The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-08-20

law. A man is not a leper until he has |
been pronounced so by three or four |
physi clans at the receiving station. Ii he
is left until they are sure he is a leper he
will contaminate a great many other per-
sons.
Minister Peterson The arguenlent of
the introducer OF the bill it seems TO me
does not apply. This bill simply pro-
vides that anyone knowingly concealing
a person having the leprosy can be pun
ished. The old law included any person
suspected OF leprosy. Ii you pass this
bill YOU kill the whole law. The inten-
ton OF this bill is to relieve persons who
are concealing persons suspected OF
leprosy. | am in favor OF indefinitely
postponing the bill. The present law
causes no hardship. | do not think there
have been more than one or two arrests
under it.
Rep. Waipuilani thought the remarks
of the Acknowledgement applied to the
first section only. As the law stands,
some one with spite against a man
would go TO the authorities and say:
think that man has got the leprosy. The
man would be arrested, locked up, final
| ly sent TO Honolulu, and then at last the
doctors tell him he has only got ring
| worm or some skin disease. In the
meantime he has bid goodbye to all his
friends and sold all his property. Under
| the present law anyone can 60 to the
authorities and complain. / know OF a
man who quarrelled with his wife, and
who went and said he suspected she had
leprosy. She was arrested, taken aboard
ship and there the doctor stripped her
| publicly. He said she had ring worm
on her arm and let her go. l know OF
| other cases.
Minister Peterson-I would just like to
say a word in answer to the opposite
counsel (sicD. The abuses referred &c
can happen just as well whether this bill
is passed or not.
Noble Kauhane said the law nov
sought to be amended was passed last
session. 1t was passed to stamp out the
disease which is destroying the Hawaii
an race. 1t is good law. The grea
trouble with regard to it is that the grea,
proportion of the Hawaiians do not real
ize that it is dangerous disease. They
are not afraid of it. The hon. member
from Kona says the law is bad on,
and leads to abuses. All laws are the
same way. This bill takes the strength
out of the present law. l move the pre-
vious question. Carried.
/, Rep. Kahookano (the introducer of tn,
billy said the present law was brought il
two years ago by Mr.. Kinney. The ex
preston suspected OF leprosy was to-
broad. and gives rise to abuses of power
SO have brought in this bill to strik
those words out. The hon. member from
Kona has stated some of these abuses
The Acknowledgement would surely no
approve of woman being seized, locke,
up and publicly stripped. No one her
believes in segregation more than l do
but these words are not necessary.
Noble Mccarthy called for the aye
and noes.
The bill was indefinitely postponed by
, the following vote:
Ayes-Ministers Cummins, Brown, an,
Peterson; Mobiles Widemann, Berger
Macfarlane, Muller, Mccarthy, Crabbe
Kauhane, J. M. Horner, Hind, Bur
chardt, Marsden, w. Y. Horner, Wal
! bridge, Anderson, G. N. Wilcox, Kano
and Isenberg Reps. Marques, Rosa, A
Horner, Apiki, Rice and A. S. Wilcox
, g.
Noes - Noble Pua; Reps. Lucas, +
, W.Wilcox, Bush, Kauhi, Nawahi, Baker
: Kahookano, Waipuilani, White, Kaneali
Kalua, Halstead and Kamai-l4.
3 Noble Mccarthy moved to re-conside
, Lost.
The House took recess