The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-09-23

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 $4,000 for the
period, is given thirteen lines. The
Board of Education, with an ap-
preparation of $4,000, and q
further unappropriated expendi-
ture of 5000, 900, is wound up with
twenty-five lines. The Foreign
Office is henored with three pages,
and then the committee focus their
single eye" and proceed to gnash
their teeth for seventy pages over
the Interior Department.
They open fire with what they
evidently consider one of their
heaviest guns, under the caption,
.:NEw LOT FOR THE HONOLULU FIRE
DEPARTMENT"
And state that ':For good and suffi-
cient reasons, as will be seen here
after. your committee feel con-
strained to elucidate" the matter.
= Your committee }" thereupon
proceed to unfold a most diabolical
and nefarious transaction, the gist
of the charge being that:
l. An appropriation Of $4,000
was made by the Legislature for
the purchase of a lot for central
fire station.
,. That the Minister of the Int.
rior thereupon proceeded to pur-
chase two lots, one from Mr.. S. C..
Allen. for $4,000, giving Mr.. Allen
q certain piece Of Government land
in exchange therefore, Mr.. Allen
paying the Government $4,000 in
cash in addition to the transfer by
him to the Government of the fire
lot.
3. That he also purchased one
lot from the Bishop Estate for
S2.647, paying $4,000 and agree
ing to pay the other S64I;
4. That the appropriation for the
lot has thus been - exceeded by
nearly three times the amount
voted having actually cost 1924.
The single eye" Of the com
mittee could find no more facts, and
being satisfied that there was no
"possibIe doubt" and that the facts
couldEnot be open to two conclu-
sions or different interpretations,
the committee grasp their blud-
geons and proceed to maui the
late Minister as follows:
I'VE deem that the Minister of In
terror has violated the spirit of the
law and the intent Of the Iegisla-
ture in raising the legal appropria-
ton. as above stated, with appar-
emily the deliberate attempt to de-
ceiye the Legislature"
The committee then deliver
themselves of legal opinion, quot
ing a certain law allowing the Min
lister of the Interior to make eX-
changes, which they proceed to
show is " no warrant " for the &C.
ton taken, this case being excepted
from the law allowing exchanges.
The committee then ask to be
told what necessity there is to
make appropriations - in the inter
est of ministerial frugality or ma
tional economy if the Minister
can increase an appropriation at
will and support his unauthorized
extravaganza by disposing of the
public domain as his fancy, or poll
teal, or personal interest may die
tate"
The committee then proceed
to say that, without the least
hesitation, from q financial stand
point OF otherwise, your committee
are compelled by the interests o.
the State and the stern demands o.
duty to condemn the principle and
ministerial practice involved in thi:
transaction" and recommend the
Legislature to "make an example
Of somebody.
In reply to this formidable ap
pearing charge [ desire to state
That the committee has ignored
misstated and suppressed mate
rial facts, without q knowledg,
Of which no judgment of tn,
transaction can be formed.
The correct statement of tn
facts of this transaction are as fol
lows:
l. When | came into Office, Nh
C. B. Wilson, Chief of the Fire De
partment. Informed me of the he