The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-05-24
COUNCILLORS OF STATE
INTERVIEW WITH SECRETARY
GEORGE w. SMITH.
President w. c. Wilder, =. G. Jones
and Others Lay Down the Position
of the Council.


Council of State at Fridays session
without taking action upon the re-
quest of the Executive for special
appropriation to liquidate the quaran-
tine expenses incurred by the klnai
Maru japanese immigrants, there has
been much said.
Attorney General Smith today gave
out statement to the public which
supports the position taken by Presi-
dent Dole and his Cabinet. While the
views of the Councillors were freely
and clearly presented at the meeting
on Friday, there are published below
the authorized statements of several
of the Councillors, defining the posi-
ton of the Council of State. so far as
they are concerned.
Mr.. George w. Smith, who is secre
tary of the Council. says:
81 did not regard the few cases of
varioloid that broke out among the
japanese immigrants in quarantine in
public necessity for the very reason
that the immigrants had never landed.
It was on this point that the Supreme
Court based it's opinion in the habeas
corpus cases.
'Now, what are the powers of the
Council of State? AS defined in Sec
r. ,.t; ;nl Ln
does not permit the Council to put a
stretched Interpretation as to what
constitutes a great public emergency.
! consider that the cholera plague.
which was right in our midst in 1895,
would come within the meaning of
the Constitution.
"The stand taken by the Council of
State on the bills arising from the
quarantine was quite clear. The
claims of the men who stood guard
and furnished provisions were recog-
nized as being worthy, and it is just
that they should be paid. But the
manner that the Executive desire to
pay them is unbusinesslike and void
of all business principles, inasmuch as
they wished us to appropriate moneys
to be paid out with only possibility
that the money would be returned tc
the Treasury. 1t is a practice that
would not do in my own business
much less where the public funds are
concerned. The statement that the
Council of State had only carried out
"A preconcerted action in the matter
is erroneous. A few of the Councillor.
discussed the question informally or
Friday afternoon while waiting fol
the President to call the Council o.
State to order
Mr.. p. c. jones'
I'm my opinion it would have beer
a dangerous precedent for the Counci
of State to have acquiesced to the Ex
ecutive's request. While the quaran
tine bills must be paid, it was not
matter of sufficient Importance to la.
before the Council of State. The mon
ey could have been arranged for IA
} the bank or by private parties, in m
opinion, and there was absolutely n
need of special appropriation. Tn
Governments creditors might even D
asked to wait while for their none,
Others have done so, and / have don
so. / fail to see where the great pull
lie necessity exists. Mind you, I an
not taking the Executive to task, 70
, | believe that the President and hi
Ministers are honest and sincere !,
their efforts. I think they have mad
mistake in bringing the quarantin
matter before the Council. Still, w
are all liable to make mistakes, and
may be in the case of the Council chi
time. However, / have not change
my opinion a particle, and | beliey
that quite freely stated my views /
the controversy before the Council"
: Mr.. w. C. Wilder, the president {
the Senate, spoke as follows:
, mo great public emergency exist
therefore, to my mind, l cannot sc
why the Council should have voted Il
appropriation. 1 inquired of the A
torney General during the session
5 the Council, if the expenses would M
: have been the same, providing vari,
e loid had never manifested itself. Il
r replied that they probably would NJ
{ have been so great. But here we I'm
g that the quarantine expenses of I'll
japanese immigrants amounts in IL
! neighborhood of $4,000. The big stear
ship Kinai Maru, the vessel thi
! brought them here, was in port an
surely her agents or captain cou'
'' have been made to produce sufficiel
sum of money to cover the amount
). Continued on Page Five.)