The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-05-22

for interest alone. For the hILGncG and interest
on her stock, $l4,s 500. is wanted, in addition TO
500 900 reported as borrowed for this object in
the debt account, making Il total of S34 $780,
almost enough to pay for the entire boat. We
hope that if she is sent 10 China on speculation,
the government will make enough to pay at least
the interest on the stock invested in her.
The War Department very modestly calls for
S47 200 %, in one solid lump. We very much
mistake the temper of the House, if that SUN is
blindly voted for it, in the shape, it is called for.
1t may all be required, perhaps, but in these
hard times, when men have TO wear shoes that
pinch, it is as well to know where the money
goes, and not permit - indefinite appropria-
tons, to use an apt phrase of the Poiynesian,
without n good reason therefor.
The sum of S25, 200 is inserted for the Depart
ment of Public Instruction, being $4,000 less
than that voted to it the previous session. The
sum of $4,000 is wanted for English and Select
Schools. While any curtailment in the efficiency
of this Department should be guarded against,
we think and lave before contended that all
monies collected and disbursed for this or any
other department, should be accounted for to the
public treasury-that the receipts should be
acknowledged in the treasurer's report, and the
disbursements provided for in the bill Of appro-
p%riations.
The Judiciary Department, owing to a pro-
posed change in the mode of paying District
Judges, shows a considerable reduction in the
total amount called for. And yet it will strike
the critical reader that the salaries paid are
higher than the ability { the treasury warrants.
Could a permanent reduction be effected In this
department, it would be a public blessing.
\ few L" Miscellaneous items of expenditure
close the list. In looking over the payments
out during the last fiscal term, we notice on
pages % and % of the treasurer's report, after
the miscellaneous head, various sums not includ-
ed in the last appropriation Bill, and amounting
in the aggregate to nearly $4,000, including
the sum of 500 900 paid out for the Kilauea.
There was full authority for that, and there may
have been for some of the others, but we do not
trace them in the appropriation bill as it passed
the house, and was published. By what author
ity, then, the sums expended can be placed
under the head of sums appropriated by the last
Legislature, is not clear, nor does any explana-
ton for it appear in the Report. If the fourth
section of the bill means any thing it should be
strictly adhered to by the Minister.
We question the wisdom of abandoning the
bureau of Public Works, and all the public
improvements. There is no branch of the
service that has redounded more to the credit of
the government, nor any whose discontinuance
will be more sensibly felt throughout the islands,
than this. If our public works are to be given
up, or entrusted only to every pettifogging job
b-r, who chances to come along and solicit
employment, our Ministers might as well put up
over their offices, " To Lei"
No sum appears in the budget to provide for
the exchequer bills maturing during the current
two years, though the Minister in his report
states that $97 900 will become due in that
period. Is the non-insertion of this, an over
sight, or does the Minister intend to suspend
payment, or does he consider that he has
the authority to borrow and pay 500 600 with
out asking the legislature or, what is most
likely, was it left out in order to make The bill
appear extraordinarily small, compared with his
former budget, in which the item was inserted.
If S97 900 of the debt mature during the next
two years, it, us well as its interest, must be
provided for and if inserted as it should be, the
bill will BE- increased to nearly the proportions
of former years. In other words the budget VIII
foot up thus
Sundries "a per Minister'S estimate. siS4, 2I3 e5.
Exchequer Bills maturing s62-3-.-.-."-...-. 100000
Total wanted. .s5sl, 1885
or an annual expenditure of $500 ,62l 90, in
stead of the sum noted at the head of this article,
to meet which, the Minister estimates an income
for the two ears of only 1920 If this
is the correct amount, and the deficiency is
really so great, it becomes all-important for the
legislature to cut every item of expenditure to
the lowest possible figure, in order to meet the
In the present budget. we have seen
bo.ra,, ,l;,,. E,a onJ f,r,r ,bonS,nl ,,,St
be provided for interest alone. At this rate we
hall soon have u load Of interest for each leg
to provide for, of not less than $50 900.
These may be called small items, when applying +.
10 n nation, but it must be remembered We are
not a very large nor o very strong nation, and
it was only Il hair that broke the camel's
back. ,
Taking into view the above extraordinary q
omission of S97 900 in the budget us laid before a
he house, and also the errors in the Ministers t
'eport as pointed out by us last week, of which t
10 explanation has been made, and which, had O
hey occurred in a mercantile Establishments |
Iccount, would have obtained for the author a.,
- ticket of leave, taking into view these =
acts, the following wheedling palaver from the >
organ appears supremacy ridiculous =
With these criticisms on the details of the Budget, we feel O
ound to give the Ministers AL the credit they SO richly deserve
jr the care aud consideration they have evinced in preparing n
,ulEet that. besides its many really julicious and sound sug- .,
esiiOns upon administrative points, combines that great advan- Z
age Of being below the estimated receipts of the Treasury. ii
lie simple comparison Of ST35iS2- the appropriation by the
Of 1850, and S4S52i3.S5, the estimated expenditures
ls6.-3. shows conelusiVely that =" with a viii there is a
aud proves beyond a cayil that the Ministers, while n
the noble impulse communicated to them frnm above, "
indicated in His Maiestyis Speech, were competent to crap IL
successfully with the changed conditions Of the country and
ne financial requirements arising therefroiD. u
In looking over the Report of the Minister of a
finance and accompanying tables, rs issued in II
amphlet form from the government press, we o.
office numerous typographical errors, both in .