The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-07-22
Speech of the Hon. w. H. Halstead on the
Resolution of Want of Confidence IN the
Ministry

Ministry.
Mr.. President When l was elected to represent
the district Of Makawao in this Assembly, I did not
for a moment suppose that the unpleasant duty
would devolve upon me to give my voice and vote
against the ministry; l did not dream that l should
find myself engaged in the attempt to deprive them
of their exalted positions as guides of the ship Of
state. Neither am l inclined to be fault-Gnding
without cause; 1 am far from wishing to put obstruc-
tons in the path Of my fellow men; but Mr.. Presi-
dent, in the consideration Of the matter now before
the House, I cannot entertain any feelings of per-
sonal friendship or sympathy for the ministers, nor
would / if my own father was one Of them; I must be
guided by my own conscientious sense Of duty. In
the words Of yOnder motto beneath the picture Of q
former Chief Justice" Let justice be done, though
the heavens fall" l support the resolution, and
will briefly state my reasons.
In the year 1874. the Legislative Assembly appro-
priated certain sums for various purposes, the agRre-
gate of which was $976, 303.s7. Let us bear In
mind, Mr.. President, that the Legislature alone has
authority by law to make appropriations Of the pub
lie money. Neither the ministers nor anybody else
connected with the government has any legal author
ity to take the money which has thus been appropri-
ated for a specific purpose. and devote i. to some
other and different purpose. More especially when
- N1 Aak VI tHC LAiulEAEIN
to consider beforehand what are the needs Of the
public service, Of each particular branch Of that SER
vice, and that they are supposed to have honestly
and fairly stated the same when they laid the budget
before the Representatives Of the people, and asked
for certain appropriations. II should be expected
that they mean what they say when they ask for
certain sums for certain purposes, and that If such
sums so granted shall prove insufficient, that 1t can
not be supposed that what lie thus lacking for any
one object can be supplied by taking from the grant
for another object. We have a right to expect that
the heads Of different departments shall so manage
the funds set apart for their use that there shall not
be a deficiency, the same having been carefully esti-
mated on by the ministry before asking for the ap-
propriation-it is their province to know and 10 state
clearly how much money is required for this OF that
service. If through unforeseen circumstances any
particular appropriation shall prove insufficient, then
at the succeeding session the ministers must set forth
the causes of such deficiency and ask for an increas-
ed amount. But, MIR. President, have the ministers
done this? Not at all. As stated in the preamble
Of this resolution, the ministers have misapplied the
moneys appropriated by the Legislature Of 1874.
Fifty thousand dollars were appropriated for the
purposes Of immigration, and by the law Of Dec. 80,
1864, the Board Of Immigration was authorized to
draw on the treasury for that money for the purposes
Of immigration. But the ministers have taken the
money so intended, and in violation Of law, have de-
voted it to altogether different Purposes. They have
moreover misrepresented, in saying that they had
expended $4,000, and that the balance Of $50, 900
had been returned into the treasury, and that there
fore they want US 10 Inappropriate that S35, 200
and give them $4,000 more, making in all $4,000
for immigration. But, Mr.. President, can you-can
honorable members Of this House-believe thisi I
cannot; for if they have returned the said balance
into the treasury, where is it now? The fact is, they
have expended that entire appropriation on other OBJ
jects, such as repairs Of the palace. For this last
purpose they asked and obtained Sl5, 900, but by
their own report they expended thereon S36,911-
which makes S2l. 9l1 expended without authority Of
law. Again, certain sum appropriated for roads
and bridges have been expended for other purposes.
We End that S2,9S7 we're spent for q ball. By what
legislative authority was this money paid out Of the
treasury BY the minister's Five Thousand was APP