The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-01-14
NOTES OF THE WEEK.

SUPREME CoURT.-The Court having flushed the
foreign cases brought before it q, this term, a few
remarks touching upon the cases tried, will not be
out of place.
The first case was that of Arthur Alexander,
for setting FIRE to the w~haleship Jireh Siryt. When
asked If guilty or not guilty. he remarked that they
had found him out, (referring to the officers and
crew Of the vessel,) so what was the use Of saying
any more. Plea Of guilty was accordingly entered.
Sentenced to five years Imprisonment at hard labor.
Next Ahoo, a Chinaman, was charged with bur.
glary. Plea, not guilty; whereupon the case went
to trial, and he was found guilty and sentenced to
five years at hard labor.
The next case was that Of James c. King, for
an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon
upon the person of Capt. wm. Stott. Plea. not
guilty. The jury not being able to agree. (eight
being for conviction and four for aceuital, as We
understand,) On Monday morning the Attorney
General moved the trial on anew, during which the
defence brought new evidence forward. The jury,
after abou, an hours absence, returned with a verr
dict Of guilty, signed by eleven jurors with an ear
nest recommendation of the prisoner to the mercy of
the Court. Monday at u NJ. the court room was
filed with a large audience, it being the hour fixed
for the sentence of Mr.. King.
The Attorney General remarked. that in moving for sentence
in this case, he took pleasure in secouding the recommendation
OF the jury, to the extent OF suggesting to the Court that the i'm
Prisonnent might be made nominala and the public good he there
by subserved. With regard to the amount Of the fine he would
not say anything-that The object of this and all prosecutions
was to give the public a sense OF security, and to remind all
lers0ns that the law was supreme, and TO that every one must
appeal as the rectifer of their private wrongs. IL has been q
long time since there had been occasion for prosecution for using
a pistol, and that il was q habit into which young men some
times fall from Ilisjadged notions. and he had but little doubt
that the trial would be a salutary lesson TO all such, and be adj
vantagous TO the community. Ii appeared from the testi-
mony that these parties maintained the relationship Of father
in-law and son-in-law, and undoubtedly the jury had believed
that there were greatly irritating circumstances that he
was aware the. arraigned has a young family which he is en-
length OF Imprisonment would break up business and only bring
strongest interest and he ventured to observe that it was
somewhat of a mitigating circumstance when men OF compare
lively advanced years commence a violent and passionate al
tercation with much younger men, it being undoubtedly the
duty of mature years to set an example OF sen-restraint.
The Court then proceeded to deliver sentence,
which was, that Mr.. King be Imprisoned for one day
and pays fine of three hundred dollars.
- Concluding We would remark, that the verdict
must strike all, after the mature reflection which the
case demands, as eminently just and calculated to
nip in the bud the pernicious habit of carrying
weapons, and of ENGRAVING upon US one Of the evils
so prominent in some countries. The use of deadly
weapons is getting to be of frequent occurrence
among Hawaiians, and we have no doubt that had
the case under consideration been allowed 10 pass un.
noticed b. the officers of justice, the effect would
soon be noticeable, and feel convinced that oil law
loving and law abiding people will endorse the
course of the jury and court.
ELECTION RETURNs.-The reports of the election
for representatives on the other islands come in
slowly. Since our last issue We have the report Of
the election at Koolauloa on Oahu, where Mr.. j. W.
Mukalena was chosen. The following were the can.
didates and the votes polled
- w MaksI.ns go