The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-05-15
T II r
THE LEGISLATURE.

Another early adjournment of tt
Legislative Assembly took place yeste
day, although there was plenty of bus
ness to transact outside the Appropri
ton bill, over an item in which IL
collective wisdom of the nation
stumbled in committee of the Who'll
The item was one of 5000 for intere
on the Japanese fund. Numerous que
tions were asked regarding it from o.
position members, and frequent explain,
tons were given by tha. a IIissfeT OF the
gls1d Satsi SHEnd The Premier. The inquir-
ing members persisted in remaining I'M
enlightened, and the Hon. Godfrey
Rhodes declared that in his opinion they
had become ''muddled" over the ques-
ton He therefore moved that the
Committee report progress and ask
leave to sit again. The motion of the
venerable noble was carried on di-
vision and upon the House resuming,
with the President in the chair, a mo-
ton to adjourn was likewise carried by a
standing vote.
One can hardly understand the reason
why this adjournment took place, be-
cause there was other business awaiting
legislative action, and inasmuch as the
Appropriation bill does not come up
again until Monday, by special order,
there was no further information to be
had regarding it. And this brings us to
the complaint in the Assembly that the
departmental reports are not all forth
coming. This complaint is in great
measure unreasonable. These reports,
which are very voluminous, are printed
in Hawaiian and English, and involve a
great deal of labor in translation, copy
ing and printing. 1t has therefore been
impossible to produce the reports and
appendices at the beginning of the ses-
sion, and Tor the matter of that the
Legislature should be thankful if thev
have them all at t44re--enadtl - Of -t the first
month. In c9Entries where extensive
printing Offices are maintained at the
public expsnse, and where an unlimited
stall of copyists are employed, public
documents are often delayed for weeks
through pressure of work. In this
country, where private enterprise alone
furnishes facilities for printing public doc !
uments and bills, the surprise is that so
much printing has been done in so short
a space of time. We say this in explain |
alton of the complaints so frequently |
made since the session began of the want !
of detailed official information.
Coming to the item upon which the
Legislative Assembly, by the mouth of
bers declared itself ''muddIed," there
is very little to be said The Govern
ment undertook, at the request of the
Japanese Consul, in consequence of an
understanding with the Alikado's Gov
eminent, to receive at deposit % per
cent. of the contract wages of Japanese
laborers in this country, and to retain it
at per cent. interest, payable on de-
mand-to the Japanese Consul, in such
sums as he might require to satisfy the
claims of such immigrants as had COM
pleted their contract or who otherwise
lated savings. Disbursements to the
extent of several thousand dollars have
already been made, and the $1,000 asked
for was to pay interest, as agreed, upon
the balance when it became due.
"A great many technical objections
were raised, and it was argued that the
Government had no authority of law to
receive any such deposit, and having re-
ceived it that there was no authority to pay
it out again. 1t was also argued that
the Japanese Consul might make a de-
mand for all the money on deposit to
credit of the japanese account when the
Treasury was depleted; that default
would then be made and a difficulty
created with Japan. But the fact was
lost sight OF that this money does not
belong to the Japanese Government
and cannot be dealt with in that way,
although if payment were 50 demanded
there would always be money enough
The Japanese Government
has faith in the Hawaiian Government,
and we regret to find respectable mem