The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-05-07

| Ok FRIDAY, at the instance of Hon. S. B.
Dole, a resolution was passed by the House
OF Representatives addressed to the Com
missioners of Crown Lands, requesting
! them to inform the House of the amount
Of revenue received from that source dur
ing the past biennial period 1t cannot be
| questioned that the information thus called
for the use of the Legislature. is of the
greatest importance to aid in the decision
OF the sums necessary to be raised by tax
auon, direct or indirect, for the public ser
vice of the State. and it does seem to need
explanation as to how this requisite knowl-
edge has been hitherto kept from the Rep
resentatives of the people, or how they
could justifiably frame and vote upon a
series of appropriation bills without any
knowledge Of so important an item in the
available funds.
In the year 1915 was passed AN Act re.
lating to the lands of His Majesty the
King, and of the Government" whereof
the following Is the preamble: "Whereas.
1t hath pleased His most Gracious Majesty
hamehameha III, the King, after reserv-
ing certain lands to himself as his own
private property, to surrender and forever
make over unto his Chiefs and People the
greater portion of His Royal Domain.
''d''d ertaoas, it hath pleased ETC. to place
the lands 50 made over = in the
keeping OF the House of Mobiles and Rep
resentatives, or such person or persons as
they may from time to time appoint to be
disposed OF IN such manner as
may best promote the prosperity of this
Kingdom and the dignity of the Hawaiian
Crown" Therefore be it enacted etc, we
do hereby solemnly confirm this great act
OF our good King and declare the follow
ing lands, yiz:" Here follows four pages
of names of lands and districts where sit
uated, TO be the private property of His
Majesty hamehameha III, etc" 1t was
further enacted at the same time, THAT
we do hereby in the name of the Chiefs
and people accept of the following
lands, VIZ Here follow q pages of names
and localities of lands which I'VE do hereby
appoint the Minister of the Interior : to
direct superintend and dispose of as pro-
vided, etc.
This list Is supplemented by another re
feIring to lands in Oahu only, which in
accordance with ancient custom are to be
set apart flor the use of the Fort in Homo
lulu, to be cultivated by soldiers, etc. I'M
der the direction of the governor of Oahu
finally passed in 1913 Evidently this
last grant Is for the support of the Mill
tary Establishment.
Now however 1t has become customary
to take enormous votes for military pur-
poses, while the value of the immense dis
tricts set aside for the general use of the
national demands has gradually almost
ceased TO be factor in our financial con
siderations.
1t Is obviously then both the duty of the
Legislature to examine closely into the
value of the properties coming within the
last two of these three divisions and to
ascertain if ii is being disposed of accord
ing TO the design expressed in the orig
mai acts, VIZ: '.that 1t may best promote
the prosperity of the Kingdom
These Grown Lands" then are national
properties to be administered by the Rep
resentatives of the people
In Englanda somewhat analogous. but
Yet widely different course was followed.
Up to the time of the Revolution of 1855.
the Crown Lands were dealt with by the
Sovereign as the personal property of the
KING. Thus curing the Wars of the Roses,
York and Lancaster alternately attainted
and stripped its opponents, and ennobled
and endowed its partisans. The lands of
an attainted noble were forfeited to the
Crown, the Gown bestowed them on its
most prominen servants As the Com
mons grew In pS 'wer the right Of the Crown