The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-03-21

| Stltuleu. Article 81, section L, says!
There shall be Council Of State Of
fifteen members, five of whom shall be
elected by the Senate, five by the House
of Representatives and five appointed
by the President with the approval of
the Cabinet"
With regard to the powers Of this
body, the constitution has this to say:
Section 1.-THE Council of State may,
upon the request Of the Executive
Council, appropriate moneys, when,
during the time intervening between
the sessions of the Legislature, the
emergencies of war, invasion, rebellion,
pestilence or other great public neces-
sity shall arise"
Under this section the Council has
been within its distinct prerogative of
voting public money-luckily the
treasury had thunder the word pesti-
lence. The present appropriations being
made by the Council of State are being
made under the words, cor other great
public necessity"
Now, whether the trainers of our con-
stitution or President Mckinley, inter
pref the words, "or other great public
necessity" to mean the ability to vote
two years appropriation ahead, The
Star knows not. That is not the inter
probation it bears to the ordinary
reader. That there was necessity to act
in this way from Washington, one can
understand. Money had to be spent,
and public money can only be spent
legally. The order which was in the
Presidents hands, undoubtedly gave
authority which no one can challenge,
for appropriations to be made. But
was that order for two years appro-
priation, in face of an imminent vote
for organization in Congress. The tele-
gram does not bear this Interpretation.
The following is the telegram.
1.-THE President does not consider it
wise to reconvene the old Legislature,
| expecting the Council of State to pro-
vide for the requisite expenditures until
Congress elects (enacts) the Hawaiian
| Territorial Bill. He approved Act l of
the Council of State. JOHN HAY"
1t will be noted that the telegram says
requisite expenditures" and is distinct
in pointing out that those expenditures
are to be until Congress enacts the
Hawaiian Territorial Bill" Evidently
President Mckinley did not contem-
plate two years appropriation.
To The Star matters of constitutional
principle are vital. 1t matters not who
does the wrong, it is ready to say who
has done it. On the other hand, it is
/
events which do not agree with theory.
But whatever side it supports it must
be convinced of the rectitude of the
cause. With regard to the present ques-
ton it made be well to call attention to
the second paragraph of section 6, ar
ticle 81, of the before quoted constitu-
ton, under which all our present legis-
lative proceedings are going on. 1t
says:
I'm case of such appropriation, the
Minister of Finance shall render a de-
tailed account of the expenditures made
under such authority to the next regu-
/ lar session of the Legislature"
! This is really a charming PROPOSE
ton under present circumstances.
When the next regular session of the
Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii
meets there will be no Minister of FL
nance to report since his functions will
have ceased to have any existence.
| The position of the present moment
is a very serious one and fraught with
| serious consequences to ourselves. The
| dearest right to the Anglo-Saxon is,
through its proper channel of voters,
to control the expenditure of it's gov
eminent. Its government may make
mistakes, but it must spend it's money
properly and in accordance with the
views of those who have the supplying
of it. The question one would like to
put is how many people are being today
represented in the Council of State?
The Council of State is not a represen-
tative body, and under those circum-
stances, it behooves it to be extraordi-
narily careful, and to be very chary
of authorizing things, much more than
few months ahead.