The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-07-18
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Y. u L Is.
One or Two IIouses-vvhichc

l ~ - ApH h[1A t1 III VI bGC GtESAtbf
but owing to. the want of time TO devote to it,
and che necessary haste required to close the reg
ular business within the designated time, nothing
was accomplished.
The GG=ene had an article ON the subject in ITS
issue Of July ., intended to show the advantages
OF the present system over the one which it super
seeded. There arc ONE who honestly endorse
the arguments in favor of a one-house Legisla-
ture, but generally this elass comprises absolu-
fists, or those who do not believe in allowing the
people, or 80 the third estate" To have an equal
voice in tine making of the laws, with the other
two and would deprive them of all but a nominal
participation.
This was one of the ruling principles or theories {
of that thoroughbred monarchist, the late Il. c.
Wyllie, who, with his ministerial colleagues,
succeeded in destroying the Constitution of
1852, and imposing on the country another,
which more nearly reflected his ideas, which
were to destroy A. much as possible the power Of
the people and increase that of the King and No.
bles. 7
The principal plea upon which the present
usage is advocated il that of expedition and the
Consequent reduction of expenditure.
II expedition is OF such vital Importance, why
not merge the so-c,ilei distinct bodies of the Leg
islaturc in one, and vest tIe whole power in the
KING? Then, what they claim to be a laudablc
idea would be carried out to its fullest extent,
and these economic politicians would in addition
to the other advocated advantages also receive
personal benefit in the way Of immunity from
further requirements in their arduous political
labOrs. But doubtless even this servile few would
not agree easily to such n measure. though they do
expect the people to sacrifice their rights and lib
erty without n murmur. This is. however, the
evident climax to which such principles tend: but
Of course such an net would involve n sacrifice,
on the part of the people. of n freedom which
they have too long enjoyed to admit of it being
curtailed in such n wholesale and unceremonious
manner. But a people passive in their inclina-
ton, as are the Hawaiians. are seldom inclined
to dispute n small Infringement Of their rights. Co.
peeially If trouble or expense is involved. Still
the fact of their tacit aequieseenec, through ig-
noranee or n love Of quiet, in any act that il in
tended ~wrongfully to deprive them Of their rights
or restrict their privileges, is no ~palliation of the
offence that has been committed against them.
But let Us proceed to examine the question
whether or not the diminutiOn Of expense consc-
quent on the npidity with which business is now
transacted, is an equivalent for the many Other/
opposite considerations which have thereby beenA
done away with.
To say that the power and independence Of the
Representatives il not now restricted is simply
absurd, and no ono can uphold such an argument
by logic or common sense or ON grounds Of past
experience
To say that it il in the nature Of every man to
act independently in the most adverse circumstan-
ccs, Is still more absurd. Yet this is the prclic-
aIneut in which the Representatives are placed by
the existing law compelling them to sit with the
Mobiles.
The presence or the Aliis must, here as every
where else. exercise considerable influence uIOn
the minds of men whose highest ambition is not
always free from personal motives and Of this
class there are not u few, even in the most civil
lied and enlightened countries. And can We ex-
pect entire immunity from a feeling 30 universal
ly prevalent? To suppose - would be contra
dictOry to common sense. The first glance ut our
Representative body would suggest quito an Oppo-
site idea. Who that l. acquainted with HawaiI7T
an character can in conscience assert that n FURY
Their personal sOlicitnde would not he engendercd
by their being ushered into the presence Of their
/ Aliis2 The idea Of birth and blood is yet fresh
in the Hawaiian mind, and we might ~ well eo1f
tend that the immediate presence Of 4 loadstnne
would cause no oscillations in the magnetic nee
die, as that they would remain uninluenccd ua-
der such circumstances. They feet the influence
of a superiority, which, though not real, rs not
the less DolreTfuI:-an influence whose existence
is hereditary and has rot yet been sufficiently
damaged by the contact Of civilization to be rem
dercd null, excepting in the face of the most CON-
dieting personal circumstances.
IL is n long time before n nation emerging from
barbarism loses every trace of its ancient institu-
tiOns and tine ideas necessarily Connected with
them, for prejudice and prccept are difficult to
eradicate when once tLey have gained familiar
possession of the mind. The feeling is analogous
to- that which spontaneously arises III the mind Mt
the recolleetion OF some PAST disaster or better,
an encounter with an object that has once struck
terror to the heart. Ii is n Authorization which
fastens on the mind even long after the mind has
become assured of its unhealthy.
Leaving aside the consideration Of this feeling.
so well known tO exist, n glance Mt the system of
voting, will open our eyes To what might happen.
Now it II certain that among the Mobiles there Is
1--WE say certain, because We have seen it, great
CT unanimity Of thought and action ON most sub
jects, for reasons which arc self evident, than is
ever likely To exist among the Representative
body. However that may be, our argument is
still a strong one, and principally based upon the
consideration of contingencies. The unanimous
vote Of the MOBILES in conjunction with the full
minority Of the Representatives with both their
numbers relative n provided in the constitution,
would carry q question which would, had it orig
mated among the Representatives sitting as a dis
tinct House, have been lost by q majority of
eleven votes
Thus, in the Assembly, rs it now u, the total
number Of votes capable under any circumstances
Of being cast, Is 81 viz: Representatives, 40;
Mobiles, -. Now 80 is the majority in O.; 81
the minority; and 81 if a vote among the Repre-
s~entatives as, they once were, n distinct House,