The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-06-27

paid liable to be forfeited by the owner, the total
receipts from this source would be nearly if not
fully as much as now. 1t should be stated that
His Majesty, in returning the bill, is understood
to have said that if a law could be framed that
would discriminate between horses kept for service
and for pleasure, he should favor it.
The failure of the school-law to become a bill
will be regretted by every friend of education.
That the present system, after a fair and full
trial, has been found defective, no impartial per-
son can doubt. This bill is understood TO have
received the hearty support of the Board of Edu-
cation, as calculated to infuse new life and inter-
est in educational matters, and to check the de-
cline of the whole common school system. II is
much to be regretted that His Majesty did not de-
fer TO the almost unanimous sentiment of the No
bles and Representatives, as expressed on the pas
sage of this bill, and at least allow the amend
ment to have a trial.
The law to amend the statute regulating the
Fire Department, was believed to be a good one,
and one called for by the necessities of this city.
Ii divided the city in new and more fire districts,
with a fire warden for each. and gave TO the
Chief Engineer the control of fireworks and sal
utes, which is now vested with the Governor.
TIE error in this bill was that it did not provide
for the repeal of such acts as conflict with it, and
Its enactment was therefore unwise. Had there
been time n new law might have been prepared
and passed which would have remedied the defect.
There is no remedy, under the monarchical
system of Government, by which the Kings veto
can be overcome, as there is under a republican
form, where a two-thirds vote of both branches
of Congress nullifes the veto, and makes the act
n law. To those who are imbued with republic
an sentiments, this royal prerogatiyc seems arbi-
trary and unjust; while, on the other hand, those
who are partial to the monarchical form of Gov
guards for its preservation. 1t is inseparable
from this system of Government.
The publication in this paper last week of the pro-
ceedings of the representatives on the petition TO
impeach the Minister of the Interior, gave rise to a dis.
cussion which formed an amusing episode of the
session. 1t was proposed to have the proceedings
conducted in secret session, when the friends of the
Minister demanded that the fullest publicity should
be given to them, and the reporters of both papers
were allowed to ait and report in full. with the under
standing that the proceedings were to be published.
This was done, and had we been able to procure the
second report of the committee of investigation, We
should have published that also.
The amusing part of the affair is. that when
the reports appeared in the paper, intense indignation
was expressed by the ministers. The truth is the
proceedings ought to have been strictly private, and
the reporters excluded. A simple resolution to that
effect would have secured it. But as there APP
peared a desire to have the proceedings made
public, this was done, and no one can be blamed but
those who demanded it should be so.
1t is strange that men aspiring to the position of
statesmen, should not have common sense enough to
refrain from meddlIng with the press, when every
such attempt belittlcs the actors. As a general thing,
conductors Of the independent press, aim to be Impair
tiaI, for it is their interest to be so. In following
that course they may tread on somebody's toes,
and forthwith the sage Soions blow their blast against
the press, and demand an opportunity for showing
their power and spite. There is always q temptation
to this, and we regret that the ministers especially
have shown themselves so w~eak-minded and thin
skinned on this subject. Each attack on the press
has been by them or their partizans.
Never has baser language been uttered against
this paper and its publisher in any Legislative
session, than during the present, by each of the
Kings Ministers, and by several of their Repre-
sentative sycophants, and the people will place
n lower estimate on the value of the services of
men who can act so foolishly as these men
have DONE Twenty-Five years acquaintance with
types and quilts have taught us our rights and
privileges, and to despise the puny attempts at
retaliation and the attacks of Ministers and Leg
islators clothed with n little brief authority, who
when their term has expired will sink into insig-
and be forgotten even by their most IA
vOred friends. The press rests on a foundation as
firm rs the eternal truths of God, which it enun-
ciates, and though we may not long live to
direct it's utterances here, it can no more be sup
pressed than the surf ON the seashore can be re-
strained and stilled.
The session is now over, and members have re-
turned to their various occupations, where they
will have ample leisure to review their labors,
" uttered. As a whole, the Assembly has been a
decided Improvement on the previous one. Espe-
cially has this been the case with the Representa-
tives, who with a few exceptions, (Which have
been n disgrace TO the nation,) have acted their
part nobly, and deserve the thanks of their consti-
tuents. The Hawaii delegation, in particular,
have done well; and, throughout a session where
rum and whisky have ruled almost supreme, these
men have stood out as firm tectotalcrs. Il
The venerable President, too, who for forty :
years has firmly resisted all Intoxicating drinks, y
has been a model of punctuality. Every day, five
before ten, he was seen entering the hall u
md sharp at ten O'Clock his hand waved the house q
20 order. We believe he has not been absent Oh c
single occasion. His punctuality, quier dignig )
md stern severity as shown on one or two oce- :"
ions of insubordination of half intoxicated mef-1
,ers, have increased the respect and love of he 4
,eople for their patriarch Chief. 8
We cannot close without noticing the sand o
AIKEN by His Highness WILLIAM LUSAnLo, who u
throughout the session has enrolled his nam, on q
IL important questions, with the Representatives, ),