The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-06-11

to misstate facts. The above is about on a par with
the statement that the Independent native paper
was subsidized to the amount OF $500 a year bJ
the American Board, which, as we state elsewhere
is entirely untrue.
The scene on Monday last, during the debate
ON the Master and Servant Law, was a most ex.
citing one. The defiant language used by the
Ministers,-thei naughty tone and manner
showed a determination to browbeat and cover,
if possible, the opposition. Parliamentary usage
was violated when under pressure from the Min
isterial side, the Committee of the Whole adj
journed while a speaker held the floor, the Chair
man evidently not knowing what the practice in
the case was. The purpose was apparent to all
to apply the gag, and force the advocates OF
the repeal to retire discounted.
Yesterday, which was fixed for the final debate
on the Master and Servant Act, was opened by
a resolution by Mr.. Judd, the evident intention
of which was to choke off debate, it providing
that no member should speak more than once on
the bill nor longer than half an hour. This was
pretty cool certainly on the ministerial side,
when it is remembered that the four column
speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs con-
sumed one whole session in the delivery. The
attempt, however, failed, and the bill was con-
sidered in the House, without going into Com
mittee of the Whole. Mr.. Thompson got the
floor, and made a speech of considerable length,
in which he Brought forward strong arguments
against the existing law.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, with his
usual efrontery, once or twice interrupted the
speaker, and asked, in his peculiarly bland man.
ner, whether the contract for two months which
had resulted in three years. servitude, had been
laid on the Secretary's table. The Minister got
the deserved rebuff of " 1t qciH be, when 1 am
ready to do So" The member for Honolulu has
won golden opinions for the firmly independent
stand he has taken, and consistently pursued in
this debate, squarely in the face of ministerial
and governmental influences, which have had an
apparently strong effect on some of the weak
kneed members. Few Legislators have ever en-
countered in their speeches more defiant and
supplementary opposition from Ministers than
has Mr.. Thompson.
After the conclusion of Mr.. Thompson's speech,
which was delivered in q calm and deliberate
manner, the coolie side put forth their mall
gun, the Minister of the Interior, who made the
dd hOminem, referring to the per-
bchoA NOANNSS VA WIN BANfNOA oBNohNAs AhCAS
nothing in this that he could bring forward
at all injurious to the good name or standing of
the honorable member, but the attempt was de-
spicable, and shows the straits to which the ad-
vOcates of this odious law are reduced. Even
the Vice President, who is now looked upon as a
sideways supporter of the Ministry, was COM
PEELED to call His Excellency to order for using
personal language towards the member. The
Department of Foreign Affairs was q little more
plain in the language used, such as " 0ahahee,"
in Hawaiian, which Andrews translates as "a
lie." And these delectable specimens of par
liamentary etiquette, are perhaps considered by
our Ministry as fit examples to set before the ma
members. To the credit of the latter be it
said, that however hot the debate, none of them
have yet been known to use language other than
gentlemanly and courteous, even in the heat of
debate. Him of the Foreign Relations, appeared
to have decidedly got off the track of morality as
well as of propriety, yesterday, when he ire
verently called upon the Deity to witness to the
truth of his peurile remarks.
At 20 minutes to 5, after some spicy debating
between two of the members for Kauai and the
for Kau, in which the latter deprecated
the total repeal of the law, Mr.. Lyons (Kohala)
closed the debate, in a very argumentative speech,
ending at 20 minutes to 6, when the vote was
taken, and resulted of course in favor of the
coolie side of the question-28 noes against II
ayes. So the bill was indefinitely postponed.
And so, by a deliberate vote of the Legislative
Assembly, the islands are to be repeopled by
pagans.
1t is a fact worth remembering, while studying
the operation of the Master and Servant Law,
that according to the reports of the different
Judges, there have been, during the past two
years, no less than SIR hundred and ninety cases
before the Courts, under the Masters and Servants
Law. The number imprisoned or those whose
time was doubled, is not mentioned, neither do
the Judges appear to know whether to classify
the cases as civil or criminal. As there are only
three thousand contract laborers in all
kinds of service in the Kingdom, this would
show that about one laborer in every five has APP
Deared before the Courts.