The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-10-17

/ IS aDSOlutely 1uSUnaDle, IN Jne sense IldO
the King should be the most keenly sensi-
tive, and sensible as to who are the proper
individuals who shall carry on the machin-
cry of government in his name.
Our investigator" asserts righteously,
that the King =" will not embark IN any
enterprise having for its object pecuniary
/ gain. or competition in business with cltl-
zens of the country" and further that ''he
will watch that no member Of his govern
ment on any pretext whatever, evade or
set aside any constitutional or legal re-
ouirements." Does the best informed
public opinion assert that these conditions
are being fulfilled?
The next paragraph speaks of the King
avoiding entanglement in all political
factions Investigator is right-the
practice is wrong-the present Premier
has told us that the King, as such, Is night
in influencing constituencies IN their
choice of representatives, and further, the
representatives being elected and assem-
bled. the King has the right to influence
these representatives by every means IN
his power to vote for measures winch ne
desires to be carried.
Now. here is the pith of the matter
According to the Constitution OF tins hlnS
dom. the King in Privy Council appoints
directly. or not very indirectly, every sal
aried officer in this Kingdom. The Gov
ernors of Islands appoint all their PAID
officials OF two of the principal islands
of the group, the Kings brother-ln. law Is
Governor. of the third his sister-in-law:
These officials distribute, or appoint to, all
minor places-all of which are paid, and
the circumstances of the incumbents are
for the most part such, that they live wholly,
or nearly so, on their official income.
The assessorship of Hilo may be quoted
as one instance.
But this appointing power of the Crown
| Is ssupplemented by an unconditional power
of dismissal, the most able public servant,
nav more. the most efficient public board
of officials may be. and has been summa-
rily dismissed within the last year, with
out cause assigned OF all the paid officers
of the Crown. only three are not remoY-
able at pleasure-the Judges OF the Su-
preme Court. These gentlemen hold their
appointments without fear of dismissal
and Hey are tie only e6icidis of this Kingdom
who do so. 1t would be superfluous, un-
necessary to say here, that they do their
duty in a way that has won admiration
wherever the records of their court have
been published But as to minor officials,
tax assessors, road supervisors, etc, Is 1t
not notorious that they live on their OH
cial income and earn it by subseruency
rather than by justice?
How many members of the late House
of Representatives are wIthot salarled
places, and who are they?
Again, consider the native Ministers OF
| Finance. Kuaea. Kaai. Kapena, Is there
one of these three men who would be en-
trusted with a pen and ink and three
legged stool in any merchants othce IN
the Kingdom, what connection Is there
between these individuals and the inter
ests they are supposed to administer? Ii
the country had been told that 1t was a
rule established by the Crown that the
name of the Minister of Finance should
| begin with K we might understand the
reason of their appointment-not other
| wise.
How can such appointments be made by
the most sensible man in the Kingdom?
! Queen Victoria began her reign as a girl
of eighteen, but never from that day to
this. has she trespassed OF ever strained
| the spirit of the Constitution i7'der winch
she reigned. Here, we are told by special
announcement that . it has pleased the
! King" to appoint this or that youth, OF
man, to acquire three years foreign edu-
cation, at national expense. May 1t not be
well asked if that is matter for the KING
! to decide We have, OF at all events, had,
| n Board of Education, why was not the
| grant put at the disposal of this Board.
reward for diligent and promising scholars
when as a fact the King nominated the
benefciaries of his own absolute prefer
ence. In one case a member of the House
of Representatives is sent to live abroad
ON the money which he himself helped to
vote.
To 90 back to Moreno, an alien, a mere
passer by, promoter of various compa
nies, how came this man to be made Pre-
mier and Foreign Minister? His untitness
was so soon, and so inconteshbly visible,
that his removal was necessary, but was
only brought about by pressure t.oa 'rt1-
! oW The three Commissioners, simply,
would not put up with such vagaries, the
people were powerless.
| Public opinion announces that Foreign
| Affairs have been mismanaged, that a
| French Commander was gratuitously of
| Tended, that an expensive mission to Japan
brought hither only three minor officials
for the Coronation who departed disgusted
at finding that there were no other Rep
resentatiyes to meet them.
The rubbishy Protest can only excite
feelings of annoyance or ridicule wherever
it is read. What right has Hawaii to pro
test OF lecture or advise the great coloniz
ing powers of the world. The cry here, is
" bring in population" we have no emf
| grants to export. what right has Hawaii
to protest against powers capable of colo
nizing. Hawaii cannot pretend to colonise
and therefore should not pretend to lee
! ture or protest against those who can do So
Speaking of changes of Ministers our
'' Investigator says " for years the Gov
ernment has presented the appearance Of
sort of political kaleidoscope" and
speaks of feeling of dissatisfaction and
distrust,7 of " this unsatisfactory state of
affairs which alienates from the Govern
ment, men who entertain nothing but the
! kindhest sentiments for the Kingdom and
its people" is Lot this exactly what the SO
called opposition press has been insisting
on for years past?
Again, Investigator says, men of
spirit and energy. accustomed to the civil
lied rule of Europe or America, Will not
| tamely submit to arbitrary measures" etc.
True, this again is what we have been
pointing out for a year and more, and are
not the measures of this present Ministry
arbitrary measures.
There are several other points in In
vesGgator's" letter worthy of notice and ON
some future occasion they may be referred
to. At present it is enough to quote from
the editorial criticism of the p C. l. The
editor says that & if it " (the Government)
could not and would not meet criticism,
it would not be worthy to stand" 1t is
not worthy to stand, because it cannot and
does not meet or disarm criticism by an
swer or amendment but simply by thick
ness of skin.
Where is that headmoney taken from
the Chinese?
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