The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-06-17

The various appropriations made IN
case they should not be sufficient
for the requirements proposed and
also for the purpose of providing
for unforeseen accidents, etc. One
Of the principles of construction OF
laws is that the intention of the
Legislature is to be ascertained,
and if, by any possibility, it can be
made to accord with the words
used in the law such construction
must be given to it by the Court.
The Minister of the Interior is
correct with regard to the use OF
the appropriations which are mark
ed contingent.
Nor can we agree with him IN
his views upon public works. The
same is true with regard to the
appropriation for expenses of for
eign agents in the Foreign Depart
ment. 1t was expressly under
stood by the Legislature at the
time the appropriation was passed
that that appropriation was to
cover any expense incurred on be-
half of the Hawaiian Government
in a number of matters, and the
possibility of expositions or worlds
fairs was taken into consideration
by the Legislature, and it is diff
cult to see how the contention Of
the Auditor can be sustained. But
the Audit Act itself expressly pro-
vides in Section 8 that "every
account shall be considered duly
authorized that is in accordance
with any existing law, or regula-
ton or has been directly sanctioned
by any one or other of the respon-
sible Ministers of the Crown, and
covered by an appropriation act in
force at the time of payment The
report shows that there has been
very little difficulty excepting be-
tween the Auditor General and the
Interior Department, and the Min
lister of the Interior seems to have
been q veritable "bete noir" to the
Auditor. There is nothing in the
report or in the facts connected
with the controversy between the
Minister and Auditor which does
not show that the Minister may
!, have been correct as we'll as the
Auditor, yet the latter assumes
that he is correct. The feeling Of
evident hostility to the Minister Of
the Interior is in one instance car.
which the utterly absurd charge is
made that the Minister of the In.
, terror exceeded MIS- authority as the
} guardian and safe keeper Of Gov.
eminent property in having the
Palace wall pulled down. Probably
no man of ordinary common sense
or business experience will coincide
with the Auditor in his views upon
that matter. The result has beer
a vast Improvement in the premises
about that portion of the capita
city and certainly nothing has beer
taken from the honor and dignity
of the Crown. 1t might as we'll be
charged that Minister was guilty
of breach of trust in having ole
timbers removed from building in
order to repair the same, in case
the repairs entirely changed the
character of the building.
The Auditor makes one state.
ment which is not only insulting tc
planters but condemns himself, and
was probably made as an appeal to
the prejudices of those who largely
compose the Legislature. He says
"Not having had an opportunity Of
examining for myself the result in
road building under the Road Board
law, I am unable to judge Of them,
but one fact seems to be agreed
upon and that is that the plantation
interests have not been neglected
When he states elsewhere that he
; has not had time even to 60 to the
Board of Health and examine THEN
books, or to other places about the
Government building premises, and
} confesses that he has not been or
the other Islands and looked into
the roads, a more gratuitous insult
and entirely opposed to the facts
could not have been made. The
facts are that the road work fer
the past two years has been done
thoroughly and honestly and with.
out regard at all to the interests Of
any class, but the work has been
pushed forward where most needed
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