The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-15

THE LEGISLATURE.

The Legislative Assembly yesterday
made some progress with the Appropria-
ton bill. The schedule of the Interior
Department was gone through, after
several additions had been made to it.
There are, however, numerous of votes
in this department which stand referred
to various committees, and must come
up again. One such reference yesterday
was the vote for maintenance of prison
ers, 100000" 1t was pointed out by
Mr.. Cecil Brown that this vote covered
salaries, medical attendance, rewards
and expenses connected with the cap
ture of prisoners, horse hire, incidentals,
etc., which should be voted separately
His Excellency Mr.. Gibson agreed with
Mr.. Brown, and accepted Mr.. Kauna-
select committee, of which he (Mr. Glib
SOM would be a member.
We think this reference eminently
proper. Last biennial period $4,000
We're appropriated for maintenance of
prisoners" and over 100000 were ex-
pended. But it appeared that the prison
realizations for the same period amounted
TO $50 900, leaving a balance OF over $780,
900 to be drawn from the Treasury $780,
900 of this amount was in excess of APP
preparation, which item appears in the
Indemnity bill. The realizations last
biennial period more than covered the
actual cost of maintenance of prisoners,
and it is not unreasonable to suppose
that upon a close examination of other
items of expenditure comprised within
this vote, considerable saving may be
effected without impairing the efficiency
of the prison management.
The House also referred a motion to
defray the cost incurred for Queen
Emma's funeral to the Finance Commit
tee. 1t was contended by the opponents
of the motion that the late Queen Dow
ager specially provided in her will that
her funeral expenses should sbe paid
from her private fortune, and should not
become charge upon the people. The
Privy Council had authorized the ex-
penditure of $4,000 for that purpose,
nearly all of which had been spent.
This amount the Legislature must pro-
vide, but further sum of 1000 odd
had been expended by the late Queens
agent, and the House was asked to vote
it also. To this objection was taken, and
the reference made as above stated.
A longdebate took place in the fore
noon on concurrent resolution appro-
priating $4,000 for relief of the Board of
Genealogy The speaking was princi-
pallv confined to the Hawaiian mem
beers, although Messrs. Dole and Castle
opposed the proposal, while His Excel
lencv Mr.. Gibson defended it. From
the debate it transpired that the origi-
nal purpose of the Board of Genealogy
had been departed from, and that an
attempt was being made to gather ma
terial out of which to construct the early
history of the native Hawaiian race.
Just what progress had been made in
this field of investigation did not appear,
and it was complained that no report
had been made, or accounting for the
expenditure in the past biennial period.
Mr.. Gibson said he understood that
report was in preparation, and that a
gentleman skilled in Hawaiian lore
would be appointed to take charge of
any further investigation. Ii this be
done, and a judicious selection is made,
an important and highly interesting
archaeological field will be scientifically
explored. No one would object TO
moderate expenditure for such pur-
pose, and the Legislature should take
precautions to that end when making
the appropriation asked for. The con-
current resolution, which is in fact a
bill, stands for third reading on the file