The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-04-16

Ar NOON on the 9th February, at Chris
tiania, the capital of Norway, the Suprem,
Court of the Realm delivered Judgment il
the case OF Mr.. Selmer. the Prime Minis
ter. who with ten others has been i'm
poached for MISREPRESENTATION advice
to the King. The Prime Minister has
been found guilty of high misdemeanor.
onthree different counts in the Indictment
and is sentenced to be dismissed the pub
lie service, and to pay a fine. or proper.
| ton Of the expenses Of the prosecution
which amounts TO a sum Of $1,000.
1t Is well known. that for several year,
past the king has maintained an attitude
in opposition to the repeated decisions OF
the Storthing, or Representative body, and
that again and again has he nullified by
veto the votes Of the two Chambers, and
this on very important constitutional ques.
tons The question Of the veto is there.
fore naturally the one on which the oppO,
sition took their stand, and each Of the
three counts in the impeachment on which
the Ministers have been found guilty, re
fers 10 an unconstitutional use of the veto
The StOrthing had determined to com
pei the Ministers TO sit in the House. and
therefore to become really responsible to
the House. and on the last occasion the
bill was carried by % votes against q.
Three fourths at least of the electors were
known TO be on the side Of the majority,
and yet, in spite of this immense weight
OF publicly expressed opinion. the Minis
try of NJ Selmer advised the King to in
terpose his veto.
The real pith of the question seems to
be whether the kings veto is suspensory
or absolute. whether he can really stop
Legislation or only delay it." Singularly
enough it appears that while an over
whelming majority Of the legal profession
in Norway, declare that under the existing
constitution, the veto l. not suspensory
only, but absolute, their decision, though
practically unanimous, is of no avail against
the popular cry against the absolute veto
on which every election has been fought
for some time past.
The King, it is said. Is still personally
popular, and was lately very well received
in Christiania, and now that he is forced
TO dispense with the dangerous services
Of this Minister for the future, ii is hoped
that he will not find it difficult to come to
terms with the Storthipg'
The power and efficacy Of the Royal veto
underlies, OF necessity, the whole structure
Of Constitutional Monarchy. If it be
granted that a Sovereign. misled by an
unprincipled or incompetent Minister Is
able Of his own will to forbid the placing
on the statute book OF any enactment duly
passed by the Representatives OF coun-
try. It is plain TO the meanest capacity that
Legislative Assemblies are Of no use, and
Parliamentary Government has No exis
tence.
In the new constitution, framed in'179O
for the government of France, the ito be
or not to be" OF the veto was the most
keenly contested point 1t was says
Alison. ''the subject of furious debate: and
the passions Of the multitude (the major
ity Of whom were ignorant whether this
phrase implied tax, a privilege
or n person. were excited to the utmost"
In England the veto OF the Grown has
been used but once since the death of VII
liam III, and it seems very unlikely that
it viii ever be called ont again.
In the United States of America elabo-
rate machinery is provided enabling the
popular branches Of Legislature to over
ride the veto of a Governor or even Of the
President.
Here in Hawai- the veto Is only suspen-
sorry and not absolute, as the constitution
provides that in the case OF the Crown
Of any Act, it shall not be
brought forward thereafter during the
same session
His present Majesty placed his veto on
the rum and opium bills of 1880 but ap-
proved similar Acts under the advice of
the present Cabinet.
As to impeachments they are but rare
now a-days and are liable to fall through.
The last in England was nearly eighty
years ago and resulted in acqmttal. The
attempt to impcach President johnson in
1865 was lost by 4 single vote.
1t does not now. in countries governed
by Representative institutions andrespOn-
Sihle Ministers. need an impeachment to
punish extravagant or unprincipled Min
sters, after their evil deeds have borne
iuit. Prevention is better than cure.
Gesolutely withhold supplies whilst grisv-
nces remain unredressed This is -.the
good old way, the simple plan" to which
he attention Of out Legislators Is recon-
nended