believe, OF the
spirits in bond, would be about Sl4, 900.
In the proposed bill, it is not contemplated to
levy an excise duty the liquor manufactured and
consumed within the kingdom, and the only reve-
nue. purposed to be derived from it would be de-
rived from the licenses sold.
Your committee do not imagine that the promo
ters of this bill contemplate desire an increased
home consumption of ardent spirits, and your COM
mittee are of opinion, and have reason to hope,
that the consumption will considerably decrease
along with the diminishing number OF whaleshlps
visiting our ports.
Your committee, in view of these statistics and
premises are of opinion that the entire purpose of
the bill would be defeated should the license be
fix ed at such high rate as would prevent the
nue. from suffering for, by this means, our manu-
facturer would be unable to compete In the foreign
market with distillers who have no such heavy IL
cense to pay.
The only other method possible to obtain reve-
nue. from the business, would be by excise duty,
and your committee are fully of opinion that that
duty could not be collected with licenses issued
proposed in this Act, without large force of ex-
cisemen, and with distileres scattered throughout
the group, the expense of this force would not be
less than the whole revenue now derived from
spirits.
1t has been suggested that an excise duty could
be levied by placing the distilers under bonds to
make correct returns of spirits entered for home
consumption. Your committee are of opinion that
dstiers are neither more honest nor honorable
than importing merchants, who, like prin-
eiple, might be allowed to import they pleased,
make returns and pay duties into the Treasury d.
rect, and thereby save the country all charges for
Custom House officers and guards. Where the
duty on spirits is so high, and necessities so
great, your committee do not think it would be
Your Committee also object to the bill on the
ground that there appears to them to be no neces-
sity for its passage At the present time there is
no lack of other channels in which capital can be
proftably used without danger or detriment to the
revenue of the kingdom. True, it is alleged as q
reason for the passage of this Act, that there is
now considerable waste on some Of the sugar plan
tatiOns, which would be avoided if the privilege
to distil was granted.
Your Committee are of opinion that the sugar
planters themselves would move in this matter if
such were the case, and to the personal knowledge
of several members of your Committee, the owners
of several of the largest plantations on the group
desire no such privilege.
The only other reason your Committee has heard
advanced in favor of the measure is, that there is
a large quantity of the 1" XII - plant growing
throughout the group, which could be prOftaby
used If distillation allowed Your Com
mittee think that this source of wealth has been
very much over-estimated. In the first place "a
moderate sized distillery would use up all the
XII :" root within miles of it in a short time.
The plant takes years to arrive at maturity, and
the roots are very bulky to carry.
Your Committee have yet another, and to them,
perhaps, the strongest, reason against the passage
of this bill, which is, that in their opinion licenses
TO distil spirits, granted generally throughout the
kingdom, would not fail to promote drunkenness,
decentralization. crime and death, among the people,
even if the business is placed under all the checks
and guards possible to be maintained.
For these reasons your Committee beg leave
to recommend that the bill be laid
the table. Fl. A. WIDEMASN,
ID. ID. BALDWIN,
S. KIP,
j. Ii. KAAKUA.