The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-04-25
THE SENATE.


cam | rotten9' shouted Senator
Achi in the Senate yesterday afternoon
just before the adjournment of a long
days session-and a laugh went around
that may have been pleasantly acqui-
escent.
The exclamation came in the middle
of a speech brought about through the
desire of Dowsett to take up the liq-
uor bill and pass it on second reading
by title.
"I object to that said Achi. 81
want this bill referred to the Ways
and Means Committee, and will move
that it be so referred. We are abso-
lutely at the mercy of the Governor.
If he says we may make liquor law,
then we can do it. If he says no,
there is no use in wasting our time.
"This bill should go to the commit
tee, and let the committeeman consult
with the Governor and see what he
will permit us to pass. Then let them
report back to us and tell us what we
will be allowed to do.
ARE THEY RoTTEN7
"We have already passed one liq-
uor bill. / worked hard upon that
measure, and the liquor men said, after
we had passed it, that we had done
well. Then, in few days, they turn
ed around and said that the law was
rotten, and the Senators were rotten.
A member of the Lower House said
that the Senate was rotten. The
newspapers say that the Senators are
rotten Now, / ask, am l rottenf Are
we all rotten7"
Cries of ono! No,' and laughter.
81 am not rotten. And l do not be-
lieve that this honorable body is rot
ten, no matter what anybody says. But
/ do not want to pass law that will
subject us to that kind of abuse
again.
The Senator went on to tell what sec
tions in the new liquor law he par
ticularly objected to, and then his mo-
tion to refer was amended by Dowsett
to refer to special committee. This
carried, and Dickey, Dowsett and Ka-
lama were appointed on the committee.
HEwITT's DISCOVERY.
The liquor law had raised a storm
earlier in the day, at the very begin
ming of the session, in fact, because
Hewitt thought he had discovered that
the mistake in the Governor IS veto of
the first bill had caused so much delay
that the bill as first enacted had be-
come law by lapse of time. 1t was
shown however, that he was mistaken
and the veto was sustained, Kalama
and Woods voting against it, and
Brown being excused from voting.
On motion of Bishop, House Bill 223,
the refunding act, was passed, after
Bishop had explained the purpose of it
to refund the old debt of 100000 of
bonds issued under the Republic so as
to save one per cent per annum inter
| est.
Senate Bill 1872, to fix the basis of
values for taxation, on motion of Dow
sett was taken up and read for the
! third time. This is the bill amenda-
! tory of the enterprise for profit law.
The bill passed, only Bishop voting
| against it.
| Senate Bill IA, to provide for the
construction of roads through and from
public lands open for settlement, was
read for the third time. The bill pass
ed without dissent.
AGAINST THE COUNTIES.
The following opinion was received
from the Attorney General and placed
on file:
Honolulu, April 90, 1905.
To the President and Members of the
Senate OF the Territory of Hawaii
Gentlemen: In answer to your re.
quest of April Is, 1905, for an opinion
as to whether the Legislature of the
Territory OF Hawaii has the right
without the approval of Congress tC
transfer the possession, use and con
troll of roads, bridges. waterworks, elec
tric lights, streets, sidewalks and other
, public works from the Territorial gov
ernment to the several counties,
would reply as follows:
The question is most difficult on,
and involves the construction of tha
portion of Section 75 of the Organi,
: Act which, after setting forth the du
/, ties of the Superintendent of Publi
Works, states, "except as changed b.
this Act and subject to modification b.
. the Legislature. The word "modifi
, cation" can hardly mean absolute an
Inhalation as suggested in your com
munication. and while the matter ca
! never be fully settled until our Su