Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-07-01
LEGISLATIVE INTERFERENCE.

The Hawaiian members Of the legislative
body should not forget that the duties aud re-
sponsibilities Of their Office are limited. 1t is
true they have been chosen spososmen Of the
several districts which they represent and,
though some Of them speak great deal too
much and by no means to the point, they are
entitled to their turn st speech making os
Legislators.
Some Of the provincial members Of the body |
seem to have conceived wrong impression |
concerning their share il the administration ol |
governmental airairs These good people, |
who no doubt intend 20 do right and nre doing !
the best they know how, must not forget that |
the Ministry is above them and superior to
them and under no consideration whatever are
thoy to usurp the power which rests solely
with that body.
The subordinate positions under Government
are occupied by those who are supposed to be
capable of filling them worthily until they
have proved themselves incapable no one has
a right to question this capability. If fraud
is suspected investigation is in order; where
there is no apparent causo for suspicion such
Investigations are not only out of order but
they are q silly and sinful waste of time and
money. Moreover the Legislature has nothing
to do with the Investigations in question, other
than requesting the Ministry to institute them,
and when they go beyond this they meddlc
| with affairs which do not concern them. The
| Ministers in making their appointments be
come responsible for them; whom Minister
| secures bonds, and vouches for the proper full
| flment of tho duties of an officer he has ap-
pointed some one in whom he trusts, what
right has tho representative from some Obscure
district to gather clique about him, vote an
investigation and appoint committee to har-
rass the suspected official whose reports are to
bo madc only to his Ministers? Is there a
| head or tail to this Government? Arc certain
members Of the legislative body to be per
mitted to do as they pease1 Are they doing
so because they begin to feel that they can do
80 with impunity, or because they have not
been taught thsir duties and the limits os their
duties' 1t is, to say the least, gross insult
to the Ministry which highly respectable body
will hardly retain the respect of the commu-
nifty if it cannot command that of those who
are beneath il.
When Mr. Kepena said on Saturday last that
the resolution introduced by Mr.. Paohau "was
both ridiculous and childish and he was much
surprised at its introduction" he spoke the
mind of the community at large, for the reso-
luton was that tho Attorney General be iu-
struoted to prosecute the Collector General
and his officers for having opium in possession.
The resolution was received with loud laughter,
and sftor Mr. Paohau considered awhile he
moved that his production be laid upon the
table. What Mr.. Palohau ought TO have known
at the time is what every one knows now; that
quantity of opium had been received at the
Custom House: that the officials believed the
only way to entrap the consignee was to keel
perfectly quiet until his suspicious were ovel
when. in all probability, he would begin tc
make enquiries which would ultimately leat
to the discovery OF the guilty party. They
. therefore requested the native who knew o
. the discovery Of the opium to "say nothing
about it." This aroused the suspicion of th'
ingenious kanaka and the secret came to thu
ears of tho equally ingenious member OF th'
Legislature whose "ridiculous and childish
resolution has caused something beside laugh
ter in the house. An investigation is calet
. for The dictatorial element, which predom
mate. this session and is ever an obstruction
distinguishes itself by taking the matter ou
OF tho hands of the Ministry. No one i
moro anxious for an investigation than eacl
and every officer whose reputation has bee
questioned by the ridiculous and childish
4 document which was Immediately consigned
the oblivion it SO justly meritod; its fame live
after it and it should bo warning to all owe
Jealous representatives that if they are nc
j, careful TO confne themselves exclusively
their own business there is the utmost DANCE
of their becoming the laughing stock of tn
:. | natinn