The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-01-14
HAWAII BEFORE CONGRESS.
REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN
BOTH HOUSES.
Property qualifications for Voters
Regular Territorial Government.

WASHINGTON, December pa
sharp contest will occur in the house
over the legislation for the government
of Hawaii, as the majority and minor
ity of the committee on territories do
not agree as to the form of bill.
Neither do the majority agree with the
report of the senate committee on for
eign relations, although the differences
are not such as to cause great diff
Guilty.
The majority report of the house
committee changes the bill introduced
by Hit only slightly with the eXcep-
ton of the qualifications for senators
and representatives. The property
qualifications are stricken out and any
citizen who is a voter and has been
resident of Hawaii for three years is ell
igiDle to office.
Those who were citizens of Hawaii
on August II, 1898, are made citizens
of the United States. One house will
not be allowed to constitute the legis-
lature in case the other adjourns, nor
will it be necessary to have the sane
tion of three members to introduce
bill i'm the Legislature. The delegate to
congress shall possess the same quail
ficationS as a voter. Bonds issued on
the credit of the public domain shall be
payable in not less than five nor more
than fifteen years. One years residence
The minority report was prepared by
II. B. Ferguson, delegate from New
Mexico, who is a member of the sub
committee. Henry of Texas is also a
minority member, but is now absent.
The report says that the minority is
unable to agree to some prominent fea-
lures of the bill, as introduced and as
approved by the majority of that sub
committee and continued:
1T is important to emphasize the fact
that new territory acquired should be
governed as other territories of the
United States have been from the foun-
dation of the government with a view
to ultimate admission to statehood. Up
on this theory we believe that Hawaii
should be given substantially the same
form of government as has been in 9TH
er territories of the United States; and
! the Importance of this view is increas-
| ed rather than diminished by the i'm
minent Philippine question. Territory
| which we feel is untitled, either from
the character of it's population or be-
! cause of its distance from our shores,
for statehood in the union ought 20 be
| left alone entirely.
! We therefore object to the provi-
| SiOnS of the bill making the supreme
court of the territory of Hawaii judge
| of the membership of the territorial
Legislature of Hawaii. We believe that
|
| the qualifications of it's members.
THE innovation not only fails to pre-
| serve the constitutional Importance of
three great branches of government
executive, legislative and judcial-but
| tends to degrade the court to the leVe
| Of political squabbles and partisan bias
1t tends also to increase the already
dangerous power of the courts in ouI
system of government
I'VE also object to the property quail
ifications for members of the senate OF
the legislature of Hawaii This dis
| qualification also extends to the voters
| for members of that branch of the leg.
islature. This is an innovation recog.
| nizing by law the right of wealth tC
| govern, and is certainly a dangerous
tendency in a republic already threat.
ened by the too great power of concen.
trated wealth.
I'VE think also that too great power
is given to the governor, especially dc
we object to his being empowered tC
nominate part of the judiciary of tha
island for life. We believe that all the
judges as in other territories, SHOULD
be appointed by the president, and from
the bona fide residents of the terrific
ry, for term of four years. If lf,
judges are to be appointed at all they
should be appointed by the Presi
dent"