The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-09-16


tion," | had not finished this when
Mr.. Spencer, the Minister of the In
terror, came in and told me that he
could not allow me to examine any
of the records in his Office for the
purpose of replying to the Finance
Committee; upon my requesting a
reason for such an extraordinary
proposition, he said that the Legis-
lature had so instructed him. /
pointed out to him that the Legis-
lature had done nothing of the
kind, and that if they had, they
were usurping his functions and do
ing what they had no legal right
to do, as he was Minister of the
Interior and the law placed the In
terror Department and its records
in his control and custody, and not
in the hands of the Legislature. He
still insisted in refusing to allow
me to see any more records, but
said that he would consult with
others on the subject and let me
know whether he would change his
mind or not. | have heard nothing
| further from him.
AS I have been unable to obtain
the facts upon which to base full
reply to the committees report, l
have not attempted so to do.
The examination of the records
which L did make concerning the
Fire Station lot, enables me to state
the facts concerning this matter,
from which the House and the pub
lie can draw their own differences
as to the reliability of the remain
der of the report.
/ desire first to call attention to
the opening remarks of the COM
mittee's report. They state that be-
fore entering upon the discharge of
their duties they determined to
judiciously weigh and impartially
consider all the facts
before drawing conclu-
sions This course we have
pursued to the best of cur individ-
ual ability, and always with an EYE
SINGLE to our Legislative duty and
official integrity We have
REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO USE ANY
AVAILABLE MATTER ABOUT WHICH ANY
POSSIBLE DOUBT MIGHT ARISE, OR
WHICH WAS OPEN TO TWO CONCLU-
sIoNs OR DIFFERENT lNTERPRETA-
TIONS."
With this fair sounding declara-
ton of principle as a blind from
behind which to operate, the com
mittee proceeds with their report
The Judiciary department, with
an appropriation of s173, 900 for the
period, is given thirteen lines. The
Board of Education, with an ap
preparation of $4,000, and s
further unappropriated expendi
ture of 100000, is wound up with
twenty-five lines. The Foreign
t Office is henored with three pages
and then the committee focus theil
"single eye" and proceed to gnasf
their teeth for seventy pages ovel
the Interior Department.
They open fire with what they
evidently consider one of thei
, heaviest guns, under the caption
: "NEw LOT FOR THE HONOLULU FIR
\ DEPARTMENT"
And state that "For good and suffi
: cient reasons, as will be seen hero
!, after, your committee feel con
strained to elucidate" the matter
} Your committee thereupol
E proceed to unfold most diabolica
and nefarious transaction, the gis
] of the charge being that:
n l. An appropriation of 5000
Q was made by the Legislature TO
| the purchase of a lot for centra
i fire station.
! 2. That the Minister of the Int
: rior thereupon proceeded to pun
: chase two lots, one from Mr.. S. c
), Allen, for So, 300, giving Mr.. ALE
Q a certain piece of Cover nment Ian
: in exchange therefore, Mr.. Allie
b paying the Government $4,000 i
Y cash in addition to the transfer b,
9 him to the Government of the fir
g lot.
I, 3. That he also purchased on
J. lot from the Bishop Estate TO
Q s2,647, paying $4,000 and agree
r ing to pay the other S647;
4. That the appropriation for tn
}. lot has thus been exceeded b
0 nearly three times the amour
voted" having actually cost S., ga
# The "single eye" of the CON
e mittee could find no more facts, an
h being satisfied that there was n
Y "possible doubt" and that the fact
n could not be open to two conclr
n sions or different interpretations,
It the committee grasp their blue
d geons and proceed to maui tn
d g late Minister as follows:
y "We,deem that the Minister of II
t terror has violated the spirit of tn
J. law and the intent of the Legisla
? ture in raising the legal appropris
S ton, as above stated, with appal
}. emily the deliberate attempt to d,
: ceive the Legislature"
n The committee then delive
themselves of legal opinion, quot
t ing a certain law allowing the Mir
Y lister of the Interior to make ez
: changes, which they proceed t
show is & no warrant for the a,
e ton taken, this case being excepte
!. from the law allowing exchange.
e The committee then ask to b