The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-06-01
IerisIative .Jottiugs.

BY a rule adopted in the Assembly, the Appro-
priatiOn Bill is made the special order of the day
for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. COnse-
quently but little business was done in miscellaneous
matters. Several bills have passed to be engrOssed
for a third reading, and are likely TO finally pass ;
among there are, the bill to prevent the use of giant
powder in fishing the bill to require the indentih-
cation of persons Offering instruments for ac-
acknowledgements 10 fix the pay of tax collectors :;
and to extend the civil jurisdiction of district JUS
tees.
Quite a number of petitions have been laid be-
fore the House since the session began, with the
singular prayer that no one be appointed to a gov
eminent position who is Incorporate in habits, or
who keeps a mistress. This fact is significant, for
where there is so much smoke there must be some
fire. There must have been something rotten
either in Ministerial appointments or the continu-
ance of appointees in office, TO cause such a persist
ent complaint. One member went so far as to draw
up a bill and present it TO the House, embOdying
the substance of the prayer of the petitioners. 1t
was to be sure. thrown out, but by only q small
majority, thus indicating that some OF the Repre-
sentatiyes did not regard the complaint as I'M
founded.
rather unpleasant spectacle was presented
on Monday OF the Assembly spending a long time
in haggling over propositions to reduce the first
item in the Civil List-His Majesty's Privy Purse
and Royal State. Ideas of economy appeared to be
uppermost in the minds of some OF the minority, and
they declared their intention, in view of the portent-
Gus looming cloud of a public debt. to try to cut
down all salaries, beginning atthe head. They did
not, and will not succeed. This having been con-
sidered a test question mot rightly, we think the
ayes and noes were called for, on retaining the item
as in the estimates, S45 900. and resulted as follows
-Ayes-H. H. w. c. Lunalilo. His Elk. P. Nahaole-
lua, His Elk. ?. Kanoa, Hons. c. R. Bishop, C. Ka-
naina, D. Kalakaua, P. Y. Kaeo, H. Kahanu, His
lex ]. Mott Smith, His Elk. s. Fl. Phillips, Hons. D.
II. Hitchcock, S. Kipi, S. K. Kaai, G. w. d. Hale
manu-, L. Aholo, w. Hanaike, J. A. Kaukau, II.
Kuihelani, R. Newton, j. KomOikehuehu, e. III.
Judd.-22
Noes-Hons. J. Nawahi, w. T. Martin, ]. W. Ku-
pakee, J.. w. Naihe, A. F. Judd, J. o. Carter, E.
Mikalemi, u. Poll, ]. N. Paikuli, E Kekoa, D. Kau-
kahs, W. H. Rice, I. Hart Kapuniai.-17.
1t will be observed, that had the estates been vot-
ing separately, the item would not have been carried
as reported in the Budget. Honorable members may
make a note of this. Perhaps they did, and improved
the opportunity the next time the estimates came up,
at a moment when the Mobiles were late in coming in,
by reducing the allowance of His Majesty's Chamber
lain from $4,000 to $4,000, by a vote of IS to 16.
The silence of the Ministry on the item for salary
of the Circuit Judge of Oahu, was remarked. The
Assembly on Wednesday, in COMMITTEES of the Whole,
discussed at length the nature of the duties
of this officer under the law, the delegation for this
Island, with the exception of the member for Ewa)
being of the opinion that the office ought to be
abolished, as useless. The reasons given were
sound. and without descending to personality. were
all that could be given. We have had occasion
quite often to refer to the worse than nselessnesso of
continuing this Office. The Assembly however
kindly continued it,-for the good of whom?