The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-06-13
ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE C0MMlS-
Sl0NERS OF CROWN LANDS.


ing them to report, but they simply
decline so to do, and put themselves
in the position of ''what are you
going TO do about it.
Mr.. Dole introduced a resolution
on Tuesday that the question be re-
ferred to the Judges of the Supreme
Court. The resolution was defeated,
but the question is one of Importance,
and we give herewith the substance
of Mr.. Dole's remarks upon the
resolution:
"Thc object of this resolution is
to obtain the opinion of the Supreme
Court in the matter of the Crown
Lands, not the opinions of His EX-
cellency the Attorney General, or of
His Excellency the Governor of
Oahu and Maui, or of the honorable
members from Honolulu and Koo-
laupollo; these have all given their
legal opinions on the subject before
the House and they may be right
and they may be wrong. Others,
including myself, think differently,
and we may be right and we may be
wrong There is clear difference
of opinion, and that being the case,
it becomes proper for us to enquire
of the Supreme Court as to the law
and settle once for all this dispute.
am ready to accord all credit to
the ability of His Excellency the
Attorney-General of smelling a
rat" or seeing a "nigger in the
fence" as the saying is, which he
has so often showed in connection
with measures brought before the
House, but in this matter, although
he has charged, that it covers some
hidden motive, he has, failed to
show what that hidden motive is.
] stated in support of this resolu-
ton, that il was necessary for me to
know what were His Majesty's re-
venues from the Crown Lands, in
order that l might vote intelligently
upon the question of his salary.
This was the motive of the resolu-
ton, and its is good one. and was
not hidden from any.
His EYcellency the Attorney Gen
eral has given us long disquisition
upon royal prerogative. Has he
come two thousand miles TO instruct
us about royal prerogatives? we who
have grown up in this country! AS
q matter of fact he knows nothing
about the prerogatives of the sov-
ereign except what he has picked up
in the last few weeks; he has been
brought up in republic where moth
ing of the kind exists.
This matter of the responsibility
| of the Crown Commissioners to the
| Legislatures does not touch the posi-
ton Of His Majesty the King, and |
do not believe that he cares cent
about it one way or the other. No
man of any self respect, be he King
or commoner could object to such a
thing and to oppose the right of the
Legislature to require report of the
Grown revenues as if publicity in
this matter might be injurious to His
Majesty is simply to degrade and
belittle the royal Office. If there is
any Independent position in the
Kingdom it is that of King, and the
incumbent Of that Office needs nc
bolstering up and no concealment as
to his revenues.
His EXcellency the Attorney-Gen-
eral stated that the Crown Commits.
sioners managed the Crown domain
by law for the sole use of the King.
This is not the fact. The law re-
quires that the revenues of the
Grown Lands, shall not be drawn in
advance, this is TO protect the rights
of the heir apparent, the future
king or queen. We find, therefore
that the Crown Commissioners arc
the custodians of the Crown Lands
for the benefit of the King, for the
future king or queen and for the
public. At the last session of the
legislature, His Majesty's biennia
salary was increased by five thou