The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-06-16
TUESDAY, June 10, 1886.
AFTERNOON SESSION.

on the table, on motion of Rep.
Aholo, for consideration with the
Appropriation Bill.
ORDER OF THE DAY.
Rep. Thurston moved the Order
Of the Day, which carried.
The President announced, as the
special order, the consideration of
the majority and minority reports of
the Judiciary Committee, on the
petition against the election of Mr..
j. A. Kaukau as representative for
Kaanapali. The reports were accord
ingly read at the table.
Rep. Thurston moved that the
minority report be adopted. He
said the question before the house
was one of the utmost Importance,
as it involved principles on which
the elections of members of this AS
sembly were conducted. If our
elections are to be anything at all, if
they are to be expressions of the
opinions of our people, they must
be fairly and squarely conducted
according to law. Therefore in any
question coming before the house in
regard to the election of members,
it ought to be conducted judicially
and fairly. For if the election of
members once gets into loose
fashion it goes from bad to worse
from one year to another. Fre-
quently questions of this sort come
up, not only in this Assembly but in
all countries in the world and give
rise to good deal of feeling be-
cause of the party advantage in
volved. There was no possible
reason why in the consideration of
this particular question there should
be party feeling on either side. The
party supporting the policy Of the
Ministry are greatly in the majority
over members opposing that policy.
1t will make no difference 10 th.
question of whether the Ministry
are supported this session or not;
whether the member for kaanapali is
unseated or not, the balance OF
power will remain exactly the same.
Therefore, the only reason why
there should be party feeling or
party action is removed, and every
member is in position to carry out
his oath as if he were dlscharging
solemn trust. The other day man
made the remark to me: "What is
the use of you men up there in the
Assembly; you are in minority;
you are powerless to do anything
why not let the majority go on and
blast the reputation of the Govern
ment?" But i do not believe in
that. That is not what l was elect
ed for. That is not what / came
here for. came here to do the
very best l can do for my constitu-
ents and for the best interests of the
country, and l shall continue to do
my best. | believe in this case that
to place this Assembly on the side Of
right and to keep its record clean,
it should confirm this minority re-
port or it will blot its record. And
am going to argue this matter pre-
cisely as if it was before judge of
the Supreme Court, and if l do not
convince the reason of every man
here that he must vote for the min
ority report, why, then, vote for the
majority report. But, after consid-
ering the arguments pro and con, l
ask each member to put prejudice
aside and vote for what you think is
right and just. In regard to the
specific points in this case the two
reports bring up two questions, one
of law and one of fact. l would
briefly state, so far as l understand,
what the question of law is. 1t is
this: A number of persons, whose
names were not on the voting list
were presented to the board of in
spectors by John Richardson, anG
they acting from sense of propriety
did place those names on the list
They were then on the list in the
manner which the law prescribes
Afterward, upon the day Of thu
election, without swearing these
voters, without challenging them
without giving any reason excep
that the inspectors had received ;
letter from the Attorney-General
they ruled these men out. Tha
gave rise the question of law: L
these names were placed on th'
register in the way authorized b,
law, can they be taken from tina
list without challenge? I claim tina
they cannot. Secondly, l state TIN
point of fact which is in question
that is this: Whether any of thes
people who were rejected wer
as a matter of fact, residents o
Kaanapali, and entitled to vot
there2 The majority report state
that there is no such evidence. Tn
minority report states that there is
Mr.. Thurston proceeded to cite tn
statutes to show that it was no
necessary for those people to appea
personally before the board of in
spectors, and that the latter hat
authority to place on the list tn
names of voters which had been let
off. He then quoted authorities Il