The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-08-27

Committee.
Third reading of bill introduced by
the Attorney General to protect creditors
against fraudulent insolvents.
Hon. H. A. Wideman stated that the
bill was an outrage, legislating out Of ex
istence within sixty days hree-fOurths Of
the retail store keepers Of the city. twas
in reality bill for the benefit Of whole
salers against retailers.
Representative Smith opposed the bill,
he said the Objectionable classes OF China
men did not comprise as a rule the Chinese
merchants. who had done a great deal OF
good to the country. While admitting
the difficulty of settling Chinese insolvent
estates, he said there were merchants using
English in their books whose accounts
were equally inexplicable. He held that
the proposed law was a wrong and an in
Justice. for which the representative OF the
Chinese Government here might well ask
an explanation
Representative Dole held that although
in wording. this bill was not class leglsia-
ton. vet in fact it was such and so intended
TO be. The bill was also unconstitutional,
inasmuch as it was divided in its objects.
Its passage might comphcete the Govern
ment not only with China but with other
nations. The House might just as well, as
It had an equal right to do, pass law
compelling the keeping of all merchants,
books in Hawaiian. Where, then, would
some of the supporters of this bill bel
The Attorney General thought it was
strange that such little bill, simply pro
posing to enforce due respect to the two
official languages of the country, should
have provoked such a display of learned
opposition. He felt that Hon. Mr.. Wide
mann. trained merchant as he was, had not
analvzed the measure. As to the admitted
hardship involved in the bill, he could
show in every page of the Penal Code,
hardships upon members of the commu-
nifty. There was n hardship for instance,
in sending man for a simple slip OF the
pen by which he signs another mans name,
to hard labor upon the reef. lLaughter.)
There was not in the whole bill a section,
a sentence or a word that could harm the
hair of the head of any honest trader. As
regarded the argument that the cash system
afforded ample protection to creditors, he
said that credit was to merchants what the
life blood was to the human organism. he
commended that the bill afforded protection
also against English traders who kept con
fused accounts, and denied that there was
any danger of foreign complications ar1s
ing out Of the proposed law. England or
France would never prescribe to even tins
small country. to whom she should issue
licenses to trade within her borders. For
eigners had no right to claim protection
under one set of our laws without compl-
ance with another set Of them. The
speaker denied the dual character ascribed
to the bill and its unconstitutionality, hold
ing that the enactment was in full accord
ance with the title
Hon. H A. Widemann SAID he had
listened patiently to all the arguments OF
the Attorney General, and he might be
correct as TO the constitutionality, but
that was little matter He believed that
if three Frenchmen came here and were
coerced by this bill, a French man of-war
would be here in consequence in three
months. The bill turns loose upon every
store keeper every constable to see if he
kept his books in English or Hawaiian
Whenever a man became insolvent, host
Of constables would call upon him to see
If he kept his accounts in the prescribed
languages. How would members like II
if the Chinese were in the majority and
passed a law to compel merchants to keep
their accounts in Chinese He believed
that threefouuths of the small store
keepers could not afford to employ book
keeper to keep their accounts in English
Where would the the two hundred Chi.
nese merchants get two hundred book.
keepersl The Attorney General had said
speaking upon street railways, that nc
Legislature in this country would dare to
enact an injustice upon corporation, he
hoped this House would not perpetrate
upon Chinese and Portuguese what ii
was unequal to imposing upon a railway
corporation.
The Ayes and Noes were taken on the
motion to pass the bill, with the following
result
Gibson, Gulick, Neuman, Dom
inis. Bush, Cleghorn, Walker, Macfarlane
Kaulukou. Liikalani, Baker, Brown, Am
ara. Kaulia, Gardner, Kaunamano, Naka
leka Total H.
Noes Bishop. Judd, j. Mott Smith
Kamakele, Widemann, Kaae, Keau, Brown
Aholo. Kalua, Richardson, Hitchcock, Ka
nealii. Smith. Kauhane, Nahinu, Pilipo
Brown. Dole, Rowell, Palohau, Kupihea
Total -
The bill being thus defeated, the As
sembly rested from their labors, adjourn
ing at sos p. m, until 10 a. m on the both