The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-02-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY. l..

q y communication in another part Of this
paper refers to the Minister of Finance, as ap-
pearing in Court, in the capacity Of a lawyer,
and in one suit, we understand, occupying the
somewhat paradoxical position Of being opposed
TO the Crown. There has been and still il too
much business carried on by Government officers.
We do not refer to Ministers of the Crown only.
but to other officers. \ man who accepts Of
Office, should do 50 with the understanding that
his serrioes JeI0ng TO tie Government, and that
he has no right to carry on other outside opera
tiOns. If his pay is not sufficient, let him re-
sign in favor of another who can live on the
salary. The present Minister Of the Interior
Is q physician, and the Minister Of Finance a
lawyer - both should relinquish their callings
in favor of private practitioners. If we have
not lawyers and doctors enough, there are al
ways persons abroad ready TO come here and
practice.
We are well aware that it has always been
gcntccl for some public officers here to engage
largely in private business. Had the late For
eign Secretary let alone sugar planting he would
have been more useful, and he might to-day
have been alive. lt is not creditable to the
Crown or the Government to have any of its
officers deeply involved in outside speculations
that may occupy three-fourths of their time to
the prejudice of their official duties = TO say
nothing of the temptation to use public funds
whenever it can be done conveniently.
In other countries public opinion is very de-
cided on this subject, and requires a man, when
he accepts office, to relinquish his private bust
ness. This is right, for the good name of the
Government is involved III the conduct of its
servants and many a time have public men in
England and the United States sacrificed a lucra-
tive business to aid the Government. The pres
ent Secretary of the Treasury, Hugh McCuI-
loch, was a private banker in New York,
receiving a princely income from his business,
when he was invited to become Assistant Treas
urer and afterwards Treasurer, neither of which
situations pays him one quarter what he derived
from his former business. We instance this
simply as one out of many that might be given.
This is one os the evils of our administration,
which can easily be corrected if His Majesty is
only firm. There is but one opinion on the
subject, and that is what we have stated above,
irrespective of personal feelings. The rule
should apply not merely to Crown Ministers,
but to every prominent officer in the Kingdom,
and we feel confident that the standing Of the
Government will be raised by its enforcement.
The appointment of all public officers should
be with the sole view Of strengthening the
Government by bringing to its support the in
fuence and good name of the person appointed,
and not 10 provide situations for iavorites or
hangers-on. Any appointment that does not so
strengthen and add 10 the honor Of the Govern
ment is an unwise one. Consequently the APP
pointment of any man to Office who cannot
make Il living out of Office is u discredit to the
Government and, as Il general rule, those who
seek for office seldom add to the strength or
credit Of any Government.