The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-11
COURT OF CLAIMS DEBATE.
LIVELY TIMES IN COUNCIL OF
STATE.
Members Urge Settlement of Claims on
Original Course.

Almost the entire time of the Council
of State yesterday afternoon was taken
up with discussion Of the Court of
Claims. The matter was brought up
by Mr.. Kaulukou, who moved that the
Achi resolution of last week be taken
from the table and passed. Mr.. Bolte
thought this resolution in it's original
form was hardly the thing, and should
be carefully examined before being
passed.
Mr.. Jones took the floor in his char
acteristic way and opened out on the
Executive. In his remarks his own
ideas with respect to the claims came
cut. At the mass meeting Saturday
night one of the Japanese speakers in
sisted that If the Government was not
legally liable for every fire in China
town 1t certainly was morally liable,
and should pay for every particle of
property destroyed. Mr.. Jones said the
same thing in the Council of State
meeting yesterday He went a little
farther, however, and insisted that
property holders should be remunerat-
ed for loss of rents. When the Govern
ment was ready to consider the moral
along with the legal liability, the
speaker said he would be willing to
consider the matter. Ga
Quite few members had more or less
to say. Replies were made by Minister
Damon, Minister MottSmith and the
Attorney General in support of the pol
icy of appointing a legal court. Mr..
Mott-Smith contended that the tele-
gram from Secretary Hay specified that
the claims be determined upon a basis
of Hawaiian laws. Mr.. Cooper coincid-
ed with his view, and reminded the
Council that it was not within the pow
err of the Executive to change the laws,
or the principle of the laws. Members
of the Council seemed to be laboring
under a misrepresentation in the mat
ter.
Mr.. Damon strongly defended the
course of the Government. He re-
minded the Council that the people
caused the burning of Chinatown. Prior
to the great fire there was a constant,
steady cry from all over the city to
burn infected premises, and more es-
pecially Chinatown. The Council seemed
now to intimate that the Cabinet had
burned Chinatown. Some of the fires
were doubtless illegal; it may be that
all were. That is precisely what it is
desired to find out. If claimant is
dissatisfied with the findings of the
legal court he certainly would have the
right to appeal to the legislature.
Mr.. Bolte presented the following
resolution, which was deferred to this
afternoon for consideration:
Resolved, That it is the sense of the
Council of State that the Hawaiian
Government should pay all just claims
for losses caused by the action taken
by the Board of Health in connection
with the suppression of the bubonic
plague; that is, losses caused by the
burning of houses, furniture and goods
by direct order of the Board of Health,
as we'll as losses caused by the acct
dental spread of fire of January 20, 1900,
and losses caused by the fencing up of
land on which houses have been burn
ed. Further, that the Council of State
most earnestly advise the Executive
Council to appoint a new Court of
Claims of five members, at least three
of whom shall be business men.