The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-06-25


The Loan Act of Aug 5h 1882 authorized the Minis.
ter to borrow on the credit of the Hawaiian Government
such sums not exceeding in the whole the sum OF two
million dollars for the purposes in this Act set forth Tor
which he could issue bonds at not Tess tRah Pay, tne
principal and interest being payable in u 3 gold OF It's
AS the holder of these Hawaiian bonds would take
nothing but u s. gold coin its equivalent IN payment
there was no doubt that the same value, and no less
ought to have been paid to this Government by the
lenders before such gold bonds were issued.
But the Minister did not follow either the Coinage Act
of 1880 the Loan Act OF S9 lie bought no Dull,O d
with Mr. Spreckels to take S1,000OO in silver Ha.
waian coins in exchange for the u 8 Gold bonds OF
the Hawaiian Government. - e,..
silver has been brought into this country by Mr. Spreck
els in dollars each valued at Sl4 cents as compared
with L. s. gold and S5000OO in half dollars quarter
dollars and ten cent pieces mot 12 cent pieces as the Act
reuuired) Two of these half dollars worth ~ cents
as compared with U. S gold.
There two kinds of u 3 dollars, the trade dolaI
containing 400 grains of silver and worth IN New 1or
SO cents at the quotations of March last and the standard
dollar containing 4l2 grains and worth there say ols
cents to the dollar the half dollars containing less silver
and are worth 994 cents each in the United States
One result of bringing all this silver here instead OF
L. S gold and instead OF exchanging the gold and s
yer in the Treasury for Hawaiian gold and silver CONS
of the value of American coins of like denominations
has been that there is no u S. gold British gold to be
found in circulation and even the American standard
dollars have disappeared
This is loss to this country and gam to those VINO
have brought the cheaper silver which has driven away
the dearer coin
there would have been no such loss.
AUDITOR-GENERAL.
The Act to regulate the receipt custody and issue OF
publc moneys which was passed by the Legislature of
1882 was at the time supposed to have been framed Tor
the purpose of providing some check on t1e improper
disbursement opublc moneys but sucn does not appear
to have been the result it seems simply to have pro-
yded way for prOigae Ministers to shift the respOn
sibty of Illegal acts to the shoulders OF weak and
incompetent official ,
/ Your Committee on visiting the ADVERTISEMENTS
office found that books of record were kept except
small hook in which he copied out the cash sheet which
is furnished him at stated intervals by the Minister OF
Finance and which Is copy OF the cash book kept III
the Finance Department that record OF any OF his
transactions to be found and that he had nothing
but his memory to rely for any OF his official acts;
he further stated that it his custom to approve
whatever accounts presented to him. as long as
| there was money in the Treasury.
Your Committee further find that the office which has
been fitted up for him in the Government Building
seems to be used principally for the prosecution OF his
private business affairs which is in direct violation OF
Section 16 of the Act under which he holds his appoint
ment. In proof of the foregoing statement we may
say that there are vouchers on file in the Interior De-
partment which bear his approval as Audtor-GeneTal,
and which subsequently collected by him as agent
for contractor who had large and questionable deal
ngs with the Government; evidence has also been pro-
cured that the AudtorGenera has during his tenure OF
Office virtually acted agent of sundry insurance COM
pdnleS persons OF JtSul-
fed that have had many dealings with him. having paid
and received OF money In regular business trasac
tions; he Also the 18th OF Feby, 1881 the con-
signee of shipment Of produce per schooner Jenny
Walker from Fanning's Island, portion of which he
afterwards shipped per kaakaua to San Francisco on
the 18th of Feby consigned to his agent at that port
Further instances of his violation OF Section 10 OF the
Auditors Act could be multiplied ad HfHdHn but your
Committee think that sufficient has been proved to con-
vince the House that the prOlOngatOn of the present
occupant in the office of Auditor-Gener would be det
10 nf thn nj
same time they wish it to be distinctly understood
that they recognize the absolute necessity of good
act for the audit of public accounts and the appoint
ment of a of integrity and independence of char
acter to the position of AuditOr-General.
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
! The accounts and vouchers of this department have
been carefully examined and we find that confusion
exists numerous transfers have been made in the way
of charging to appropriation payments that by right
belong to another and it is only by the most aborous
and critical analysis that the true cost of service be
determined We will now pass In review the various
items that call for comment
The appropriation entitled Office Expenses Foreign
Agents has been expended mostly for legitimate pur
poses however struck by the very large sums
paid to the Pacific Commercial AdretiSer say S1505 49,
which is little than half of the entire appro
praton on looking into the matter found that some
bills had been paid twce-and that by comparison with
the regular charges of other printing offices the rates
paid to the AdrtSer much higher than they onght
to be in one most glazing bill for subscriptions
amounting to 1884 30 had been paid twice: restitution
for this has, however; been made since we discov-
cred the transaction by the payment of the amount
into the Treasury "A Government Realization
The Coronation Appropriation of $4,000 has all been
expended On the 18th of August 1882, Col c. H. Judd
received the sum of $1,000 a Mr. Buchanan received
$3.50 for painting of $500 is charged for enter
tanning Japanese guests and the p. C. AdretiSr took
$Sl 30 for printing and advertising the remainder OF
the appropriation being discussed for sundry petty ex
penses for the object intended.
With regard to the appropriation for Expenses of
Foreign Missions the Report of the Minister Of Finance
informs that the sum of $4,000 was drawn for this
purpose but this statement does not agree either with
the books OF the Finance Department those of the
and the books were made to balance by drawing the
sum of IS from the appropriation for the Encourage
ment OF immigration, iii the Interior Department. and
credtlng the same to Expenses of Foreign Missions"
Almost extraordinary and unwarranted proceeding The