The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-05-27
Bills Before the Legislature.

Mr. Dickev introduced bill to amend
section 77S of the Civil Code, passed to sec
ond reading May goth. This bill is in
reality disqualification Act, and if passed
and approved, would make the qualifica-
tons for members of the Legislature as
follows: "Section 778. The following per-
sons shall be eligible for Representatives of
the people, namely: Every male subject
or denizen of the Kingdom who shall have
arrived at the full sage of % years, who
shall know how to read and write, who
shall understand accounts, and who shall
have resided in the Kingdom for at least
one year Immediately preceding his cleo
ton; provided always, that no person
who is insane, or an idiot, or who shall at
any time have been convicted of theft,
bribery, perjury, enlightenment, polygamy
or other high crime or misdemeanor; or
who shall have held, within one year OF
the date of his election, any of the follow
ing Offices: Judge of Court OF Record,
Police or District Justice, Tax Assessor or
Tax Collector, shall ever hold seat as Rep
resentative of the people" The practical
! effect of this bill would be to limit the rep
/ resentation of the people to persons OF
! foreign birth or descent, or to the most ig-
! norant and incapable class of native Ha-
waiians 1t offers a premium upon igno-
rance, by disqualifying natives OF more
| than ordinary intelligence for political
preferment. Indeed, it brackets Judges,
Police and District Justices Tax Assessors
| and Tax Collectors with felOns, infamous
and insane persons, as ineligible to an cleo
tive seat in Legislative Assembly, although
| they may sit as Mobiles.
RELATING TO ROAD TAXES.
A bill passed to second reading May 21st
to amend an Act approved August I, 1882
relating to internal taxes. 1t imposes &
tax of So per annum upon any carriage ol
wagon drawn by one or more horse ol
mule, and used for the conveyance OF per
sons: and upon each four-wheeled or two
wheeled wagon or conveyance used fol
amusement or recreation, 81 80 per an
mum. A new section is also to be added t.
the law of August Z, 1881, as follows: " Nc
road taxes collected in any district shall bt
sent to the Treasury i'll Honolulu, but the
Tax Collector shall pay over such roaC
taxes collected by him to the School Agen
of the district, or tn some person author
lied bv the Government to take charge o
| such funds until drawn upon by the RoaC
Supervisor of the district, and TO take du
pIicate receipts for all sums 50 paid over tt
| sucb person, and the Tax Collector shall
without delay, send one of such receipts tt
the Auditor General at Honolulu. TIL,
principle of this section is to provide tina
taxes locally raised for road purposes shal
he locally expended. So far it is in tn,
line of local self-goyernment, bu5 it intro
duces an irresponsible agent between tn,
taxpayer and the spending authority, anC
oDens door to fraud as wide as the roaC
district. OF course the Auditor Genera
would not audit these accounts. Their,
would be no check whatever except thu
moral consciousness of the School Agen
and Road Supervisor in collusioH or other
wise. The section therefore Is bad one.
REDIsTRIBUTING SEATS,
A bill passed to second reading May DIST
to amend section $50 of the Civil Code a
amended by the Act approved June %
1868. 1t gives North and South kohala
on the island of Hawaii, one Representative
each.
MARRIAGE LICENSE FEES.
On May DIST bill raised to second read
ing to increase the fees payable for mar
rage licenses from . cents to 81 for eaci
license. This is the only change in the ex
listing law embodied in tho bill.