The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-07-20
only - Matter of Form

bogus Constitution imposed upon the country by
the political thinkers Of the Convention of 1861.
was not only an outrage but a t:srce.-that need
Wa, amply supplied when the very first Legi>la-
ture that assembled under the so-cilled Constitu-
ton proceeded To take measures 10 amend that
precious document. What a commentary i
this upon the total u~nitnes> of the Ministry to
manage public affairs!
In the Convention Of lSG4,-which pcrrctrat-
cl that great wrong upon the people, the abro-
CATION of the CONSTITUTIONAL discussing the
proposed substitute, on the 18th of August. the
subject of Iay Of Representatives, under the
both Article, came up. Various motions were
made for filing the blank. Mr.. Ukeke wanted
the IIy for the session fixed NJ 500: DIR. Judd
at $3.50 and the late Judge Robertson moved TO
amend To $50 for the entire session, whether
long or short, supporting his motion by a speech.
This motion was upheld by the Ministers with
all the strength Of their party, and with all the
tactical wirepullinS for which the then Attorney
General was noted. The Government motion
was carried by a small majority, eleven to nine,
and the pay fixed at $50.
In the following Legislature. elected under the
so-callcd Constitution which the Ministry had
tinkercd up and crlmmcd down the threats of
li4c lfultt. one "a ne st!icTtnl> anu TOOLS bi the
administration moved a proposed amendment to
this same Article Sc, raising the Jay of the Rep
rcsentatives to $3.50 per session. This was sup
ported by the Ministry and carried without
opposition. by Article 81, any amendment may
be proposed in one Legislature. and if agreed to
by Il majority, shall bc referred 10 tine next Lcgis-
laturc, the proposed amendments being published
for three months previous To the next Legislature.
If such proposed amendment or amendments shall
he agreed to by two-tlirds of all the members of
the Legislative Assembly, and bc approved 10y
the King, they shall become a part of the Con
stitution.
In the last Gazette, under the head of : BY
Authority we find the following:
Proposed Article of Amendment to the Goth Arti-
Gle Of the Constitution. granted by His Majesty Ka-
mellameha v, 10y the Grace Of God King OF the Ha-
waiian Islands, on the 10Th day of August, \. ID
1864, in accordance with the provisions of Article 50.
SECTION l. That Article 81 he, and the same is,
hereby amended by striking out the word One"
and inserting i'll place thereof, the word Two" so
that the Article viii read as follows:
ARTICLE DO. The Representatives shall receive
for their services a compensation 10 he ascer-
tanned by law, and paid out Of the Public Treasury,
but no increase of compensation shall take effect
during the year in which it shall have been made;
and no Laws shall be passed, increasing the compensa-
ton of said Representatives beyond the sum of two
hundred and fifty dollars for each session.
| hereby certify that the foregoing proposed amend
ment of Article 90 of the Constitution of the Hawaiian
kingdom, was agreed 10 by a majority of the mem-
bers Of the Legislative Assembly of the Hawaiian
Islands, on the 9th day of July, \. ID, 1866, and by
vote of said Legislative Assembly, entered upon its
journal Of that date, in accordance with the prOyiS-
ions OF Article so OF the Constitution.
II. II. STANLEY,
Secretary of the Legislative Assembly
Of the Hawaiian Islands.
Honolulu, July l, 1867.
That the Government will carry the above
amendment without any trouble, under the pre-
sent system Of suffrage, is n forcgonc conclusion.
They could just as easily carry Il measure for
raising the pay of Representatives to $500, or
even $1,000, as to $3.50. The people are tho
a~pathctic about Governmental affairs,
ard submit To taxation without representation
without Il murmur, while the few who are
lrummcd up to the polls will vote as dictated by
the wirerullcrs. Ours is no longer a Government
IF the people, but the government of Il clique.
The maxim, " the greatest good for the greatest
was here, under the revolution of
IS6i, exactly reversed.
1t matters but very little how those who have
got their feet upon the necks Of the Hawaiian
choose to alter or amend the thing they
all a Constitution. Having DISTINGUISHED the
masses, without right or reason, they have
cached the depth of political wlckcdncss. But
imc. the avenger. viii set all things right, and
he people patiently bile their time.