The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-07-09

IT WAS most unfortunate circumstance
that when the question was asked as to
Ministers voting on their own behalf on a
motion of want of confidence, the Honor
able President thought that he saw some
analogy between the case brought before
him for decision, and somewhat similar
case in the Parliament of the United King
dom. Being under the impression that
such analogy existed, the Hon. President
decided according to his convictions and
permitted the Ministers to carry verdict
in favor of their own administration. This
unfortunate ruling may, most probably
will be, tortured into a precedent, but a
little examination into the practices of the
two legislatures which sit, one at West
minister and the other at Honolulu, will
show how feeble are the analogies, and
how widely divergent the supposed par
allels
On the morning of May 18th, 1884, the
leader of the Opposition in the House of
Commons, brought to vote motion Of
censure on the Government. The motion
was defeated by Ministerial majority OF
tcenty-eigh.
On the evening of June 2Sth, 1884, q
resolution OF Want of Confidence in the
Ministry was brought to a vote in Homo
lulu, and the resolution was defeated by
the Ministers, by vote of twenty-five tc
twenty-one.
Here the similarity of the two cases be
gins and ends, in these general features
in details they are wholly dissimilar.
In the House Of Commons there are 81
Cabinet Ministers in an actual vote of .tfr
hundred and sereuty-sigh members; in th'
Legislature of Hawaii are four Cabine
Ministers in an actual vote Of forty-sir.
In the House of Commons every Minis
ter has been elected by constituent!
subsequent to his acceptance of Office. Ii
the Hawaiian Legislature one Ministe
happens to be Noble, the other three ar,
neither Mobiles or Representatives, and o
them, two are merely naturalized aliens
and of these two, one of less than a year
residence.
Another wide difference between tn
customs of the Legislatures in England
and in Hawaii is this: The English mem
Der who accepts any post or place unde
Government, carrying with it any form 0
pecuniary emolument, thereby vacates hi
seat, though eligible for reelection, tn
Hawaiian member too often expects, an
acquires place and pay, and of this elias
is the late Ministerial vote. This bein
the state of affairs here, the credit of tn
Independent members who voted accorC
ing to their convictions and pronounce
these Ministers to be unworthy of the COZ
fdence of the country is the more to thei
credit.
Having pointed out the extreme dive
gencies between the rules of the Havana
and British Legislatures, it must be +,
J GREETED that any supposed similarity lie
the President to decide as he did. Ingoo
: faith doubtless, but perhaps taken III
} awares, a possible precedent may hay
been established, which may make Nj
l reno, Kuaea e. Co., or Gibson, Kapen
l e. Co., absolute arbiters of the welfare {
, this Kingdom-if the King permit.
: To see the four Ministers, with two a
3 completes in their illegal acts, able to r
! verse the vote condemning them, thong
the condemnation was complete, and Il
t attempt at exculpation futile, does not st
t much for the satisfactory working of Re
! resentative Institutions in this KingdoI
: Evil doing, not by ignorance or oversigf
d or pressure of emergency, but in delibera
: calculation, and anticipation of verdi
3 to be obtained by their own votes, is VIII
+ these Ministers are proved guilty of, al
e they are mean enough and place-hung
enough to take advantage of tiff d
Q King permit,-or submit.