The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-09-21
THE LEGISLATURE
lO6TH DAY.-CoNTINUED.
AFTERNOON SESSION.

AFTERNOON SESSION.
House re-assembled, and obtained
n quorum at L AZ.
Continued the discussion of sec
tion 2, private ways and water rights
bill.
Rep. Castle narrated the history
of the bill before the house. Said.
with reference to the rumors about
his professional connection with this
bill, that he had been retained rs
counsel, by parties at Waiehu, to
look after their interests, should too
much water be taken by the Ha-
waiian Commercial Company. Mr..
Spreckels had solicited members of
this Assembly to kill this bill, but
he trusted that members would take
an Independent stand, and act for
the public good. 1t had rarely been
his experience on any water case to
see all the commissioners present
every day; and decisions had been
given absolutely at variance with
the evidence presented, and often
commissioners who were absent from
full hearings, had signed decisions
knowing little or nothing about the
merits of the case. Cases had been
protracted by delays and absences
of commissioners until years
crop of taro or rice was destroyed.
His idea was to empower the Minis
ter OF Interior to appoint one COM
missioner for one, two, or more dis
tricts, according as there was pro-
babilityo of water cases arising therein.
Rep. kaulnkou said this bill has
evidently been drafted with care.
In old times, water rights were not
so valuable as now. Questions of
water rights are continuously coming
up. The question is whether this
law will remedy existing difficulties.
There are many plantations through
out the country now that need water
and that formerly y were barren wilder
ness. Under the old law these plan
tations are not entitled to water.
Will this law mend matters? He
did not think it would. He was in
favor of the indefinite postpone
ment of the section.
Rep. Kalua does not deal with the
rights of the people. 1t only pro-
vides simple process of finding out
what peoples rights are, by the
appointment of one commissioner
instead of three ; and for that reason,
he was in favor of this act. He had
beenretained with the hon. member for
Lahaina, on a water case, and after
several unsuccessful attempts to get
meeting of the three commissioners,
they were obliged to withdraw their
case. If this law took away any
persons water rights from them, he
would oppose it. The case, referred
to of the Waiehu people and the
Hawaiian Commercial Company, no
longer existed. The company had
man employed whose duty it was
to see that the water rights of the
natives were respected, and that
they had all the water they needed.
Rep. Kaunamano was in favor of
three commissioners instead of one.
Rep. Dole said the protection of
poor man in his rights is of more
consequence to this house than the
property of any corporation Wal
ehu is dotted over with Kuleauas.
The kula lands are in possession of
the Waiehu plantation. If the owner
of Kuleana is deprived of water
by plantation company, he is too
poor to obtain redress. If we de-
prive the poor man of the conven-
iences of justice, we deprive him of
everything.
Rep. Kaulukou asked if one com.
missioner instead of three will help
the poor man.
Rep. Dole. II will certainly help
him to secure his rights.
Rep. Kaulukou. Suppose he got
no money to pay the lawyer. What
will happen theny