The Hawaiian gazette., 1872-07-03

hotel and run it, because it would not pay, and
be did not feel like voting fora hotel for the Govern.
ment to run and lose money by it. II 1t was such a
good thing as represented by the Minister of Finance
he was astonshed to think that the Minister Of FL
nance and the Minister of Foreign Affairs did not buy
the hotel and run It themselves instead fhodng the
land and waiting for the passage of this Act to enable
them to sell the land to the Government at large
profit.
His Ex the Minister of Foreign Relations said that
the last speaker had been told time and time again
that the land did not belong to the Government
was it the intention to sell it to the Government at
large profit. r--
Mr. A. F. Judd said he was surprised to hear that
the ground on which the hotel stood was government
property. If this was the case, the Bill sheer
nonsense The second Section says that the property
will be transferred to the Government if the Bill
passes The speaker had seen the dead Of the prop
erty and it conveyed the land c. c. Harris and J.
Mott Smith, without any reference to them trustees
or Ministers. The speaker did not believe that the
Ministers would make anything in the transfer. The
two gentlemen who hold the deeds Of this property
have done perfectly right in securing this property to
themselves. If, under the present management
which have been assured by some of our leading
merchants shows that the person to whom it has
been leased for Eve years does not know how keep
hotel : the hotel pays, would advise them to
keep the property joint stock enterprise. have
been classed with those who approve this laying
Of money for public Improvements beg leave to
say that do not belong to that class When 1 read
the report Of the Minister of Finance I understood
that he was Of the opinion that the enterprise was
too large one for private enterprise to undertake
now he comes before the House and urges to pass
this Bill because the hotel will pay. If this is the
case, those who advanced the money had better run
the bote and not try to saddle the people with that
strange anomaly Of hotel run by Government.
Mr. Carter said : A great deal Of time has been de-
voted by the Minister of Finance to the Honolulu
delegation, and 1 wish to acknowledge my apprecia-
ton of the attention shown US before proceed with
the debate. Ny colleague. Mr.. Judd. has shown in a
very able manner the inconsistencies of the Bill
under discussion, and / shall not touch uponsthat
point but 1 differ upon other points. My colleague
takes the ground that the Minister of Finance is the
father of this Bill but consider the paternity some
what questionable, for it has many features that
mind quite foreibly OF His Excelleney of Foreign
Relations. The manner in which their bantling was
thrust upon the community quite characteristic of
His Elk. of Foreign Relations. Regarding the biog-
raphy of the hotel scheme, given by the Minister
Of Finance, that portion which relates to its earlier
life 1 consider quite open to criticsm-t is quite
cloudy, bu: this unusual in biographies. But
when 1 consider how intimate His Excellency has
been with the scheme, have a right to expect more
accurate statement than has been given. We are
told that public notice given of the preliminary
meeting called to consider the scheme Such was not
the fact for my own recollection to the effect that
notice given by verbal message note to select
few, and strengthened in this belief by the state
nent made to me by party who was thus notified.
Certainly it was not public notice in the sense that
we understand public notice, by newspaper or by
handbills. 1t was not a meeting to which all tax
payers invited, and their opinion to such
pendture of public funds should have been respected
but it was a meeting to which capital was invited,
not the people, for is only money that the Ministers
respect. If it public meeting why were not my
colleague and myself invited?. Now what was done
at this meeting? was not there to know, but from
the papers of the day Iearn that subscription paper
started, and signed by persons who agreed to
''pay into the Hawaiian Treasury the amount of
money set opposite our respective Names and it
was further understood by the subscribers and the
Minister Of the Interior that committee of two of
their number should advise with the Minister of the
Interior to selection of site and plan of the build
ing You will notice that the Minister of the Interior
is here prominent in the history of the scheme, and
you will also notice another remarkable fact that he
suddenly disappears from all connection with the
scheme as though he had dropped through a trap
door, 1t also agreed that upon the receipt of the
money the Minister would issue to the persons pay
ing the same, negotiable bonds of the Government,
be denoted Hotel Bonds.' Now what are negotiable
bonds? Ihold that negotiable bond is one that is
lawfully issued, certainly not an Illegal issue. One
feature Of this scheme fairly developed that it was
not private enterprise, has been claimed by the
Minister, for at subsequent meeting the Minister of
Foreign Relations said, " His Majesty's Government
have resolved to push it ho hOtel) to completion"
So that you will see that it Government enter
prise for why should the Government resolve to push
"strctly private enterprise" to completion To still
further strengthen my position let quote the Min
lister Of Finance who said " Thus you will see, gen
tlemen, that all you have agreed do is to help the
enterprise with your money and receive Bonds for it.
His Majesty's Government, their part, through
me, have agreed to devote that money faithfully to
the purpose Indicated" This does not look like
private enterprise Again one of the subscribers said
81 made my subscription the faith of the Executive
Government, and understood that was to receive
my bonds for it's The bonds were taken in the be.
lief that they were sound.
1t first intended that the hotel should cost
between fifty and sixty thousand dollars, and whether
to build of wood OF stone an open question for
some time.
Another feature of this scheme quite characteristic
of the Minister of Foreign Relations is this that as
soon as a meeting had been held and Capital had en-
dorsed the idea of building a hotel, presented plans,
etc., the public ignored, all the plans swept
side, and the Minister proceeded to have his
sweet will about site, size Of building, and material
The long prelude from the Minister of Finance in re-
atiOn the inception and progress of this scheme is
not only inaccurate but quite unnecessary, and be
leve it was given for the that cutie
fish elects the nky fluid when pursued-tO blind us
as to the main issue.
The hotel, as a structure, is not fair matter for
discussion. Certain principles have been violated.
and it to this fact that desire call your atten
ton. If am wrong in my Judgment on this point 1
am open to correction. Have public funds been ex-
peudedg 1 answer, Yes. Funds are the stock of
national debt public securities evidence of money
lent to Government You viii not question the fact