The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1880-09-15

gave or rather he left TO his cabinet the authority
which the law gives them, and they In fact as well
as nominally were responsible for all public acts
The King did not rule but rsiqHed In 1877, there
was slight furry made by the report which was
given by persons not ministers 10 those not con-
nected with the government especially to an emf
nent English lawyer then visiting here,-that the
King demanded and claimed for his personal use
all the stamp money taken in the Finance cfhce.
The disnissals of the Ministry in 1876, in 1878,
and in 1880 were made for public reasons, of
which the public were made aware, nor were the
gentlemen so unceremoniously dismissed informed
of any course of theirs which had not received the
Kings approval and each of them had successfully
passed through the trying ordeal of the legislature
As no public reasons for dismissing these Minis
tiers wers given, the only conclusion which could
be drawn was that they we're dismissed because
they would not lay aside their individual response
bility and become mere tools. At the opening OF
the present year efforts were everywhere made by
the Crown to get persons elected to the Legislature
who were known as personal attendants or almon-
ers of the King the press, for denouncing the use
of the influence of the Crown for such purposes,
was even then called " "disloyal." During the
session it was common for members to say that
such and such bills, although not brought in by
the Ministry, were the Kings bills, and that he
told them to vote for them. The ten million dollar
loan bill which the present Minister of The Interior
advocated was among these. 1t was plain that the
Minister'S although kept in Office, were not allowed
any control of the Government Upon their dis
missal a Cabinet was made up which simply
shocked the country, for especially Moreno at its
head was regarded an unprincipled, unsafe
and reckless adventurer, and the others were not
regarded as advisers, or generally as capable OF
giving trustworthy advice; but merely as tools
This was steady and clearly understood moving
forward to PERSONAL RULE or ABsoLUT1sM. First
influencing elections and securing the Royal (not
Ministerial) control of the Legislature; secondly
securing an irresponsible Ministry which uld
not and could not do anything except at the noya
pleasure. Next came the dismissal of trustworthy
Privy Councillors, and replacing them by mer
who with one entirely untrusted exception, were
regarded unable to give independent advice
Meanwhile public disapproval of these doings was
expressed in the press and in respectful petitions
to which no reply was made, except to arm the
palace grounds, and call for appropriations oi
money expended for anticipated riots. The Adrer
tiser press was then secured by the Royal hatterer
who while proclaiming his own "love for Ha
waiians" with braZen voice, does not hesitate tC
denOunce all opposition to the course we have por
! trayed as "disloyal." But there must sooner ol
later be an end of all this. The Constitution de
clares that the King conducts his government foi
the good of all, and that each member of society
has right to be secured in his life, liberty, ant
property ACCORDING TO LAW. The Constitution
clearly permits no personal government, but
! government by responsible Ministers. We hav,
| hoped, apparently thus far against hope, that {
| better order of things would soon prevail. AM
! IT WILL, BECAUSE IT MUST. sa