The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-10-21
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.
One Hundred and Seventh Day.
MONDAY, Oct ~.

The House met at 10 NJ. Prayer
by chaplain. Minutes OF preceding day
read and approved.
Rep. Brown presented a petition from
the district OF Koolau containing the fol- /
lowing prayers /. That a resident ply /
stefan be appointed for the district; ,. |
That the native school at kahama be |
closed and an English school be opened |
in said place; 8. That $4,000 be set
apart for roads, bridges and landings OF
said district.
The petition was referred to Committee
on Miscellaneous Petitions
The House proceeded to the order of
the day. Third reading OF the Appropria-
ton Bill Consideration of the Bowler
claims.
Rep Brown Ii the item is to 90 in the
Appropriation Bill as the committee re-
commends, cannot vote for it. l think
Mr.. Bowler has some claim for work on
the electric light plant. 1t was done on
Government property, is there now and
the material furnished is already paid
| for by the Government. 1t may have
been the system OF the contract given
Mr. Bowler was not exactly right. The
benefit having been received by the
| Government, Mr.. Bowler should be paid,
but | cannot agree to any interest. |
was a member of the committee last
Legislature to which this item was re-
ferred. The majority OF the committee
were against it. Mr.. Smith and myself
and the other members did not think the
contract was according to law, and We
recommended the insertion OF an item
in the Appropriation Bill to pay Mr..
Bowler if he gained suit against the Gov
eminent. The House refused to insert
any item. think the Palace wall claim
should be paid, but cannot swallow the
immigration claim. The work in the
first two claims should be paid. The
: Legislature should not pay the immigra-
5 ton claim.
Noble Baldwin These claims have
been before different Legislatures, at
least two of them have and they were re-
ported against The South Sea Island
claim has not been brought before any
previous Legislature, and we should act
] strictly in a manner that should be fol
= the good of the country. l feel very
: strongly that the Ministers should au'
thorize or wink at contracts like this
only in extreme emergency. They are
c difficult questions for US to settle. The
Il claimant is workingman and has sym
pathy. 1t would have appeared better /
Mr.. Bowler had not been in attendance
G at this House during the past three
months instead of being at work. Min
. listers of this Government are bound b.
law, and they should not act outside o
! the law They were the custodians o
the public treasury. Subjects were als'
ii bound by the law. Ii a man made
contract with him to build a house, h.
> would look into his ability to pay for tn
If work. ANY citizen who enters INTO
contract with the Government shoul
look at the law and see what it is, an
L what backing he has. Emergencies d
70 arise where the Ministers enter into sue
contracts outside of the law and tn
u, Legislature should find out whether tn
work was public necessity. l take TIN
view that if the contract is good for tn
y country, it should be paid for, if not
s. should be otherwise. These question
come up and we should be ready to NEE
them. The hon. noble then went int
: the status Of the three claims. The elet
he trio light claim should not be paid witt
" out the House intends to make preser
% to His Majesty. Although | have m
~ doubts about the Palace wall claim,
"a think some OF it should be paid. Wit
regard to the South Sea Islanders claim
IN it was not before the last Legislature.
l. don't know Mr.. Bowler's reasons for ne
- IL, or HOY
view to the payment OF this claim can b
entertained. 1t would be shame fC
re this House to pay this claim for return
to ing the laborers. There is a principl
involved in the whole thing of the u
n. most importance. and we must not allO
- our sympathies to be carried away t
80 wards the individual.
III Noble Widemann first touched on tn
at Makiki claims and then the CustoI
X House building.
ct Rep. Rickard--This is one OF the case
:, in which we are called upon to admin
;. lister Justice. On the one hand we al
IL to protect the Government against III
Mt Just claims, and on the other to see tn:
" individuals get justice. | am not inf
enced by any partiality or friendship
-, Mr.. Bowler l think the petitioner
IA Justly entitled to the following amounts
no Electric light work, $16l2.0S; pala'
ey wall, $1,000; interest bringing the tv
items up to $9939S4; immigration CO
ur tract, $3675 total, $l3, G14.S4, which
II moved be inserted in the appropriate
Z" bill on condition that Mr.. Bowler give
IS, receipt in full for all claims against Il
Ill Government.
Noble Macfarlane said that notwit
standing the decision of the court NJ
Bowler had a claim in this House.
must be we'll known by this time to Il
ms House that all the items in the CLAIM
lat have been we'll substantiated. He he
It this case was identical with the Nolca
M road item.
~ W; At noon the House took a recess.