The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-06-29

The Assembly went into Chmmittee Of the
Whole, Gov. Kipi in the Chair, on the Tesolu'
ton, which read as follows
"WHEREAs, The Ministers of His Majesty have by variou:
acts brought detriment to the public service; TheEJ0Te re.
sOfred. That this Assembly postpone the consideration Of tbs
ninistratiOn of the public service by the present Ministry"
Hon. Messrs. Pilipo, Mahoe and Ksai spoke al
length in support Of the resolution, and the Hon.
Mr.. Aholo against it.
Hon. Mr.. Gibson said When | first entered this
Assembly 1 certainly never contemplated the pur-
pose or the likelihood of my present attitude OF
antagonism to the Ministry.
1 have enjoyed pleasant personal intercourse with
the most of these gentlemen, and have many cour-
tesies and agreeable encounters TO remember. But l
have gradually lost confidence in them as advisers of
His Majesty, and as guides of the people.
/ have been hesitating for some time past to give
expression to this want OF confidence, but the occur
renee yesterday-the presentation of an autograph
letter of His Majesty before the Assembly in refer
ence to a matter most proper for a Minister to COM
municate, and particularly by the one who is always
regarded in diplomatic intercourse as the especial
Minister of the King, that is, the Minister for For
eign Afairs-Well, l say, that this occurrence in
creased my want of confidence, for in this matter, as
1 said yesterday, His Majesty has been very in
judiciously advised, and therefore l have decided
now to give expression to this want Of confidence.
A Ministry in a Constitutional Government should
to a great extent represent the people. As We see
that in England, every Minister of the Crown must
be returned to Parliament by a constituency. This
should be the case with a portion of our Ministry,
being partly taken from the Mobiles and partly from
the representatives Of the people.
What an advantage it would be in the advance
ment of public affairs for Ministers to come from
the people and to have the confidence of the people.
What o duty it is for a Minister who proposes to
govern in behalf of a country that he should en-
deavor, by frequent association, to know intimately
the wants and desires of the people.
1 have met and influenced perhaps a portion of my
fellow-citizens, and why should not Ministers do the
same. 1t is limited in this House that some improper
| influence is misleading the representatives of the
| people; now why should not Ministers exercise a
counteracting influence? Ministerial agency should
be a work of persuasion.
| have resorted to no acts but what are open and
manifest. 1 have not bribed any man with money,
and certainly have no Offices to offer to tempt a rep
resentative to sell his vote.
Why should l seek anything else but the best well
fare of the country-in promoting the health of the
people, and in maintaining the independence Of the
kingdom
My attitude on the latter point is decided and un-
compromising, whilst l must say that there are those
before me who have thought only of the material pro-
gress of the country, by advocating cessions of ter
ritory and other acts affecting the independence of
the Hawaiian Kingdom.
But let US review the especial acts which have led
to this expression of want of confidence. This As
sembly has had them set forth for its consideration,
and has already passed upon them the . gravest
censure.'
n ueClSlOu lhe lnlS III any IdFlldulenI elSeWnere
would have been sufficient to have decided Ministers
that they could no longer serve the Sovereign eff
GENTLY as advisers, and would have led them to sur
render their portfolios. But not so our Ministers,
who evidently esteem it q duty or an interest to hold
on to office under any circumstances.
The Department of the Interior has occupied a
large share of attention. But L will only refer to the
report of the Committee of Experts.
What do they say about long neglect of entries of
disbursements-abou discrepancies in the Land
Office; and this state of affairs was known to the
Minister?
The Acknowledgement removed public funds un-
necessarily and improperly from the public treasury
to deposit with bis banker. The improperly of this
course has been distinctively marked by this Assem-
bly, ordering the return of the funds to the public
treasury.
As for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, what shall
I say? He has come so recently into Office, and has
had little time to do anything good or bad, so that
it may be presumed in reference 10 him / have
nothing to say; and surely he has nothing to say.
No, I cannot speak of any acts of any kind, but |
NAV allude to fitness. He may have qualifications,
but these may be neutralized by inirmity. And let
me speak carefully and sympathetically here, for l,
too, am q man of years and infrmlties. But we
know that the measure of infrmity must not be
gagged by the number of years. AS We have seen q
Theirs at the age of eighty advising and directing
the great French nation. And nor we behold a man
past seventy. the great Disraeli, with his impressive
mien and splendid defamation, satisfying the hope
and purpose of a great and noble people, and holding
all Europe In expectancy. therefore IN considering
official fitness, we must not be Influenced by the
number of years, so long as we have evidence of a
spirit capable of meeting the wants of a country, and
of doing honor to an administration. If we have
that evidence in this instance, then in respect to
one member of the Cabinet, at least, there is no &C.
casion for any expression of want of confidence.
Opposition to a Ministry has often arisen in this
country, and for much lighter cause than we now
bring forward.
l speak for what [ deem the best interests of the
DnoDla. and Whatpyar fhp rpSnlt of this action
shall feel that l have done my duty, and shall after
the decision of the Assembly help to push forward
public business either with the present Ministry or
new ones.
marks the indefinite postponement OF the resolution.
His Excelency the Minister of Interior said he
concurred in the remarks of Mr.. MahOe, that this
resolution was the offspring of the report of the Com
mittee of Finance. This, TO him, was made evident
days ago. 1t has been handed about this Legislature
for days, and finally makes its appearance under the
fostering care of the Hon. member for Lahaina (Alr.
Gibson), its introducer, and the Hon. Noble, Mr..
Kaai, its most ardent supporter, who now presents
it, soliciting your support. Considerable has been
said about the balance of $5,677 SO in the Land
Office, and the gentleman from North kona insists
upon it being turned into the Treasury as a realiza-
ton. This cannot be done, for the reason that it is
not a cash balance. He certainly misunderstanding
the experts when he quotes them to strengthen his
position. They recommend that the account wherein
this balance appears be closed, by the counter entries
OF the vouchers issued FOR legislative expenses, &C.
This is O simple matter of bookkeeping, and does not
intimate or exhibit any crookedness, and in support
of this explanation. 1 have taken the precaution,
Judging from the experience of the past, that my
word would Tot be relied on by some members of
this House, to obtain the following letter from two
of the experts, viz:
HONOLULU, June q, 1873.
A portion of the cash balance of S5,977 SO was represented
by old vouchers, as will be seen by the report, which were
81, 100. The balance of cash actually was $4,S77 80. The
reason given why this amount was not passed into the Treas,
ury was that they had been received as partial payments on
sundry accounts, and could not be disposed Of until the whole
amounts were received. This has been the usual custom since
MIR. Spencer was Chief Clerk.
Signed by E. P. ADAMS and JNo. II. Patty
hope this explanation will be satisfactory to the gentleman
from North Kona. In refuting the implied charges OF DIS
honesty on the part of certain employees of his Department, ne
presented the following letter of two of the experts, generating
said employees from all such accusations:
HONOLULU, June 81, 1873.
To His ErceHency j. Mott Smith, Minister Of The In
SIR: The books of the Interior Depart
lately under our inspection, show plainly every recelpt
N the office. and consequently there could have been no en-
bezzIemept; and although certain entries were in arrears. ana
balances not en- tered up, they did not in the least give US any
that public moneys had been lost in consequence OF such
omission. no ,,a O1ce
- - IaroUy Drovsd and IL was for that reason that We