The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-10

Prison and is now rented by the prison
authorities for $50 year. II has been
offered them for sale at 81 500.
Senator Baldwin's report from the
Foreign Relations Committee on De-
partment expenses was taken up and
the items passed. The wording of the
item State Entertainments" was
amended to State Ceremonies and En-
tertainments. The appropriation Of
$4,000 for furnishing information
abroad is an increase of $4,000 over
last period. During the period the
pamphlet issued by the Foreign Office
and the edition of Thrum's Annual had
been very generally circulated abroad.
Minister Cooper stated that the ack-
nowledgments of the receipt of the do
cuments had been very gratifying, and
there was evidence that they would be
productive of good to the Islands. 1t
is the intention of the Department to
issue a yearly periodical to furnish
information to people abroad and call
the attention of the various foreign
waii
On motion of Minister Damon an
item entitled Expenses of Coffee Com
ing with it an appropriation of $1,000.
An item of $4,000 for the purchase
and expense of coinage of dimes and
nickels was also added on motion OF
Ministed Damon. The first PROPOSE
tion was to take $25,000 worth of silver
quarters in the treasury and with this
purchase $4,000 worth in dimes and
$4,000 worth in nickels. Minister Da-
mon said that the original amount
in quarters was $125,0 900 against which
there has been issued some $4,000 in
certificates. At the present time the
banks are importing United States
dimes and nickels The dimes are forc-
ing out Hawaiian coin and the result
is that this Government is losing
money by the transactions. If the Gov
ernment should issue the money 1t
would result in a handsome profit.
The Minister said that arrangements
would have to be made with the Sec
retary of the United States Treasury
for the purchase of the coin and this
Government would be charged the bull
lion value. the cost of coming and the
expenses of transportation. 1t could !
easily be seen that the Government
treasury would benefit by it.
Senator Brown thought that an act
of Legislature would be necessary as
it would result in destruction of Gov
ernment coin which the Government
had no authority to do.
Senator McCandless said he would
be in favor of purchasing bullion and
having it coined but he would oppose
the mere exchange of so many dol
lars worth of quarters for the same
amount in dimes and nickels. By such
f,.o,, ton, 1na rrff
to the Government Minister Damon
then stated that by the arrangement
with the Secretary of the Treasury this
Government would pay only the bull
lion value with the various expenses.
The item was then unanimously pass
ed.
In accordance with the recommends
tions of the Committee as reported by
Senator Baldwin, the item of $6,01S to
pay the claims arising from the small
pox quarantine incident of the Japan
ese steamship Kinai Maru which
brought the immigrants, was passed.
Minister Cooper was asked if the De-
partment of Foreign Affairs had nego-
tiated to collect the bottomery bond.
He replied that the Department had
put the bond in the hands of counsel
in japan for collection and that nego-
tiations had been entered into. At the
present time, owing to the controversy
with the Japanese Government, it was
deemed expedient not to press the
claims further.
The owners of the Kinai Maru had
set up as defense that there was no
smallpox brought to Hawaii on the
vessel. They were prepared to prove
their position and could get the whole
ships company to testify in their de-
fense. If the case should be decided
against the Government in the Japan
ese Courts the incident would be closed
and there could be no redress. This
Government now holds the bond and
should the Kinai Maru ever come to
| this port she could be seized.
Two items were added to the De-
partment of Public Instruction Ac-
counts and referred to the committee
having that appropriation under con-
sideration. They were S55.32 for Incl
| dentals and $3.50 for repair to school
| houses.
House bills 9 and II, relating to ap-
peals from the Circuit Court and fix
ing the rate of interest on money, re-
spectively, passed the third reading