The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-03-07
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A6bertlser.
SATURDAY. MARCH 7

1nK POSITIONS Of Governors of the several ISL
ands, previous to the Constitution of 1852, were
Of almost vice-regaI Importance, and the power
ann authority welded by such chiefs as John
Adams Klakini, as the Governor Of Hawaii, was
second only to that OF the King, who seldom
i~nterfered in the executive control of the respect
i've islands. The Constitution Of KamehameHa
III. for the first time defined the status and duties
Of the Governors, in Article 80, which read:
The Governors, subject to the King, shall have
the exclusive control Of their respective Islands,
agreeably with the Constitution and laws of the land;
aud they shall have the command OF the military
forces Of their respective Islands, and shall make an
annual report Of the administration OF their respect
i've Islands to the Minister Of the Interior"
Since 1852, however, it has been the constant
policy of legislation to gradually circumscribe the
powers and duties of the Office of Governor, until
to-day, instead of these officials having " the
exclusive control of their respective islands, ,
they may to a great extent with the exeep-
ton Of the Governor of Oahu) be termed theagents
of the Minister of the Interior. In the Consti-
tuition of 1864, the title Of Governor is not to be
found. But by statute enactment they still
nominate the district justices, collectors and
assessors of taxes receive and pay the taxes over
to the Finance Office their consent is necessary
to the shipment Of native seamen and 1t Is their
duty to enforce the bonds for the same they
bind as apprentices or servants all minors above
the age of ten years, if such minor have no
parent living, or none competent to apprentice
him or her, and there be no guardian in cases OF
wrecks or shipwrecked goods, the Governors
direct the heads of police to take charge of the
same for the owners they designate pounds and
keen a record OF brands, etc, etc.
The Gazette is in error in its statement that
the appointment Of the Hon. ). kipi to the
Goyernorship of the Island of Hawaii transfers
him from among the Representatives to the
Mobiles. There is no Constitutions provision or
statutory enactment, Lor has there ever been any,
which makes the Governors eT-o6feio members of
the House Of Mobiles. Those who have hereto
fore sat as Mobiles have done 80 by virtue OF their
letters patent. But it would certainly be an
ANOMALY to see His Excellency the Governor OF
Hawaii sitting in the House as one of the Repre-
sentatives for Hilo, and we therefore opine that
he will resign the latter position and that a new
election will be held in that district to fill the
vacancy. Thus 1t will appear that neither of the
new appointees to GOyernOrships Will sit in the
next Assembly, unless they shall receive patents
of Nobility in the meantime. There are at pres
ent. including two absentees, sixteen MOBILES,
exclusive of the Ministers, and the Constitution
limits the number that may be appointed by the
King to twenty.
Both the appointments, that of the Honorable
Samuel Kipi to the large and important Island of
Hawaii, and OF Judge Kapena to the equally
important gubernatorial division of Maui and its
dependencies, may be characterized as very judi
eious. While as we have observed. the tendency
has been to lessen the responsibilities and to
detract from the importance of these positions,
the influence to be exerted over the native popu-
lation by the presence among them of officials of
their own race, who to their minds at least, in
some sort represent the authority of the Throne,
should not be lost sight of. Mr. Kipi is a native
gentleman of good education, shrewd and ener-
getie, one who by industry and attention to
agriculture in his district has become a man of
property and consideration, having represented
Hilo in the Legislature during several sessions.
judge Kapena, the new Governor of Mani, was
educated at PunahoH College, speaks English
auently, and, previously to his appointment as
Circuit Judge for Oahu, was for several years
the able and talented editor of the AH OkOG,