The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-07-07
THE SESSION.

been annexed by this time, or we may |
be annexed i'm day or two, and what !
ever form of government the United |
States decides to give us we will have |
to accept. Most probably we shall be |
annexed as a territory, and in that |
case we shall have a territorial leg |
islature. In that case there will be |
strong party lines drawn, and we
shall affiliate with the great parties !
of the United States.
1t was but natural that the session
that has just been concluded should be
in a great measure an unsatisfactory
one. 1t met when the fate of the
country was in the balance as it
We're, and the sense of unrest has been
felt by every member more or less.
The members discussed and passed
bills which they knew would be use
less if annexation came, and as that
consummation stared them in the face
throughout the whole session. it was
natural that it should have its inev-
liable mental effect.
The commencement of the session
was marked by two determined as
saults upon the Constitution, but both
were beaten, and those who proposed
them and hoped to carry them
through are probably now satisfied
that it was better, by far, that they
should have failed. That there will
have to be amendments should this
country remain Independent is I'M
doubted, but then this country is not
going to remain independents; it is
going to be a part of the United
States, and it was sheer folly to set
to work to tinker up something that
might have been swept away at any
moment during the last six months.
A large number of legal bills were
brought forward and passed. I'm
doubtedly these were necessary and
will hold good under any circumstan-
ces. These emanated either from the
Attorney General or from the legal
members of either Senate and House,
and as such were well and carefully
drawn.
The battle of the income tax was
fought hard. 1t met with strong OPP
position in both houses and was fin
ally knitted in the Senate by one vote.
But the work against it was carried
on not only in the two houses, but
outside influences were brought to
bear, and its defeat was really due to
n person who should have been its
friend. Vanity over the authorship
of Schedule f had a great deal to do.
with the defeat of the income tax bill,
The opium bill was another matter
which was much discussed both in and
out of the Legislature, The Senate
passed it, but when it came to the
House it was eportedDadversely upon
by the committee, and its inherent de-
fects and viciousness were shown. 1t
was killed on second reading, and
those who helped to kill it may be
proud that they did at least one good
deed during the session.
The Audit Act, which has been, in
some form or another, under consid-
Grafton for two sessions now, was
brought in in such form and so shaped,
that it seemed satisfactory and be-
came law While there has been no
dishonesty among our government Off
Gals, there has been great deal of
very careless bookkeeping, and lose
ness in dealing with cash, notably in
one or two departments to which at
tention was called by the committees
appointed This will be remedied by
the changes to be instituted under the
Audit Act.
At the very last of the session the
rapid transit bill was got through
This is local to Honolulu, but is of in
terest to all who visit the capital. It's
passage will result in a better means
of transit, the present public convey
ances being antiquated and poor, in
fact, being a blot upon an otherwise
up to date city.
The main interest in a session cen
tiers upon the appropriation bills Lib
eral appropriations have been made
for carrying on public works and es-
pecially for opening out new roads in
the other Islands. At one time it
seemed as if these appropriations
were unduly swelled, but in the con-
ference committees between the two
houses they We're pared down so that
the proposed expenditure on current
account will not exceed the income.
What the country should strive af-
ter is to curtail its army of officials.
Mark Twain's remark about the ma
chinery of the Great Eastern to run
a sardine tin, has great deal of truth