The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-06-16
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THuRSDAY LINE IG.

Y, JUNE 10:
LITTLE is as vet known by the public of the
important changes in the fundamental laws of the
kingdom, made in the new Civil Code. At yari-
Gus times. before the session of the Legislature as
well as during it, we urged the publication of
the Code, in order that the changes proposed
might be discussed and viewed in all their prac-
teal bearings. In SO important a matter, it can
not be expected that the wisest of minister's, or
legislators, can frame laws free of faults, without
the advice and counsel of those whose whole lives
have been devoted to the investigation of certain
principles embodied in those laws. For this rea-
son alone, we sought its publication. Yet, from
first to last, every proposal to have it made pub
lie has been overruled, and the probability now
is, that the time set by the Legislature for this
important instrument to 90 into force and become
a law, will have passed before it has been made
fully public. The mere publication of detached
sections, pages or chapters, isnot a full compliance
with the intent of the law the Code must be
50 promulgated by publication in one or more
newspapers as a whole, before It's provisions
can be construed obligatory or its new enact
ments enforced.
The official organ made what is claimed as an
official publication of the new Tariff, in which
only a portion of the important changes made in
the Tariff is set forth. Now is this fair, honora-
BILE or just? Is it right that a partial or garbled
notification be made, and important clauses sup
pressed or not made public? We think not, and
we think that the Minister of Finance, as well as
the other heads of the Departments, ought to
make some move towards the PRONUNCIATION con-
templated in the Code itself. The mere publica-
ton of the Code in book-form, which is being
hurried forward as speedily as possible, is not all
that the law requires, nor is it all that the in
terests of the public or the Government require.
In the provisions relating to the new tariff,
two very important changes from the old law
have been made, either of which are of consider
able consequence to importers, and ought to be
known by them. The first relates to transit du-
ties on foreign goods, which, on all amounts
under one thousand dollars, are to be raised to
t,ro per cent. The old rate is one per cent. We
quote the new law:
"SEcTIox 562. There shall be a transit duty of
ONE PER CENT. ad r~aiorem, charged upon all foreign
goods or products transhipped in this kingdom, where
the value exceeds one thousand dollars, and TWO PER
CENT. upon all smaller amounts; provided, however,
that no transit duty shall be charged upon the pro-
ducts Of the whale fishery"
The other refers to duties on goods and liquors
exported from the kingdom. By it the duty ON
foreign goods exported, which is now one per
cent, is raised = t,oo per cent. The following is
the law
"sEcrIoS 563. All goods other than liquors, i'm
ported into this kingdom, shall, upon expectation, if
the invoice cost thereof shall amount to at least two
hundred and fifty dollars, be entitled to a drawback
equal to all the duties payable on such goods, except
TWO PER CENT. ad ralorem; and all liquors exported
shall be entitled to a drawback equal to thrce-fourths
Of all the duties payable thereon provided, that no
goods OF liquors shall be entitled to drawback unless
the same are exported in the original packages, and
shall have been stored, and remained in the public
stores, under the charge Of the Collector of Custom.'
The above is certainly q singular law. To UNI
derstand it, operation, we must state that the
duty ON spirits will be three dollars per gallon !.