The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-09-15
LEGISLATURE OF 1888.
The Best Eighty eight Days Practical
Legislation ever Accomplished in the
Kingdom.

legislators ever before brought together,
the session of 1887 excepted, in these
Islands. For the first time in the history
of the Kingdom, the regular biennial
parliament was composed of members
every man of whom occupied his place
by virtue of the spontaneous choice OF
the people. If the Z" revolution" as the
events of fifteen months ago are now
designated, had effected nothing more
| than this, it would have been a gigantic
stride in the direction of sound principles
of government. The days when the
| stipendiaries of the Crown were the quasi
representatives of the nation, and the
real representatives of nobody but them
selves and their dictators, have happily
gone by forever in this land.
That the members of the House were
experienced legislators or eminent
statesmen has never been claimed on
| their behalf. Several Of them, however,
| have been active members of legislatures
under the old Constitution. Whether
| such experience as was to be gathered
in those days was of any real value to
them under the new order of things may
as well be left an open question.
| What is claimed for the body of men
| who assembled on the 29th of last May
to deliberate on affairs of state is that,
during the lightweight days they were
| in session, they devoted themselves dill
| gently to business. Hard, conscien-
tious and honest work was done. AS in
! all free deliberative bodies much time
was devoured fruitlessly. Hours of pre-
cious time had to be lost in the discus
| sion of questions that involved neither
more nor less than the right of every
| member to have his say and to receive
| the respectful attention of his colleagues
| to any and every matter in which his
| constituents had, through the regular
constitutional methods, expressed
| themselves deeply interested and on
which they desired legislative action.
Persons who charge that our reform leg
islature as body has wasted much of its
strength for nought are quite correct so
far; but when those persons assert that
the House is responsible for such waste
of energy, they only demonstrate their
own profound ignorance and want of
capacity to gauge the rights and privi
leges of their fellOw-citizens. If an OBJ
scure country district wants new bridge
or a new hospital, it has precisely the
same right to a respectful, patient hear
ing in the legislative chamber as if the
matter to be disposed of were q sub
marine cable or a ten million loan. And
no one who knows anything about de-
Lucrative bodies needs to be reminded
that matters, very insignificant in them
selves, are frequently most fruitful of
prolonged argument and hot contention.
While a large portion of the eighty
days of the session of 1888 was
necessarily absorbed in the cOnsidera-
ton of measures finally consigned to the !
waste basket, the House has placed on
the statute book larger quantity of pro-
gressIve, practical and useful legislation
than has ever before been effected by
any legislative assembly in this King
dom.
Conspicuous among the measures for
which the people of this island realm
will have cause to remember with graft |
tude the session of 1888 and which the |
future historian of the country will de- |
light to record, are ID the election law, |
~ the free schools law, and 90 the con-
tempt of Court law. The first secures to |
the citizens the free choice of representa- |
tives, the second secures for them free |
education, and the third secures for !
them a free press-the three greatest |
towers of strength to popular rights in |
every civilized community in the world. |
Following is a list indicating the Acts |
passed during the session and added to |
the statutes of the country, either as new |
laws or amendments to those previously |
existing:
Bail.
KOkuas.
Elections.
Seduction.
Water rates.
HOmesteads.
Stamp duties.
Tax Assessors.
Military forces.
Internal Police.
Submarine cable.
Security for costs.
Prison Inspectors.
Issuing of patents.
Contempt OF Court.
Manufacture of poi.
Prohibit tuition fees.
Pounds, estrays, etc.
Tax carts and drays.
License malt liquors.
Postal Savings Bank.
Oahu steam railroad.
Segregation of lepers.
Chinese immigration.
Establish parcels post. II
Liens of mechanics, etc.
Registrar Conveyances.
Establish select schools.
Expenses of Legislature.
Protection of certain fish.
Explosives in taking fish. 4
Sale and slaughter of beef.
Proof of service of process.
Abolish Office of Governor.
Limit permits for Chinese.
Bureau Public instruction.
Registration of Copyrights.
Repeal rewards to Sheriffs.
Proceedings in bankruptcy.
Honolulu Fire Department.
Street railway in Honolulu.
Jurisdiction Circuit Judges.
Prevent coffee leaf diseases.
Clerks of Courts to tax costs.
Keeping of books of account
Convey land Lunalilo Home.
Internal taxes, amend sec. Is.
Internal taxes, amend sec. q.
Internal taYaS amend sec % |