The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-06-05
TIE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION.

Vi u ~ tA' pam = NNiA'G 49,
past six weeks is complete, and il
has been laid before the Conven-
ton. We publish it this morning
in full, so that all our readers
throughout the islands may he
enabled to follow the deliberations
of the body which has been sum-
moned to frame the organic law.
The Constitution now drafted
bears upon its face the evidence OF
much study aud thought, and
while it will undoubtedly be modi-
fed in many important particulars,
It viii probably be found that no.
thing has been incorporated in 1t,
without strong reasons. We believe
that a careful consideration and
thorough debate will shcw that
many of the most vexatious pro-
blems confronting Hawaii are here
solved in a mastery manner.
The general framework of the
Constitution is derived first from
that of 1887, and second from the
Constitution of the United States.
In Its essential features, the draft
submitted by the Executive is
re-enactment of the law which the
ex Queen sought to destroy,
modified, of course, to meet the
requirements of the Republican
form. Thus the office Of President
is created, and the powers attached
to it are derived in general from
the Constitution of the United
States.
Briefly stated, the form of gov
eminent is that of a Republic,
with the three divisions of Execu-
tive, legislative, and Judiciary
power, with a President elected for
six years, and a Legislature con-
sisting o. a Senate aud a lower
house, the Senators being elected
for long terms. as in the United
States, and the Representatives
for two years only. In the
distribution of power the regular
canons of representative govern
ment are subscribed to, and no ex-
traordinary powers are vested in
the Executive or the Senate. An
effort is made to give a certain
preponderence to those who have
substantial stake in the country
by placing the election of the
President in the two houses of the
Legislature sitting as one, and by
attaching a property qualification |
to voters for Senators. This quail
fcation is the same as that for |
Noble voters fixed by the constitu-
ton of 1887, except that the in
come qualification is Set at nine
hundred dollars a year. The Pres
ident has the same limited veto as
the President of the United States,
and in general there is a strong
analogy throughout the whole in
strument to the system of govern
ment established by the constitu-
ton of The United States. The
President, however, is not eligible
for reelection for the term imme-
diately succeeding his own, and
this is a safeguard against execu-
tive corruption, which experience
elsewhere has shown to be most
valuable.
Ihe Chlnese question Is disposed
OF, as far as it may be in general
instrument, by Section 8 of Article
|, which permits the Legislature to
provide for the " supervision, regis
tration, control and Identification
of all persons, or any class or na-
tionality." 1t also permits re-
strictious upon the term of resi-
dence and the employments of per-
SONS who may hereafter come into
the Republic. On these particulars
We shall have something to say
later.
The question Of the franchise is
handled with great skill. The
to citizens is in harmony {
with the soundest principles of
olss,a, IL - H. $500 -. A. .