The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-10-02
THE LEGISLATURE.
NINETY FIRST DAY.
WEDNESDAY, Oct. |.
AFTERNOON SESSION.

Noble Crabbe wished to make him. !
self straight on the question. Mem
bcrs of the National Reform Party |
were pledged to support the party's
platform. Nothing was said during
or soon after the election about a
constitutional convention. This is
sue was raised later. He could not
support the hill without violating
his oath. He would support any
amendments that would not conflict
with the fundamental law.
Rep. White took the ground that
the bill was not contrary to the Con-
stitution. Many members had given
their opinions that the bill was I'M
constitutional. In the veto con-
troversy the flower of the bar held
that the King did not have an indie
pendent veto. S. b. Dole, A. :.
Hartwell, j. A. Magoon, Jonathan
Austin, V. V. Ashford, G.. w. ASH
ford, l.. A. Thurston, w. A. Kin
ney, and w. G. Achi were of that
view, bat il turned out that the few
lawyers who opposed that view were
correct. Some members thought it
was no use talking, the bill would
be defeated anyway. He did not
think so. Possession was nine
points of the law. Let us test the
thing. Pass the bill second and
third reading, take it to the King,
get him to sign it, then take it up
there Ito the Supreme CourD and
see if it is constitutional. There
was not one there who was sure of
being in the House in 1892. He did
not see what Rhode Island had to
do with this country. He was
member of the church himself, and
believed there were others there,
but he would not mention names
for fear he would be accused of
personalities. He did not know why
members objected to passing the
bill unless it was because they were
afraid that it would stand the test.
Noble Baldwin, who said he had all
his interests in this country, ought,
if he had any regard for the wishes
of the natives, support the bill.
The talk about revolution and civil
war was not caused by the natives,
who were peaceable and law-abid-
ing. Oh, it was, said, if we get
new constitution it will let us all
out! The foreign members were
disposed to do right toward the ma
tives. He was partly of foreign
origin himself, his grandsire having
come from England, and he believ-
ed foreign and native members
would do their best for the good Of
the country. (Cries of 'Ninau!")
Let them ninau. l have the floor.
Anybody that doesn't want to hear
me can get out and take the air.
This is the main question that the
people sent you here to consider.
The present Constitution was gained
by unlawful means. r. At the first
election he took the oath to support
tins Constitution, but he believed he
committed perjury in doing so. The
oath was on his lips but not in his
heart. He took it to get the privi-
lege of voting as great many Ha-
waiians did. When registering was
going on the natives were strictly
questioned about their ability to
read and write, while foreigners
were readily accepted who could
only make scrawl on paper like
Chinese characters. Here was q
Hawaiian toiling hard every day in
the year at dollar a day, but he
was not allowed to vote. Was this
right? Good gracious! They plead
ed with the foreign members, il
they were demigods they would
kneel to them, to give the natives
justice. They had souls as well as
white men. They were Christians
like the rest of them. The commit
tee quoted Webster, and Black.
stone, and Story, and Cooley against
this bill, but the House should pass
1t and let our own Supreme Cour
decide the question. A short while
!. ago he heard gray-headed mem
Der say that tins constitutional con
: vention was not heard of at the cleo
ton. The same member had takel
part in party caucusses where thu
matter was discussed, and was ont
of the foremost in advocating thi
a very measure. He liked to see con
sisLency in members. 1t did no
look well for member to agree to {
matter in caucus and then go bacl
on it in the House. Such member
went in swimming with them, and
whenever they reached the shore
they kicked the rest of them AM
J told them to get out of the waite
the best way they could. The adj
vocates of the bill would follow tn
example of the foreigners wanting
billets, who, when refused by tn
Minister one morning, would turl
| up smilingly the next morning. Tn
native members seemed TO be tn
only ones that took an interest il
this subject. They were the prinoi
pal speakers. This showed that th
native people felt that they wer
wronged by the present constitu
ton. II was true the bill was op
posed by some native members, bu
these were lawyers and allowance
should be made for them. II IN
bill should pass and he upheld b.
The Supreme Court those lawyer
ought 10 surrender their licenses