The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-06-08
ABSTRACT OF REMARKS by 10 Mr.. BICKERTON
OF Hamakua, in the Assembly May %, In response
to the remarks of His ExeelIeney the Attorney
General,

Mr.. CHAIRMAN-I had not intended to reply until the Min
listers had all spoken. We have laid our Report before the
have all replied. but the Attorney General is the only one that
has taken the floor, so l shan condne myself mainly in reply
ing TO him. He has certainly made a clever and eloquent at
tempt TO throw a blur Of confusion on our Report. Most Of us
have seen the cutie fish fill the water with ink when anything
approaches it; but every man has a right to defend himself and
should certainly do so when necessary. But let me first say
that his attack seems to be directed almost entirely at Mr..
Gibson, the Chairman Of our Committee Of Finance. IL is an
attempt to put forward an idea that this whole Report comes
from him, and that the other members Of this Committee have
been tools in his hands, and that it 5 a personal affair Of his
only. Now I want every member of this House, Ministers,
NOOes anu REPRESENTATIVES, Q osuhctg understand never
sign my name 10 anything, unless l intend TO take the response
print without being fully discussed and considered by the whole
Committee. We went through the departments and bureaus,
personal observation, and not from outside information (as the
Attorney General thought proper to say we have made up
this Report. We had 4 duty given us 10 perform, aud We
have performed it fearlessly and l know l can say with safe
~, that if we have not the approval Of the Ministers, we have
the approval Of a large majority Of the community. There is
nothing in that report. that can't be substanuated, and il
necessary more can be added TO il, TO bear out our statements
in regard TO the many irregularities Of administration. etc in
some of the departments which l repeat do deserve the gray-
est censure. The Attorney General said We intended evident
Iy to suggest crime and dishonesty. We have charged nothing
Of The kind; perhaps we have not spoken plainly enough. We
have told the truth and nothing more, and l Tor one am not
afraid Of results; truth must and VIII always prevail. His
whatever to any one Of the Ministers; but | say this, that a
man must not know a friend when he has a public duty to
hlnlS,ry dnI 7 ~ sh ~aI ays In yr ~ "a IL a. ~ oren rp has, :, w.
have to tell the truth, and 10 censure, but il is a mans duty
sometimes TO do il unhnchingly; il is sometimes very hard
than to be able to give praise, and we have given it where il
was deserved. / only wish that the whole report could have
been in that strain. and not a fault 70 be found with any de-
partment; but it was not TO be so, and we have had to perform
Now. Mr.. Chairman, let US pass in review these attempts at
explanation: q ss-..u-, from u...u.. ua,.,
Of Public Accounts treated il as such. The matter is referred
this new Ministry, some Of them bondholders, and the Attorney
General counsel for the bondholders, and the Registrar Of
Public Accounts is ordered, under penalty Of being discharged
course N he n has 20 o obey. and the money is paid out. the supreme
Court being entirely ignored. The Attorney General seems TO
forget that when he took Office in the Ministry, he became
attorney for the Crown, and was at the same time attorney for
bondholders. Never mind what the former Attorney General
had said; the matter was in the hands Of the Supreme Court,
and he should have left it there for them to decide.
second-As regards the drawing CT balance Of appIopria-
tions. In the Attorney Generals remarks he admits that he
did draw these balances, but says that it had been the custom
to do so; but we find that this was not altogether 80. as shown
miuee had said they wanted it returned TO the Treasury, he
would have done so. We had no right or authority TO say
anything OF the sort; it was not within our province. 1t is
the principle Of the thing we object toi il is a custom that
should be abolished. He has the balance Of former appropria-
tions in hand, but he asks for the new appropriation of
$4,000 in addition. The result Of course would be that there
would be three times as much appropriated Than was required.
Third-As regards the appropriation ior clerk hire. Ia his
report we find all the appropriation for clerk for Attorney
General had been used at the close Of the hscal period. lie
says that he has a right to use his own discretion IN spending
this appropriation. This may be his opinion. but this appro-
Prlation IS ior a certain purpose anu SHOULD DC useu LOT only.
Hesays these younger men or boys are competent 10 do the
at the last November term at Waimea, Hawaii. There Mr..
Castle was employed TO ACT as Deputy attorney General, and
young mem were found TO be bad, and Mr.. Castle had 20 amend
them all. This would not have occurred If a competent clerk
had been employed, and l think the Attorney General will
admit such a person could net be got for a less sum than the
appropriation. He also says that the counsel he employs to
go on Circuit or other work, are paid out Of the clerks appro-
priation. | asked the Attorney General at his Office IL this
was so. He mentioned an instance OF Mr.. Castle being em-
ployed. and called for one Of his clerks, and asked him about
it,. He brought in The draft-bOok, and after turning back,
he found it. 1t had been paid out OF, / think, the appropria-
ton for apprehension Of criminals, but certainly IL was not
from the clerks appropriation. / would here say that il a
proper set of books had been kept, this could have been shown
at once. Then comes the pay Of Mr.. Preston for acting for
him at this last Hlo term. file mir. Preston) was paid by a
check on the bank of Bishop a. Co., drawn from these balances
of appropriation there deposited. This certainly could not
have Ippn maid from Clerks aUDrODTiatOu. for there WAS n q !
balance undrawn at the close Of the fiscal periodj therefore II
must have come out Of some other appropriation.
Fourth-As regards the item Of 500 that the Attorney
General drew and afterward refunded 20 the Foreign Office. /
lie admits all we say on this subject TO be the case, but he says
he was right in charging and collecting it. If 80, why did he
refund III Why did he not keep il, and Il a question arose in /
the Assembly about the matter, he could have explained t.. II
he thought he was right, he should have stuck 70 IL.
As regards the Attorney Generals books, we do not say that
we have discovered any error in his books, but we do say that
a proper set Of books should be kept In his department as much
as any other. 1t is impossible to carry on the work properly
without hem.
l would simply say before resuming my seat, that It would
any Committee six months hard work TO look properly
all the particulars Of the working Of the different depart
ments and 10 unrave the confused state OF accounts, &c. |
will make further remarks after all the Ministers have spoken.