The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-08-31
AFTERNOON SESSION.

The House re-aSSembled shortly
after 1:30 P. NJ.
Rep. Wilder presented the follow
ing resolution: Whereas, the Cab
met has shown a lack of ability to
cope with the present and prospective
financial status of the country, and of
executive ability to carry out the laws
for the development and advance
ment of the country; and whereas,
their course has shown lack of sense
of responsibility for the course of leg
islatiOn, and an absence of that lead
ership which is befitting and due
from the Cabinet, and an absence of a
policy of any kind; and in place
thereof they have followed weak,
shifting and vacilating course, dero-
Injurious to the public interest; and
whereas, the administration of the
Police Department of the Kingdom
under the present Cabinet has caused
public scandal; now therefore, be it
resolved, that the House hereby eX-
presses it's want of confidence in the
present Cabinet.
Rep. Wilder-Mr. President, have
not introduced this resolution in the
interest of any person, faction or
party. A similar resolution was in
treduced some weeks ago, that resolu-
ton was laid on the table, but it was
at that time directly understood that
the vote to lay on the table was in
no sense q vote as to the confidence or
want of confidence of this House. [
introduce this to give every member
the privilege of voting as he thinks.
If this Cabinet has the confidence of
the House it is time they expressed
it, that the Cabinet may assume the
leadership of the House that Cab
met should assume. If they have not
the confidence of the House it is time
we had Cabinet that did and have.
l believe that had we had q
Cabinet that had the confidence of
the House, and had they assumed the
leadership as Cabinet should have
done, this session would have been
about over, | wish to state that [
have no ill-feeling personally against
any member OF the Cabinet, but do
feel that they neither have the conf
dence of the House or Of the country.
Noble Cornwell moved the consid-
Grafton of the resolution be deferred
until Monday.
Rep. Ashford supported the resolu.
ton and favored immediate consider
alton. After number of general OBJ
servations he said. 1t is miserable
idea that men who have any intelli-
gence cannot be ready to say yes or
no, after sitting here three months.
Does the hon. Noble wish to give the
Ministry any opportunity for more
backing and filling, TO throw sop
alize the rest of Chinatown, etc.
Is that what he is after? We
have had three months expe-
rience of the Cabinet, and if that is
not enough, the members must have
q big appetite for incompetent Min
listers. It has been evident from the
first day that the Ministry were sim
ply there by sufferance; they did not
possess the confidence of the House,
and do not to-day. 1t seems to me
that the Legislature should be
ashamed of itself for permitting that
group of incompetents to hold Office
as long as they have. This Govern
ment is supposed to be modelled on
the English system. See what they
have done while we have been sitting
here-doing, heaven knows what.
Can it be possible that any member
Of the House will seriously say that
we are not ready to express an
opinion on the question now? We
all know that they are incompetent.
There can, then, be no possible reason
for postponing till Monday, except to
give the Ministers and their friends
an opportunity to make bargains. 1t
is an insult to the intelligence and in
tegrity of the House to make another
opportunity for shuff1ing, backing and
filling. The mover has we'll said that
when the resolution was tabled a few
weeks ago, that was no expression of
confidence in the Ministry. No one
even st that time had any confidence
In the Ministry. It had 10 friends in
the House. The resolution was tabled
for other reasons. 1 criticized the
action of the majority at that time.
did not think it right or just, but it
was understood then that a similar
resolution would be brought in later.
1t seems almost unnecessary to dis
cuss the merits of the resolution. We
all know that it expresses the truth,
and only the truth We all know that |
the Cabinet has failed most conspicu-
ously in its first duty-that of lead |
ing the House. They have simply sat
like bumps on log and drifted. With |
an exhibition of discretion which was
cunning, If not honorable and wise,
they have generally been found voting
with the majority. The chief prin-
ciple with them seems to have been
interest. In spite of humiliation and
defeat when they guessed wrong), |