The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-04
THE COMING LEGISLATURE.
HOW THE LAW MAKERS WILL
ORGANIZE THIS YEAR
Two Majority Parties Looking to the
Democrats for Omcers-wW sit 900
old Rooms.

The Legislature win meet on Febru-
AIRY 20. Under the law the session viii
last three months, but may bee extended
/ thirty days more upon the order of the
Governor. The House will meet in the
old throne room and the Senate in the
hail upstairs formerly occupied by that
| body. Forty new desks have been
purchased I'm the East for the use of
members and are supposed TO be now
on the way.
There has been considerable specula-
/ ton as TO who the officers of the two
| houses will this year be. no is general
/ ly understood that John T Brown of
/ Hilo viii be president of the Senate.
/ He is Democrat but had the assist
auce OF Independent votes iu his cleo
ton. Just who will De speaker of the
/ House is problem. John Emmemth
was selected and endorsed by am par
ties concerned, but ne declined for the
/ reason that he wishes Go do "a great
/ deal of work on the floor 10 was then
/ thought by some of the INDEPENDENTS
/ TO name S. w. Wilcox. "a Democrat. of
/ Kauai but peculiar idea has arisen
thaJ he viii vote with the Republicans
J i'm the Legislature and that parity
wishes his conservative influence ON tho
/ hour at any rate. So far as the Demo
Gratis are concerned they are not strong
house and do not care " AN of their
men otiiciate ass ch3umcu.
The Republicans are guarding against
getting any of their men u the chairs
| as they want them AN for fighting pur-
[ poses ON the floor Tt is UNDERSIGNED
! that the Independents have been inn
/ pressed with the same idea. That us
/ the reason both sides are looking to-
! the Democrats to mn the offices Aside
| from the two men mentioned. however.
! the Democrats have not another that
/ is sufficiently conyersant with the Eug-
/ ltsh language to- make him suitable for
presiding officer
/ The scheme this year viii be to meet
/ at 10 o'clock I'm the morning The
/ houses VIII organize separately and
/ then inform the governor thar they are
] ready for business. Copies of the mes
sage will be submitted and read before
J each. In all probability adjournment
/ Will then be taken to the next day
( when business win at once be tackled
/ Each house will have a clerk and SER
geant at arms. All of these win prob
ably be native Hawaiians One appli-
/ cant for cierkshin lis a native news
paper man of ability and he win prob
ably be chosen.
The annual reports of the different
/ bureauN viii not be issued this year un-
/ til the Legislature meets. They viii
/ be received from time to time by the
/ Governor but win not be given out
/ This is a new wrinkle. and viii rob
legislators as well as the public of in
/ formation concerning what has been
/ going on until the very last minute.
There viii of necessity be some very
marked difference of methods and pro-
( cedure between this legislature and the
/ legislatures under the monarchy and
the republic. Probably the most inn
/ pOrtant of these will grow out of the
fact that the executive has now no
voice or controlling influence i'm the
/ legislature. The legislature, or rather
I the senate has some voice in the exc
Z cutVe through its right to confirm or
TO refuse to confirm appointments, but
the executive is absolutely shut out of
the Legislature. except that the COVER
nor may send such communications or
recommendations to it, as he sees fit
and the legislature, or either house may
ask the governor or the heads of de-
partments for information regarding
public affairs. Under the republic the
ministers We're eX-oficio members Of
each branch of the legislature with all
the rights and powers of members eX-
cept the right to vote. They could in
troduce bills, and as a matter of fact
did Introduce most of the bills relating
to the general course of executive gov
eminent. The Budget, or revenue bill
was always introduced by the minis
ter of finance, and the bills on this sub
ject which he introduced We're always
looked upon as government measures,
and as such were expected to be sup
ported in debate by all the members of
the cabinet.
In the legislature of the territory,
however, no member of the executive
department will have a seat or a voice
in either branch of the legislature.
Every bill, including the budget, will
have to be introduced by some member
of the Legislature. The governor or
any head of a department cannot intro
duce a bill or measure of any kind,
though of course any of them, like
any private individual, can frame bill
or measure and then get some mem
Der to introduce it, if they can find any
member who will
Thus the distinction between the leg
islative and the executive departments.
which is one of the marked features of
the system of government in the United
States and in the several states is in
troduced into this territory.
The legislature will itself have to
frame the budget as well as all other
measures.
The senate, in addition to its legis-
latiVe duties, will have the right to
I confirm or reject such nominations to
territorial offices as the territorial act
provides shall be confirmed by the SEN
ate. All the principal officers appoint
ed by the governor at tne time Ol Tue
organization of the territory will have
to have their names submitted to the
senate by the governor for confirm
alton
In short the position of a member OF
the territorial Legislature is in many
respects more important than the posi-
ton was under the republic, because
the Legislature will have neither the
assistance or the restraint on its indie
pendent action that the legislature OF
the republic had through the fact thai
the members of the cabinet had seats
land the right of debate i'm each house
THREE MONTHS OR MORE,