He was one of four men appointed by the king to the Treasury Board in 1842. The Treasury Board was a group of people who established a system of organized bookkeeping, an undertaking which did not had never been attempted before. He was also a member of the Privy Council from 1845 to 1859. The purpose of the Privy Council was to provide the king with the information needed to make decisions. John Papa 'I'i was then appointed to the Board of Land Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles under the Second Organic Law in 1846. He was the only Hawaiian to complete his term on the board. During this period John Papa 'I'i also served in the House of Nobles. He was their representative and spokesperson during the creation of the constitution. He held his position in the House of Nobles until his death in 1870. In 1855 he spent one session in the House of Representatives. «I also worked as a court judge. In 1848 he served as a Superior Court judge, was an associate justice affiliated with the kingdom from 1852 to 1864 as