The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-03

truth IN II. HIS EXcelency Mr.. Gibson
/ had been a Minister the past four years
and was well acquainted with the business
I of the Government. and would know
whether such demaud> had been made
| They had a new Ministry, but did know
their policy.
His EX:ellency Mr. Gibson said he was
sorry the time of the House should be
taken up with such a resolution as this 1t
was painful to listen To it, Mr. Kalua was
capable and well informed gentleman,
had travelled and he (the speaker) had a
high respect for his intelligence but con,
sidered he allowed himself To be little
imposed upon in this instance He asked
him to just reflect little. The gentleman
in question Mr.. SpreckeIs) thought proper
to purchase bonds of this Government to
the amount of $500 900 at six per cent. All
that he was given for his money. his hard
coin. which he placed in their Treasury,
was simple piece of paper, a promise,
\ nothing more than the Ministry's word
He could not get any other security for
his money than that piece of paper. Dur
ing the previous period there was an open
account with that gentleman. or rather
with his firm, and at one time the indebt-
edness of the Government TO that firm ran
up,he thoughts to over 5000 900, and he Mr..
Spreckels) never thought of such a thing
he was sure he never limited at it-that
the Government of country regularly ex-
porting products worth eight or nine million
dollars per annum should give such pledges
as those mentioned in this resolution. The
indebtedness hat
that is, the debt on open account, was in
the same position, without a suggestion,
without hint of any security, excepting
the bonds, in any form whatever So sensi-
bic gentleman as Mr.. Spreckels would
not for one moment, for the paltry sum of
$4,000, think of asking mortgage on the
Water Works, worth a half million, on the
Custom House with its annual revenue,
and on the wharves. 1t was absurd to
think of such thing. The House had
just asked the Ministers for precise state
ments of the Governments Indebtedness.
which would be faithfully given without
any reservation whatever. He thought
Mr.. Kalua should be satisfied with this
statement. that the fullest account would
be given covering the whole matter and
every enquiry and suspicion, and it would
be worth while for him to withdraw his
resolution.
Mr.. Dole could not see any want of in
telligence on the part of Mr.. Kalua The
only point on which he was not quite salts
fled was that the resolution did not cover
the ground. There was reason to believe
that the Ministers had mortgaged the taxes
to Mr.. Spreckels or others on more than
one occasion as security for loans. If that
were so, why not mortgage the Custom
House revenues, or the Water Works, or
the wharves? He did not wish to make
statement of this kind without giving the
Ministers chance of denying it, and he
called upon His Excellency Mr.. Gibson to
state if they had not mOrtgaged the taxes
on one or more occasions for loans
His Excellency Mr.. Gibson said, in an
swer to Mr.. DOle's inquiry, that there had
been nothing i'll the shape of a mortgage,
but simply promise that when the revenue
was in hand the debt would be paid.
Mr.. Dole said the very fact that the
taxes were guaranteed-he was sure they
were guaranteed in writing-by Ministers,
and this was done in 1888 when moneys
were borrowed from Mr.. John Wright
through Mr.. Fred Wundenberg, and the
taxes were guaranteed as security, gave
color to the rumors that the town was now
full of, as stated by Mr.. Kalua, about the
sale or lease of the harbor of Honolulu to
Mr.. Spreckels His Excellency few days
ago thought it was eminently proper to
bring before the House Il resolution asking
for information in regard to the rumored
cessiCn of Pearl Harbor.
His Excellency Mr. Gibson asked Mr.
Dole's authority for the statement that the
Ministers had caused the introduction of
that resolution.
Mr.. Dole said his statement was that the
Minister had thought it eminently proper
His Excellency Mr.. Gibson thought Mr..
Dole should give him credit for willing
ness to answer at any time.
Mr.. Dole said he did not mean anything
personal. He did hear that the resolution
was in Mr.. Gibson's handwriting; but he
may have been mistaken.
His Excellency Mr.. Gibson said he was
mistaken. 1t was not true.
Mr.. Dole accepted the denial. The state
ment in the resolution was not as full as
the rumors, which were that Mr.. Spreckels |
was negotiating for the lease OF the harbor !
for ninety-nine years. He might be charged |
with want of intelligence for listening to
these rumors, but this very day one of the |
most intelligent business men in the city |
spoke to him about that lease of the harbor |
1t appeared to him an almost incredible |
thing that Mr.. Spreckels would press for !
anything of the kind, but the old saying |
was, Where there is great deal of smoke |
there must be little fire" He could see
no objection to the House passing the reso- !
luton. After the remarks of His Excel |
lency there was no reason why the resolu- |
ton should not be replied to at once.
Mr.. Kaulukou thought Mr.. Kalua's mo- |
tive in introducing the resolution was a |
good one, but he agreed with Mr.. Dole that |
it was incomplete. He had read in a ma
tive paper published in town that the |
money to pay off the debt to Colonel |
Spreckels would be forthcoming in twenty |
four hours if they had Government they |
had confidence in. He doubted that very |
much; but even that would do the coun- |
try no good. 1t would not pay off its in |
debtedness to Colonel Spreckels. 1t would |
only be transferring the debt from one |
man to another. The name of Mr.. Spreck- |
els appeared to be great bugbear to GER
tain people in the city, the mention of |