The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-08-14
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.


s.mblInce of work. Tie most important thing
that the Mobiles nave done during the week, is to
pass a bill legalizing the sale Of liquor anywhere
and everywhere, and another allowing the manu-
EIcture Of ardent spirits by every body who
chooses 10 take out u permit. 1t was fitting tLat
these twin measures should be put forward by i
ministry whose spmPathies are not with the peo-
pie, and who appear to have q great aloha for
liquor, which in some form seems u be the
Z" alpha and omega" Of all its aims but if reye-
nue. is the object of their passage. the MOBILES
have no Constitutional right to originate them,
however strongly their tastes may run in that
direction.
These bills were passed. we believe, on Mon
day, and a simple extract from that proposing to
legalize distilIing, will show the grounds on
which they base this new scheme. The follow
ing is its preamble
WnEEEAs-the subjects Of this Kingdom have by the
laws of nature tie right of acquiring and possess
ing property, and the right of contracting engage
meuts anteceient to such acquisition OF possession,
and III cJrTObOrIti"u Of that law the Constitution
Of this Kingdom. Article lst, guarantees that right,
and declares His Anjesty's subjects "irce and
equal, aud endowed with certain unalieuab.e
rights, among which are lie, liberty and the right
o. acquiring, possessing and protecting property"
and in Article Ilth, the King in his wisdom afFiTms
that right, therefore we cannot deprive the subject
Of his Constitutional rights:
AND WHEREAS, all prohibitions against the subjects
OF this Kingdom, in the acquiring and possessing
Of property, are in contraventiOn Of the established
princip Piles of the Declaration Of Rights, IA suicidal
blow against the organic Law Of the Realm, and
the developement Of the resources OF the country,
therefore, Be- it enacted, &c, sc.
According to the reasoning advanced in this
preamble, no restrictions on any business, calling
or pursuit that any one may choose to follow,
are E Constitutional. According to it, Il man
may select the avocation of "a thief. a robbcr, Il
smugglcr, keeper of Il house Of i'll fame, and the
Constitution iorbids any restrictions on his occu-
patton This preamble Is about as fair an Illus
tratiOn Of the wonderful talent of orr House of
Mobiles as could be put into print. Our cotem-
porary will no doubt get on his highest stills and
shout = Glory IIalleluialI'' over the passage Of
the law. and reyile the commoners should they
conclude that its enactment had better be DELAYED
a few years.
In the Lower House, the contest with the min
i>try, or rather with the Minister Of Finance,
has assumed Il new phase. As our readers are
already aware, the Representatives have openly
declared a want Of confidence in the admiuistra-
tive capacity of His Ex. David l.. Gregg, and
support their position with abundant proofs.
On the lst Of August the Minister sent to the
- At''S' VI - lOAN Va
the finances Of the Treasury Department, as they
were on the 3lst of March, which report gives Il
different face to the affairs of the department.,
from that first presented. These statistics have
been printed by order Of the Repr csentativcs
together with tine reports of their Finance Com
mittee. The reports will be found Oh our last
page, and Il peruSal of them is sufficient To
show that the finances have been most shame
fully conducted, and that the head of the de-
partment has demonstrated his total unitncss
for that Office. Whatever the public may have
thought before concerning this ministerial case,
there can now be but one opinion-that Il
change is absolutely demanded. and that the
sooner it is made, the better. Until the report
of the Houses Committee appeared, some doubts
were entertained with many as to the business
of the complaints raised against the Minister.
But that report removes all doubt.
There were two ways for the House to proceed,
in this case Of ministerial delinqucncy-one was
to impcach him-thc other to lay their complaint
His Majesty. impeachment, though pro-
vided for by the Constitution. Is Il new thing
here, and if formally instituted must at best be
a long and tedious procedure, and more espe-
rially 50 from It's novelty. Being new and I'M
tried, its result may have appeared doubtful.
'r lNi' e''A''i' q" lt'A''5t'A'A "a A'NC
session. Of itself suggested a less tedious alterna-
tive. Again. the case, though clearly calling for
4 change of Minister, may not warrant formal
impeachment, which implies not merely delin-
Iucncy, but criminal aiqdmlHi>haiioa This
is not charged, nor do we think any one
be found to make the assertion that the
Minister Of Finance Is or has been dishonest.
Ills fsilins~ all know, and they may be summed
up in a total incopQaly for tie 4GTcc wh;ch he
i0EFS.
In this somewhat anomalous state Of things,
lie house deemed it ;hc more prudent course to
ny their complaint directly before the King,
hoping by that less expensive and more speedy
node 10 correct the evil and at It's session on
he 9th, adopted an address TO His Majesty on
he subject. Whether they have chosen the
wiser course or not. the public must decide.
Their language Is mild and unexceptionable, and
eeks to leave the solution of the difficulty with
he King. The following is their address
MAY IT PLEASE Your MAJESTY The Eepresen-
ltiyCs % your People, in legislative Council assem-
led, pray tina; ;hey may he permitted 10 present
.eiOre your Majesty this their humble Address, touch
NJ the interests OF the nation.
We believe that there should lie the utmost conf
euce among all classes that the finances Of govern
are managed with talents, ~prudeuc, and indus
~; and that when such confidence exists, the burden
{; necessary taxation l. cheeriu,!y borne, and each
ersou feels 4 pride in the maintenance OF the public
lOuOr. And should II become necessary TO borrow
'uEey such a reputation for good infringement i
luaIly necessary among capitalists that the credit Of