The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-09-30

it if their king had his hands tied. and
was made a simple figurehead. He ought
TO be demonstrated with, and asked TO
step down and out, but not made figure
head of. Some people will try to draw
comparisons with England. But they
are differently situated. In the United
States, where every one is equal, the
President has ten times the power OF our
king. He simply has to sign what the
Ministers tell him, Ike a mental OF
theirs. He has no power and no indie
pendence.
Rep. Waipuilani said the Government
had three branches; the Legislature was
only one. 1t could not pass any law con-
trary TO the Constitution. Every men,
Der OF the House had taken an oath TO
the Constitution, and the oath was sacred
and binding-not like the old oath which
our ancestors used to make TO Pele or the
shark god. and get rid of it when they
liked by cooking and eating taro leaf,
and going through some ceremony. We
CAN'T strip ourselves of the oath as our
ancestors stripped themselves of theirs,
but we are bound by them. This Act
provides for certain number of dele
gates to come here and make a new
Constitution. Have we the power? We
are bound to this Constitution, and it
provides how we must proceed If we wish
changes. think we are bound by that;
we must follow the methods which the
Constitution itself provides. Now as to
the way the present Constitution was
obtained. 1t has been stated here that
it was obtained at the point of the
bayonet by few foreigners. | should
not approve of this, but | doubt if all
these things took place; and even if it
did it makes no difference, because we
and the people have sworn to support it,
and are bound to the compact between
the King and his people is complete.
The time to object would have been
when the Constitution was promulgated.
The old Constitution was old-fashioned,
not suited to the new times This was
what the King said shortly after the new
Constitution was promulgated He said
the old Constitution was like the XII
sandals the people used to wear; the
new one like shoes. He said this to a
delegation of Hawaiians which waited
on him at that time. 1t has been stated
here that this demand for a new Consti-
tuition was the voice of the united people.
Now took the trouble to count all the
names, and they are less than 5000.
| took those from Kona and found a
great many of the names were those of
non-voters or minors. Thus it appears
that the demand for a new Constitution
is very far from being the voice of the
people. The last census shows that
there are about 10000 Hawaiians in the
Kingdom, and there are about $4,000
qualified voters. Are, then, about 1000
petitioners-many of them minors and
non-voters-a majority of the people?
In this country we have two parties
both calling for necessary amendments.
These necessary amendments am pre-
pared to support, but not to do away
with the whole Constitution with one
wipe l represent the district of Kona,
and know what my constituents want,
and am here to carry their wishes out,
no matter what is said on the street
corners. l consider it my duty to sup
port the majority report, and postpone
the bill.
Minister Brown-Shortly after the
Ministry took office, it was asked to
define its policy. Among other things,
we stated that we were pledged to pre-
serving the independence of the. King
dom. We are about the only group left
LA tAlC L dCkhC IAOc tohCA P>oSCoClOh Vi Ny
one of the great Powers. Now, Mr..
it behoves us to be circumspect If we
We know that we are watched by foreign
to save ourselves is to show that we are
a law-abiding community, respecting our
Constitution. 1t was stated last week on
~. a. kl4A
tives had interfered with the Executive.
So far as we know, that is absolutely I'M
true. They have certain guaranteed
rights, and have confined themselves to
their exercise 1t is very true that we
are watched by foreign powers; but who
can blame these powers after the in
cendiary and demagogic speeches which
have been made on the floor of the
House. If the occasion should arise,
which God forbid, they would protect us,
and they are here for no other purpose.
This country, like all countries, has its
enemies and its worst enemies are found
in the ranks of its own people. hope
and trust it is only from mistaken notions
that they so act. / would not attribute
sinister motives, but hope to ascribe
their conduct to ignorance, and not
malice. Nevertheless, the fact remains
that in consequence of these utterances
the Powers think it necessary we should
be protected by foreign vessels. This
state of affairs has been brought about
largely by an insane agitation against
our present Constitution. No document
is without its faults, but the excellences
OF this instrument far outweigh its de-
fects. Look at the power which His
Majesty once possessed of appointing
half the members of the House. Would
gentlemen who are here be there if that
arrangement persisted? Rep. r. w.
Wilcox wanted to know how it was in
England?l l am not responsible for the
English Constitution. Another Article
not universally approved is Article Xxx,
which prevents members of the House
receiving lucrative Government posi-
tons. It has been said that President
Cleveland was honored for the enemies
he had made, and / think to apply that
text to the Constitution, it must be
equally good. 1t seems very strange to
me that no battle cry of new Constitu-
tuition was heard at the last election. 1t
was not mentioned, and the winning
party, in their platform, distinctly con-
dennis such proceeding as this. There
has been an election held during our
tenure, but this was not mentioned. No,
Mr.. President, this has been an after
thought of those who thought they would
be helped with Offices, and have their
insatiate appetites for the loaves and
fishes grstified. We hear that is going
on now You vote for this, and l vote
for that. As it is now II O'Clock, move
the Committee take a recess. Carried.
Afternoon Session.
The House re-assembled at l :35.
Minister Brown stated he would re-