The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-05-24
QUESTIONS COOPER's STATUS AS
GOVERNOR.
Tables a Message from Him Till Ques-
ton is Settled-The Oahu Railway
Subsidy.

The House this morning laid a COM
munication from Cooper on the table,
on the ground that his standing as act
ing governor was doubtful
The communication from the acting
governor similar to the one sent to the
Senate, recommending the floating of
SI99, 900 worth of bonds of the Republic
was read to the House. Emmeluth OF
fered the following resolution:
In view of the fact that the autho
Tity of the Secretary of the Territory to
act as Governor, has been questioned,
and is now before the courts of the Ter
ritory to determine, that until such de-
termination the communication from the
Acting Governor be laid on the table"
Kaniho said that it was not for the
house to determine Lne status of Cooper.
They were here simply to pass favor
ably or unfavorably upon the matters
brought before them for consideration
Emmeluth in reply, criticised the po-
sition taken by the Attorney General.
Kaniho said that when Acting Governor
Cooper signed the appropriation bill
for 100000, thereby allowing the MEM
bers of the House to secure the mileage
to say nothing of their salaries, the
Cooper was not brought into question
but since the money had been jingling
in the pockets of the Representatives
for few days. they began to question
the right of the position of Governor
DoleS substitute. Upon a vote being
called for the letter of the acting gov
ernor was laid upon the table.
Hoogs suggested, amid much laughter
that the members pay back into the
public treasury the salaries and mileage
that they had previously drawn.
A communication was read from the
Oahu Railway and Land Company ask
ing for the payment of a subsidy grant
ed by the government some ten or ele-
ven years ago
The letter read as follows: g.
Honolulu, May % 1901.
To the Finance Committee, House of
Representatives of the Territory of
Hawaii.
= GENTLEMEN: We beg to call the
attention of your honorable committee
to the inclosed statement of subsidy to
which the Oahu Railway & Land Com
pany is entiLIed, and which becomes due
during the current biennial period, the
amount OF which is $79,S0J.
THE wisdom of the Legislature of
1890 in granting this aid to the o. r. &
l.. Co.. has been fully justified by the
vast amount of taxable property which
has come into existence through the
construction of this road. The road
would never have been built without
the subsidy If it had not been built
the Eva and Waialua districts would
| have remained undeveloped at the pres
| ent time.
The question before your honorable
| body at the present time is not, should
the subsidy have been granted, but
| shall the default be made?
THE credit of the government was
pledged to assist in the construction of
this railroad. Bonds were sold and
| purchased by the public and obligations
were entered into on the faith of this
undertaking on the part of the govern
ment The subsidy therefore became a
| part of the national obligations stand
| ing exactly in the same footing as the
national debt. Default cannot be al
| lowed to take place in the payment OF
the one, any more than of the other
without impairing or destroying the
credit of Hawaii.
I'VE therefore beg to sibmit this mat
| ter to your attention in order that the
proper appropriations may be made
and to prevent any default through
oversight.
Respectfully yours,
"HATCH & SILLIMAN,
Attorneys for o. r. & l.. Co"
The letter was laid upon the table
to be considered by the Finance Com
mittee.