The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-23


w of the House Saturday,
whips yesterday.
The Independent Legislators expect
to make the grand coup today. Yes
terday they We're busted in searching
the Revised Statutes of the United
States, the Organic Act and all other
possible authorities on the matter, and
at night they announced they had
made certain their stand. and that the
Secretary of the Territory would have
| to remove his desk from the floor of
the House and cease reporting the
proceedings.
This morning at 10 o'clock the dis
cussion of the right of the Secretary to
| note the doings of the House viii be
taken up again. On Thursday it was
| tabled for consideration. The Home
Rulers say that they have found in
| the Revised Statutes the duties of sec
retaries of Territories defined exactly
as are the duties of the Secretary of
| Hawaii in the Organic Act, and that
| as the Secretary of no Territory on
| the Mainland occupies the floor of the
House, they will allow no precedent to
be created here. This is their strong
/
they assert that they will play it to-
day to the limit. If Cooper persists,
the legislators assert their ceIermiua-
| ton to have the sergeant -at-arms
| eject him forcibly.
Beckley, the father of the resolu-
| ton to oust Cooper, says:
Mr.. Cooper claims that his in
| structions assign him to duty in the
Legislature. 1 say they do not. 1 ad-
nit that the letter of the law is SO
\ %l,1@ NforaI II
The paragraph in the Organic Law is
a copy of the United States Statutes,
| and these statutes govern Arizona,
New Mexico, Indian Territory and
Oklahoma. In other words, those Ter
! ritories, in so far as the duties and
powers of the Secretary in this regard
are concerned, are in the Identical po-
sition with ourselves. In none or those
| Territories has this monkey-shine been
cut up. Is it possible that an identi-
cal law can give specific power to an
| official in one Territory and take it
| away, or do the opposite, In another?
1t may be that Mr.. Cooper has dis
| covered an intention of the United
/ States Statutes that has not been un-
| earthed before. but l rather doubt 1t.
! They have some pretty bright men in
the Mainland Territories, and it seems
a bit singular that some of their
learned Secretaries of State have not
prior to now discovered that this rath-
was imposed upon them.
Il wish to repeat that / have no
personal feeling in this matter. | have
| no objection TO Mr. Cooper sitting In
the House and having dozen stenog-
raphers there if he desires them. AT
the same time, feel that the dignity
i of the House has been infringed upon,
unjustly and Illegally. Mr.. Cooper has
consented to accept the official journal
of the House to be sent to Washing
dow nd hi n
he will sit in the House to thorough
ly inform himself on proceedings, and
In order to do so win take notes, but
is willing TO submit the journal that
the House has approved as his ofnclai
report That is satisfactory, and the
) first part of il is as the law intended.
But this matter has now gone so Tar
that 1 am not inclined to Withdraw
my resolution except upon one con-
sideration. If Mr.. Cooper VIII get up
!, in the House tomorrow morning and
: admit that he has no legal right there,
that the law does not put him there
and that he is there only by courtesy
of the House, I viii withdraw my
resolution. Otherwise, / viii certainly
let it go to a vote, will do my Level
best to get it through and bide the
consequences"
Secretary Cooper was not in the City
! yesterday. Some weeks ago, after ne
had written to Washington for infor-
q nation as to his duties in the coming
= session of the Legislature, Cooper re-
|. ceived the following telegram from
+, the Secretary Of the Interior:
Washington, d. c., Jan. 80, 1901.
Henry E. Cooper, Secretary Territory
of Hawaii, Honolulu, 81. l.:
(Mail San Francisco, .Cal)
Replying to your letters of 4th IN
slant, have to state Act April 80, 1900,
providing government for Hawaii con-
t templates payment by Territory of
, COMPENSATION of members of Terri
/ torial Legislature. consequently no
= appropriation for that purpose has
g been made by Congress.
, AS to your duties as Territorial Sec
: retary, under Section SO of Organic Act
YOU are required to record and pre-
serve all journals Of the Legislature.
q Each branch of the latter should re-
spectively provide for actual recording
!, of proceedings from day to day.
E. A. HITCHCOCK, Secretary.
The Governors message VIII in all
g probabil be read to the House and
C Senate today It viii occupy two
e hours If read in English and Hawaiian
The dispensary bill. which rids Ha-
lyaii Of saloons. will not come up al
8 once. as it is to be revised trifie.
= The following are the officers of the
II Senate and House as far as chosen:
Senate-Dr. Nicholas Russell, presi-