The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-06-01
ABSTRACT OF REMARKs


OF the Honorable Member for Lahaina CMr. Gibson,
May 25th, in Ommitt of the Whole, in reply to
the Attorney General. discussing the Report of
Committee on Finance. Hon. W. Il. Castle in the
Chair. -
Mn. CHAIRMAN Il did not intend to make any
reply to the Honorable Minister of the Crown, the
Attorney General, until all the Ministers had
spoken on the Report of the Committee on Finance,
but as they continue silent, l will not defer my re-
marks.
His Excellency in the course of a somewhat
lengthy and eloquent harangue, stated that the re-
port embodied all the insinuation, inuendo and
rumor against the Ministry, that had been afoat
in the community for some months past, and yet
he has not explained away a single statement of
fact, nor has he done anything more than set forth
that there were eXtenuating circumstances calcu-
lated to modify the views of this Assembly, and of
the public, in respect 10 the allegations of the re-
port.
L can confidently affirm, sir, that the Attorney
General has not touched or invalidated any one of
the array OF facts presented. and has himself dealt
chiefly with inuendo and insinuation.
The report states that his department has no
proper set of books such as would be BETTING a
business in which a disbursement OF nearly one
hundred thousand dollars takes place during the
biennial period. If the Committee be supposed to
be captiOus in this matter, let the books of the
Attorney Generals department be submitted for
the consideration of experts, and let US have their
Judgment in this matter.
| pass by the subject of a certain payment to
bondholdeTs at this time, as being a matter that
concerns the whole Ministry; but will speak of
one hundred dollars received by the Honorable
Minister from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In his discourse printed to-day, he states what was
not distinctly understood from his oral discourse
in the House last Thursday, that there was an un-
derstandlng with other parties in respect to this
extra payment for a document which he drew up
tor the Foreign Office. Now 1 would respectfully
inquire of His Excellency with whom was this ex-
ira payment :" understood"
The Attorney General-Does the Honorable
member desire a reply at this time?
Mr.. GibsOn-I do.
The Attorney General remarked in substance
| consulted with Mr.. Carter in respect to this mat
ter, and 1t was with his sanction that | made this
charge.
Mr.. Gibson-I must say that 1 sincerely regret
that the absence of Mr.. Carter, our envoy in Eu-
rope, will not enable him to substantiate this state
ment at this time; and will say moreover. sir.
that if l.. as Attorney General, had required and
obtained what | deemed a Just payment for service
rendered. and had furthermore the sanction of nv
colleague IN Office, L would have held on to the
money, and never would have returned, as the
Minister has done, what | deemed my due, nor
have taken such pains to get back my receipt for
the payment.
Now in respect to another hundred dollars paid
by the Attorney General to an outside party' ont
of public funds for the drawing up of a treaty of
sale OF steamship Likelike; the Minister saws that
this was an accommodation conceded to him at a
time of severe indisposition. However this NAV
be. L can only say that the Minister might well.
and more properly have paid for this service
which pertalned to his ofScial duty, out of his own
emOluments.
And what have we from the Minister to invaIi-
date the statement of the report. that His Excel
lency had drawn from the public treasury at the
close OF the biennial period. the sum of So, 926-
the amount OF certain uneXpended balances of an
preparations and had deposited the same with his
bankers, Bishop " Co. He simply confirms the
statement of the report, but adds the excuse that
he followed the practice Of his predecessors; and
| tIprpfOrp can ODiV saw tho tbiS - - II
would be more hOnored in the breach than in the
observance, and that the balances of appropria-
tons ne Illegally holds in his hands must be re-
turned to the public treasury.
And what have we from this Minister'S month IN
inValidate any one OF the statements in respect IN
improper disbursements of public funds for objects
of private convenience so pointedly set forth by
my colleague on the Committee, the Honorable
Noble Kaai We have only evasion or silence
and a full illustration of the Honorable Minister'S
aptitude to indulge il the Suppressio Ueri. or with.
holding o. me truth which he charges upon others. |
His EXcellency entertained us with remarks
upon the dignity and moral grandeur of his atti-
tude. as in contrast with the boasts of others He
said very emphatically in his remarks before the
Assembly.-that if be E" was not known nv bs
deeds, he never would be known by his words.
or what he said OF himself. And yet almost in the
same breath, he tells us that he was n soldier
Now IL he had not said so. we would not have
known this to be the case, for we have not seen
him in the tented field; and although we NAV
know that he has charged-yet not at the head Of
squadrons in the front of battle.
And he told us that he was a LAWYER. But we
did not need this assurance from his Inns n : wa
have ample evidence of that professional skill thai
conceals the truth, and that can make the worse
appear the better cause.
Among the inuendoes of His Excellencv he on
deavOrs to make it appear that all the work and
anlmus OF this report is mine. Now | must de-
cline the honor, as this Committee work was LARGE
ly shared by my colleagues; and no one will donbt
that the honorable member for Hamakua (Bicker-
tom. the Honorable Noble Kaai, the Honorable
member for Honolulu (MalO). and the Honorable
member for Kauai q. Kauai), are well capable of
taking their part in the duties of this Assemble
and have been gratuitously insulted by the Hon,
orable Minister by insinuating that they were mis-
led as mere tools by the Chairman of their Com
mittee.
And His Excellency must harp again unon tho
Inslnuatlon that my only object is office. That has
certainly been has only pursuit in this country
And he says that when he accented his nrese9t
office. " | stated to those who conferred with me
that one condition must be, the Immediate nav
ment OF that money to those Ito the bondholders)
to whom it belonged" Now as Minister Smith
who made up the Cabinet. was a bondholder, it is
not difficult to perceive how our hiph-toned
Attorney General should have insisted upon sucb
before he would touch official emoIu-
ment. L have got an Office. which L shall strive to
deserve, and that is as Minister of the people.
Now. Mr.. Chairman, L do not wish to scold anv
more about the past. Ny chief object in onr
Committee Report was administrative re-
1t is quite likely that 1 and my colleagues
may have made some mistakes. | know that We
have passed by all the important measures rela-
to the material progress of the country. We
have reserved them for consideration in after re-
ports. And IN respect to this report before the
Assembly. L will say for myself and nv col
that we will be content should it bring
Is blame, if however it lead to genuine admin,
strative reform.