The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-07-28
LEGISLATIVE ETIQUETTE

legislative etiquette is Of a low grade everywhere,
I believe | find no exception 10 the rule here All
hands smoke during the session, from the hlgcest
down 10 the pock-marked messenger Cow county
members-Cr perhaps | should say taro patch mem
ber--lay the sides Of their faces on the desks, en-
circle them with their arms aud 90 10 sleep for a lew
moments at a time l know they must put their
feet or the desks sometimes. bat l could not csich
them at Ia. saw them eating crackers and cheese
though, and freely excused them for H. because they
hold long, atiguiug se>sions-from II TIL without
intermi>>iou! | am gTJeNei 10 say that their Ell
Quote Is a shade superior TO thst OF the early HAshoe
legislature Horse " :iiiams' was a member OF
one Of them. ami ne used TO always prop MS vast ieet
upon MS desk and get behind them and eat q IA"
tTTuip during prayer ty the Chaplain
MORE CHARACTERISTICS.
50 much for the Legislature. I came sway and
lett them n the favori;e occupation OF such bodies
crowdIug the Finance officers estimates TO the ut
most lIuit. Ire last thing they did was 10 provide
= cierk FIR tue Sheriff Of Maui, with a salary OF
loon, which was well enough. considering that for
$1,000 a year and some triiinE peTqu'>lies, THAR
uficsr acts a. Sheriff Of the Island 81 Maui, Post
master Of Lehains, Custom House ofhcer, Tax Col
lector Of the Island OF Lanai, aud probably does
l!jt.e in a general way IN the Missionary line, thougA
he l. better AT entertaining a temporary guest. as l
sn aware; but You know the inevitable result
every Sheriff Of every little lab Of rock in this group
viii have a housand-io,i,r clerk now.
\ COMPREHENSIVE SUR.
The mental caliner q the legislative Assembly is
up to the average Of such bodies the world over
aud | wish il were a compliment 20 say 1t. but Is
hardly -. | have seen a number OF Legislatures,
aud there was q comfortable majority IN each OF them
that knew lust about enough 10 come IN when It
rained, and that was all Few men Of first class
ability can afford 10 let their affairs 60 10 ruin while
thew fool away their time in legislatures for months
on a stretch. Few such men care a straw for the
smalI-heer distinction one i able TO achieve IN such
= place. But your chaiiering, oue-horse village law
yer likes il, and your Solemn ass from the COW coun-
ties, who don't Snow tue Constitution from the Lords
Prayer. enjoys II, aud these you will always fad IN
the Assembly; the one gable, gabbie, Cabling
threaihare pla,ituies and give-me-liherty or give.
me-death' buncombe from morning u!l night, ana
the other asleep, with his slab sOei bTogans set up
Ike a couple Of grave stones on the top Of his desk.
Among the Commons in this legislature are a
number Of kauakaS, with shrewd, intelligent faces,
and a :. gilt of gnb' that i appalling. the Mobiles
are able. educated, fine looking men, who do not talk
often, cut when they do they generally say some
thing-a remark which will not apply to all their
white associates in the same house 1t l were not
ashamed to iigress 50 often | would like to eXPatlate
a little upon the noticeable fact that the nobility Of
this land, as a general thing. are distiuguishable
from the common herd by their large stature and
commanding presence, aud ais, set forth the theories
in vogue for accounting for it, tut for the present
will pass the subject by.
IN sEssIoN-BILL RAGsDALE.
At II A. NJ. His Royal II ghuess the President cali
ed the House to order. The roll-call was dispensed
with for some reason or other, and the Chaplain, a
venerable locking white man. offered up a prayer in
the native tongue: and | must say that this curious
language. with its numerous vowels and It's entire
absence of kissing sounds, fel! very softly aud music
ally from his lips 4 white Chief Clerk read the
Journal OF the preceding days proceedings ia Eng
lish, and then handed the document 10 Bill Rags1ale,
y =. half white (half white and half hanAka,) who
translated and clattered it off in Kanaka with a yolu-
bility that was calculated to make q slow-spokeu man
like nae distres>iHgly nervous
Bill Ragsiale stands up in front Of the Speakers
pulpit. with his back against it, and fastens his quick
black eye upon any member who rises, lets him say
half a dozen sentences and then interrupts him, and
repeats his speech in "a loud, rapid voice, turning
every Kanaka speech into English and every English
speech into kanaka, with a readiness and felicity OF
language that are remai kable-waits for another in-
stallmeut or talk from the members lips and goes on
with his translation As before. HIS tongue Is in con-
slant motion from IL 10 the forenoon till four in the
afternoon, and Why it does not wear out is the affair
of Providence, not niue. There i a spice Of devil
try in the fellows nature, aud il crops ont every now
and then when he i translatjng the speeches OF SLOW
old Kanakas who do not understand English. With
out departing from the spirit Of u members remarks,
he will, with apparent Inconsistencies, drop in a
little voluntary contribution occasionally in the way
of n word or TWO that will make the gravest speech
utterly ridiculous He is careful not 10 venture upon
such experiments, though, with the remarks of per
sons able 10 Diet, CT him. | noticed when he trans
lated for His Excelleucy David kalakaua, who i an
accom- English scholar. he asked, Did |
translate you correctly. your Excellency - or some
thing to that effect. The rascal. MARK TWAIN.