The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-06-10
WASTE OF TIME.

ADOuJ nIteen minutes OF lueSuay |
mornings session of the Legislative
Assembly, after the reading of the
minutes, was devoted to the despatch
of business. The remainder of the
time, up to the hour of recess, was
consumed in debating points of
order. Yesterday forenoon, matters
we're no better, but rather worse.
The occasion of the trouble of
Tuesday morning was a report, pur-
porting TO be from committee Of
thirteen members, but which was
really report of seven members of
the committee, the other members,
with one exception, not having seen
the report or heard of its existence,
until hearing it read in the house.
This attempt to gag their colleagues,
on the part of the seven members of
committee was very properly re-
sented. Mr.. Dole moved to amend
the resolution to lay the report of
the seven wise men on the table and
await the report of the minority, so
that the report would be returned TO
the chairman to have it submitted to
the whole committee. The amend
ment proposed was in harmony with
the precedent of the United States
congress, by which every chairman
of committee is obliged to consult
every member of his committee. A
ruling of the chair was asked by
Mr.. Castle, whether this was not the
proper course to take, and given by
the President in the affirmative.
Both the amendment offered by Mr..
Dole, and the ruling of the Presi-
dent were directly in the line of rule
80 OF the house, which prescribes
that English and United States pre-
cedents shall be followed when the
proceduce is not definitely laid down
in the rules of the house. Thus the
amendment and the ruling of the
chair were unquestionably in order,
but it did not happen to suit the
fancy of certain members at that
time to be guided by rules or rea-
sonable precedents. An appeal from
the decision of the chair TO the house
was offered by the honorable men,
ber for Lahaina, representative
Aholo, who while moving his appeal,
committed one of the most glaring
breaches of order perpetrated in the
house since its opening, by persist
. emily keeping the floor, though called
to order three times by member OF
the house and once by the President.
1t is only stating an automatic prin-
ciple to say that an essential element
in the composite dignity of any
deliberative assembly is the fixed
determination to sustain the chair il
enforcing the written rules Of the
house as well as the unwritten rule!
of common courtesy. And the re
port presented by seven members o
ha Af
having been submitted to their col
leagues was manifestly breach o
courtesy, to say the least of it. Tn
ruling of the President, too, mad
in strict accordance with rule S2
declared the course taken by tn
chairman of the committee to b.
irregular. Yet, in the face of thes
obvious facts, the ruling of the chai
was reversed by vote of 1S to II
The motion was carried to lay tn
report on the table until the repol
of the other SIX members is pro
sented. However, the 18 member
who stood up for the purpose {
walking over the President, failed t
specify by what rule of procedul
the remaining six members of til
committee shall be called togetht
to prepare their report. Accordin
to the precedent adopted by tn
vote, it will be proper hereafter,
appointing committees to nominal
two Chairmen, one for the majorit
who are consulted in drawing up
report, and one for the minorit
whom the first Chairman sees fit ,
ignore.
Yesterday forenoon, the gag W,
attempted to be applied on lare
scale, and with the same resul
namely, a few minutes business, ar
a few hours debate on "order.
On the reading Of report from Il