The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-09-30

.sSfatememt of Facis.'' by Mr.. A. Peatt.
Mr.. EDITOR In last Saturdays Polynesian, the
District Attorney of Oahu, in a somewhat incoherent
g statement of facts,' takes occasion to say that l had
g wilfully, and after repeated notices, violated the
law" SC. I beg leave here to make my { 8 statement
Of facts,' and premise by saying that the Prefect of
Police never gave me warning or notice, but on the
contrary, his conduct from the first was calculated
plainly to intimate that I might go on unmolested.
When about to enter the retail spirit business, be-
fore procuring a license, | sought an interview with
the Project. He told me that the bond required was
the merest matter of form-it never was, nor ever
intended to be enforced. That if he chose, he could
natives. This, OF course, led me to suppose that the
law in question was universally considered a dead
letter, and would never he enforced.
On the LIST of July, 1857, a number of the spirit
licenses expired, and in the new license a clause was
inserted strictly forbidding dances on the licensed
premises. Two of the publicans who had formerly
had 9 balls every night, now refused to take out
license, in the hope of getting the restriction removed
In this, as is known, they were unsuccessful. Some
time in the month of August. the Project of Police
came to me and endeavored to persuade me to allow
my license to be removed to another house, and, to
use his own words he dared say he could make it
all right The object, as l afterwards learned, was
to enable the proprietor of the National Hotel to con-
tinue dancing under nay license, it dating back to the
previous February, and did not contain the new
restriction. ! refused to part with my license, stating
that l intended myself to make use Of the privileges
which it allowed in regard to dancing, and which had
been allowed TO other publicans under a similar
license.
From the time of that refusal commenced the per-
secution against me. Constables were constantly
stationed around and upon my premises. to the great
injury Of my business. One evening in August.
three native soldiers came into my priv ate house and
stated that two others had just received a bribe of
$40 to buy liquor of me. watched, and shortly the
two came IN. They asked for "A half bottle IF brandy
and were refused After trying again, and showing
the ten dollar piece, they commenced creating a dis
turbance, when, upon my showing myself from be-
hind the screen. they ran. L caught one, and had
him taken to the station house, intending to appesr
in tue morning and make a com plant to the Police
Magistrate Ut the system of spying and annoyance to
which | bad been subjected. On going down the
next morning, Jordan the police officer met ME, ard
said 81 had NO occasion to go down--the man had
forfeited his bail and would not appear -, Conment
on this is unnecessary.
The Project continued this course of spyine about
my premises and tampering with those in my enploy,
until by hook or by crook, he succeeded in getting
me fined and eventually ruined.
Even were it acknowledged that I had broken the
law and was Liable to be fined, let me ask was il
because l was q stranger In the place with q large
family to support, that | was marked cut for rum.
while old offenders are neither molested nor apnoved
1t is notorious that every publican in town sells in
drinks to natives, and that, too, as openly
as they do to foreigners, though the quality of the
spirits is vastly different Ii is fresh ia the memory
Of every one that one publican has stood two jury
trials without a result, the object Of suit icing ~ get
from him a share Of the proceeds of n business which
~ayowedly to furnish natives with Intoxicating
drinks, and yet nothing is done with this case be the
official who in mine was SO jealous.
l consider my losses, including interruption of
business, sacrifice of property, &C.. to amount to
about 5000. Including the Incense money, govern
ment has made out of me the SUN Of S14O5. rs.
BY publishing the foregoing you will greatly obliee.
Yours, &C., Arthur PEAu.