The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-07-22

account Oi opium, and iron the evidence
il arrears 10 Us that he. in dealing with
snd having the care and custody ot
opium. has used due care and preeau>
ton.
We have been unable to fix the guilt
upon any person, or even to find enough
evidence b give rise to = suspicion as 10
who the person NAV be, but in our opin-
ion and from all the evidence adtiuced
and also the fact of the +. I. opium hav-
Ing been solely ia the charge Of the
Custom House officials. that whatever
WAS done IN the Way q removing the
opium, Was done Al the Custom House.
Such being the case II seems that some
person or persons employed in the Gus.
toms Department must have been in
COLLISION with outside parties.
The Port Surveyors Department and
the Customs Department do not appear
- be in accord and = good deal OF
friction and bad feeling exists. This, we
think, arises from the fact that the Col
lecsoV>GenerSl was allowed the night Of
appointing his suborainstes, practice
which this committee thinks should not
be allowed by this House.
This committee is Of the opinion that
under the existing law the Board Of
Health IS alone the authorized custodian
of opium over the Collector-GenerSl the
only person authorised to make sales,
such sales being authorized under Sec
ton o77 oi the Civil Code.
This committee does not approve 81
/ the manner in which sales OF opium
have heretofore been made to outgoing
+ PASSENGERS on vessels leaving or calling
AT this port, We think that receipt
( should ALWAYS be given to the Collector
General for Is many tins SIS are taken by
the person intending to make the sale.
Ii appears that such has not been the
/ case 1t the Custom House
Your committee has taken y great
I deal % evidence but in no man
ner have they been able 10 hasten
/ guilt or cause the faiatest suspicion TO
attach TO or implicAte anyone, but we
/ think that il the opium had been as well
taken care Of al the Custom House as it
WAS and Is cared for at the Police station,
no investigating committee would have
been necessary. And your committee Is
I OF the opinion that this lack Of care at
/ the Custom house has arisen mainly
from the fact that they have not got 8
proper room for storing opium securely.
1 Ii appears IRON the report made by
I the Collector-(iensra 10 your committee
that the Customs department has from
( March %. 1883, TO June 80, 1890. seized
4,309 tins OF opium and sold S.4l5 tins.
I realizing $S,277 %, and distributed as
Z follows: To the informers, Se.oSS 81 !;
TO the Government, s. ,6SS 9S; leaving a
/ balance on hand OF 794 tins exclusive Of
bogus opium. The Police department
has seized a,5O9 tins, which have been
turned over 10 the Board OF Health and
Customs authorities, except 10 tins, now
at the Station house, and there kept st
! the request OF the Board OF Health.
From what information the committee
/ obtained, We are satisfied that large
quantities Of opium have been smuggled
/ into the different ports OF the group with
I In the last two years, 50 much so. that
| opium is now Is cheap II not cheaper
than it has been for years.
This committee, while not fSyWing the
Issuing Of an opium license, thinks that
some steps should be taken 10 prevent
the smuggling Of opium which As ii now
appears TO this committee can only be
done by increasing the Custom house
guards, and IN paying such salaries as
man can comfortably live on, and IN
knowing that the sppointees are honest
and capable and VIII do their duty care
fully. II appears from the evidence be
fore Us that the Custom house guards
are insufficient at times, and the Gus
toms authorities ara obliged ID call on
the Marshal for assistance ST such times
The evidence taken by the committee
Is herewith reported to the House, and
we recommend that it be placed on the
Secretzry's table, so that members de-
string to read and look over the same
may do 50. All of which Is respectfully
submitted. A. Rosa, Chairman
CECIL BROWN.
E MULLER
H P. BALDWIN.
Whilst agreeing with the majority in
the main points OF the above report,
consider that the conclusions drawn IN
two parts OF it, against the Custom au-
thoEiIies, are uniustly severe on them
and whilst hardly justified by the evil
dence these conclusions would convey
wrong impression On any reader unable
10 refer 70 the testimony.
II Is fair TO say that II the
opium has been kept in loose manner
Al the Custom house, II was as much the
fault OF the Government as OF the Gus
tom authorities. the Collector-General
having stated that he had repeatedly
asked for proper room 10 be constructed
or for q safe TO be furnished him to lock
up the opium in
l consider that the fault of the Custom
authorities, If any, has been too much
lenisncy in general, and also with such
OF the outside officers who have been
imposed on them BY the f2voritism OF
the late Ministry, some OF whom were
allowed free access TO the opium room
| object also TO the repetition, in two
parts Of the report, Of the assertion that
not even the faintest suspicion could be
entertained. Whilst not having been
able TO tx legally the guilt OF the opium
robberies on any particular party or
parties, vet II seems 10 me there Is
enough evidence 10 justify suspicious.
and consider that after the pains taken
BIZ the committee, and after the large
expenditure devoted, in our inyesfiga- I
tons, 70 the gathering Of voluminous