The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-07-19

istry was bound to thoroughly investigate
the matter for itself. He therefore
seconded the motion OF the honorable
Noble from Hamakua.
Rep. Bush held that there Was evil
dence there which should have enabled
the committee TO bring in u verdict. |
They should either censure the commit |
tee or discharge il and appoint new |
one. 1t was ridiculous To report that |
nobody was guilty, when opium was |
stolen while in the hands of Government |
officials. He was not ashamed to say that |
he believed the Custom House officials |
were guilty. 1t was a disgrace to the |
House ii this scandal was to be slurred |
over
Rep. White moved that the report be
laid on the table and new committee
appointed. The finding of the material
behind the Chinese stores was clue
from which something should have been
gained. Ii the matter was left to the
Judiciary committee it would ferret it
out
Rep. Nawahi, as a member OF the
Judiciary committee. was not anxious TO
take the work, but was confident that, il
the other committee was discharged, the
Judiciary committee would let the House
know next Monday morning, or Wednes-
day at the least, who were the guilty
parties. Ii the Custom Hous- gave re-
ceipts to the Marshal without examining
what they were getting, they should he
held responsible. Why should the chair
man OF the committee have been APP
preached by the Government, when
there were other equally capable lawyers
in town?
Rep. Rosa said they had examined
the Chinese merchants and the owners
of the buildings, without result. The
honorable member for Hilo was a much
older lawyer than he, but never was
success except in the Legislature, and
there he never accomplished anything.
Rep. Paehaole thought the committee
had done great deal OF work. and their
report ought to be accepted and they
discharged. Then the matter should be
referred to another committee tor further
investigation. The House ought to find
out who the worker of miracles was, who
could turn opium into bricks and straw.
The motion to translate and print the
report was a little premature, as there
| might be another report to consider on
| the matter.
Rep. r. w. Wilcox was in favor of ac-
| cepting and laying the report on the
table, and referring the matter further to
the Judiciary Committee. 1t contained
| several lawyers and the chairman (Rep.
kalua) would bring some backbone to it,
| Why hadn't the Government done some
thing before? The Minister of Finance
promised to do something at this late
day. The Attorney-General instead of
doing anything on taking office, had
| gone on a fishing excursion with persons
who had been plotting to overthrow the
Government. By their inaction in the
premises the Ministers were giving
countenance to the unlawful deeds OF
those officials.
Minister Brown called the speaker to
order.
Rep. Wilcox Changing to English)
said be was speaking on point of or
der. The Ministers stood there bare
faced and promised to do something, land
the House had a right to hold the Minis
tiers responsible Resuming in Hawaiian,
the conclusion of the honorable members
remarks was not Interpreted
Minister Brown said that if the honor
able gentleman had been as well ac-
quainted with the usages of polite society
and of Legislative practice
Rep. Wilcox-I am more of gentle.
| ihoh eiibi A 10 lLASCiiSiiSN
Minister Brown have the floor.
say that the honorable member should
have known that the Ministry could moi
; take this matter out of the hands of 8
committee of this House. Now that the
committee has reported, the Ministry i:
free to take the matter under investiga
ton. | desire to have the ruling of the
Chair on this point, whether the Minis
try could take the matter out of the
hands of legislative committee.
President Walker ruled that the Min
. stry could not have done so.
Rep. kalua suggested that two boxe
of the size exhibited could not have hel,
the three or four hundred tins of opium
sent from Kahulu. When the matte
was introduced Noble Widemann ant
! himself had advocated having the inves
: tigation cover the whole kingdom
Opium was dirt cheap on Maui, shown,
that smuggling had been prevalen
, there. He was in favor Of the investiga
! ton proceeding.
Noble Parker supported the motion TO
translating and printing, but woult
! move in amendment that the committe,
be increased to seven members, by tn,
addition of Reps. Nawahi and Kaua.
Noble J. NJ Horner suggested tina
Rep. Bush be added, as that member
had stated how much he could do.
Noble Marsden suggested that, as the
Ministry were willing to take up tn,
! matter, the committee be increased {,
nine, adding the Minister of Financ,
and the Acknowledgement He pro
tested against members OF the Hous,
: clamoring for the condemnation of per
sons without evidence. They forgot tin,
old principle shat it was better for ninety
nine guilty persons to escape than TO
one innocent person to be condemned.
Noble Baldwin said a great deal haC
been uttered that might better have beer
left unsaid. 1t would have only been
courtesy on the part of the House Il
have passed the motion to translate and
print the report. so that members coult
, know of what they were talking before
they discussed the matter. As mem
; Der of the committee he did not think
there was a witness obtainable whose
evidence they did not procure. While
there was ground of suspicion OF collusior
on the part OF officials, he was convinced
+ in his own mind that the head of the
Customs Bureau was to be entirely exon
Grated. Ii the committee could be in
creased by the appointment of members
who claimed ability TO arrive at the bot
tom of the matter in two or three days
he believed that the House could not
take better course taan 10 add those
! members to the committee. Perhaps i
the committee had kept on few week.
or months, it might have found ont the
guilty parties; but he submitted that
from the amount OF testimony obtained
| bo co,n,cittaa had IApo NJ, ~