The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-01

! the owner of the land on which the old
Station House stood to give up the occu-
| pancy as quickly as possible. 1t was this
state of things that pushed the Admins
| tration to look out for another site. Being
| fully understood by His Majesty Cabinet,
! ii was decided to go on with and complete
| the new building as quickly as possible. In
| reference 10 the wisdom OF the action, he
/ would state that hey were burned out of
| the old premises in less than half an hour
| The buildings, furniture and appliances
were all destroyed. Fortunately the new
building was far enough advanced 10 be
occupied, the cells being ready and some of
the rooms up stairs were so far completed
that the business of the Court could be
carried on. The work was done as eco
nomically as possible, and was let out to
public competition. Any one could see it
was done in a very satisfactory manner.
Mr.. Dickey said the Minister had not
shown any proper authority for the ex-
per diture. The Constitution shows how
money can be taken from the Treasury.
The proper way is through the Privy Coun-
Gil, and not in Cabinet Council. If the
Ministers can override the action of this
to enact laws. Here is an appropriation
of $40, 900 and without any authority what
ever they had gone on and spent $4,000.
He moved the item be struck out.
Mr.. Thurston supported the item as in
the bill. Every word Mr.. Dickey had said
was true, and ne would say Amen"
Under the Constitution the Minister of the
Interior has trampled the law under foot
in aking this obligation. The persons
who had done the work did it in good
faith, not knowing the Minister had done
wrong. If they struck out the item he did
not see how the Ministers altogether could
raise SIT, 600. In order to guard against
this i'll the future there ought to be clause
put in the Appropriation bill that such an
action is criminal offense. The law as it
stands has no fear for the Ministers. 1t
says they shall not do it, and they do it.
This matter of Cabinet Council is q pure
fiction. The law forbids Cabinet Council
to appropriate any money. Those four
men over there (meaning the Ministers)
had no more right to get together and APP
propriate any money than the four men
sitting alongside of himself. While he
supported the item, he thought the Minis
tiers were deserving of censure.
His Excellency Mr.. Gibson said that any
one listening to the remarks of Mr.. Thurs
ton would think they were discussing an
indemnity bill. But they were not. They
were discussing whether or not it wa
right to pay for works carried out by Min
listers of the Crown. The Ministers had
certain responsibilities and discretion in
the performance of their public duty
which did not appertain to gentlemen who
held seats in the House. He asked the
Assembly to pass this item i'm order to
meet the obligation. 1t was not question
of taking money out of the Treasury.
Mr.. Brown was still in favor of passing
the item as asked for. They have incurred
the debt; the work is done; and they
trusted to the Legislature to pay it. But
if every Legislature had to appropriate
money fc- back debts, the country will
never be out of debt
Mr.. Dickey said it was a fact that the
Minister had taken money belonging to
the Government in an irregular way and
spent it. 1t had come to his knowledge
this morning that the Minister of the In
terror had taken $6,S9S 20 of the funds in
his department, which should have been
handed over to the Treasury, and paid it
out on account of this work.
Mr.. Thurston said that was a most inn
portant statement. He asked the Minister
of the Interior whether it was true.
His ExceIlency Mr.. Gulick said that Mr.
Dickey had reported it correctly.
Mr.. Dole supposed this matter was done
honestly enough, but it was loose admin
istration, and if it goes on will develop
into serious proportions. If they found
fault with it and passed the item it would
simply give a chance for the Ministers to
do the same thing during the next two
years. He could not vote for it. This
kind of discretion had got to be put stop
to-
The item then passed as in the bill.
Alterations and repairs of Post Office,
Honolulu, 5000. Passed.
Repairs of Custom House, Honolulu,
S. 900. Passed.
Repairs of building occupied by Brewer
q Co., Queen street. $4,000. Struck out
Repairs and furniture, Aliiolani Hale,
$500. The item passed at $1,000.
Office and safe for Governor of Kauai,
fPlJZU. Inc lCeIH pdSSeu al |ZjVU.
Cost of building saluting battery at Ka-
kaako, $1,000. Passed.
Repairs and furniture. Iolani Palace,
$4,000. The item passed at SIS 5000, as in
the revised estimate.
Repairs Government buildings, con-
tingent, SIS, 900. The item passed at $10,-
600.
Court House and lookup at Koolauloa,
81 500. Passed.
Court House and lookup, North Kona,
81 500. Passed.
Enlarging Court House and lookup at
Hama, 81 600. Passed.
Repairing Jail and Court House fence,
Waimea, Hawaii, $500. Passed.
Court House in East Kau, $500. Passed.
Lookup at Honuaulu, Maui, 5000.
Passed.
Repairs to Court Houses and lock-ups,
district of Hilo, and building receiving
station, Hilo, So, 900. Passed.
On motion of Mr.. Aholo, the committee
rose.
On the House resuming, the Chairman
reported progress. The report was adopted
STEAM NAVIGATION.
Mr.. Aholo, on suspension of the rules,
~,