The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-05-31

We HAVE SPOKEN recently of the Importance
which must be attached to the election of repre-
sentatives for the next Legislature, endeavoIing
to point out that, according to principles pro-
iesscd by the King and his present Ministers, a
very grave responsibility devolves upon those who
have to choose the members of the lower House.
During the interval which elapses before the
next Legislative session, Ministerial action must
OF course go on without any public official dis
c~ussion, and Ministers have it in their own power
to carry on their work in absolute secrecy or
grGtuitously to afford general information, rs
they see fit. Since the formation of a Cabinet
in January, there has been no particular pro-
mitigation Of action or policy except such as
may have been conveyed in the authorized zap
pOintments column of the GG@eHe and IN the
published correspondence between the Minister
of Foreign Relations and the Minister Resident
Of the United States. Possibly nothing further
of material import has transpired beyond the
regular working of the different bureaus, or per-
haps, though improbably, it has not occurred to
the Government that public comment has been
needful upon any other matters than these. But
there are many things which must call for con-
siderable attention on the part of the Govern
ANh1f - AANh " "AANAJ piANfAh -
would certainly do much more good than harm
Those matters in which no direct action can take
place until the next sitting of the Legislature
may with some prOpriety be reserved for discus
sion then and indeed it is only just to the
Ministry to remember that they have yet to make
a policy, that they accepted Office not from any
agreement of views upon any subject whatever
save the intention to do their best for the country,
but because they were somewhat urgently called
to official position. Other things, however, are
arising for consideration, upon which action
cannot be postponed until the Legislature meets,
or for which no Legislative guidance is necessary ;
and in such matters it is to be hoped that the
Government will not fail to fortify the public
confidence it enjoys by permitting q general
knowledge and discussion of its conduct. We
have before limited at some of the questions which
even now present themselves rather press;ngly to
the country, and which must be dealt with in
one way OF another before long upon which of
them public sentiment should be sounded, or
how far q silent course is the best, the Govern
ment have at all events the first privilege of OK
pressing their opinion.
Our Government being, as we have said, I'M
committed to any strict policy, and only pledged
to their best in apparently desirable directions,
there is all the more reason why intelligent men
should form the elected portion of the Legislature.
Members cannot go to the House with instruc-
tions to support or oppose the Ministry, because
the Ministry have yet to choose their own course;
were these the only instructions needed, the more
mechanically We could be represented, the better.
1t is necessary to have men who do not merely
carry a delegated vote to the House, but who
can weigh evidence, and found convictions, and
IN every way represent the intelligence and think
ing power of the constituencies which appoint
them.