The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-11-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY,, NOVEMBER II.

ANoNG our weekly notes we publish u brief
statement of the arrest OF W. C.. Jones, Esq,
which occurred last week, under circumstances
which have excited unusual interest in the COM
munity. 1t appears that this gentleman took a
document 10 the Office of the Public Recorder
who prnmi<ad it she'.II - .eIurd.
that in some way the clerk OF the Minister of
the Interior obtained knowledge of the docu-
ment, and showed it to interested parties. Here
was a fragrant violation of official duty. The
Public Registry is a sacred office, and no man
has a right to interfere or obstruct the privileges
it comedies equally to every citizen. y man
may ALLEVIATE all his right and interest to any
and all property he may have, and no govern
ment officer has any right TO interfere or even
know of it until it be recorded. The Queen, if
she chooses. may give all her property into the
care of any one whom she elects, and no person
has any right to know of it until recorded. The
business of the office is pirate and sacred, and
whoever violates that privacy is censurable,
whether il be a clerk or 4 crown Minister.
While we highly respect Messrs. Widemann and
Brown, we feel bound TO publicly censure this
violation Of trust.
To understand the whole of this case. it must
be stated that for several years, Mr.. c. C. IIar-
ris has acted as financial agent of Queen Ka-
lama, and, as is generally believed, with no
authority by power of attorney. She has fire.
quently called for Il statement of her affairs in
his hands, but with no successful result. She
then applied to Mr.. Jones. to eudeavor to obtain
some statement. This gentleman would accept
the service, only under i full power of attorney,
which after having been carefully interpreted to
her, an the presence Of Recorder Bro,en, signed
by her, and certified to by him, was ordered to
be recorded.
The report comes to us, and we believe it to be
true, that Mr.. Harris the Minister of Finance.
and late agent of the ex-Queen. on finding,
through Mr.. Widemann. what was in progress,
prompted the arrest Of Mr.. Jones on the two
warrants referred to. If this be true, it must
be viewed as an arbitrary abuse of power, which
cannot be too severely reprimanded. The dis
missal Of the charges would indicate that there
had been no good cause for the arrest and I'M
~prIsonmeHt. If there has been no cause for i'm
p~risonment, then the liberty of a private citizen
has been violated, and the guilty party, whoever
it may be. should be brought 10 strict account.
The liberty of citizens is too sacred to be thus
trampled on. If the Minister Of Finance can
aAAt>h VI cphtS VI NAEAps tiiIl ~ 4 NM
10 do 50, he can arrest. on a trump charge, any
other person who may chance 10 cross his track.
No man can be arrested and imprisoned, no mat
ter for what cause, real or imaginary, without
it's injurinG his character and reputation.
We consider this as too important a case to be
passed by without notice. Government officers
are only the servants of the people. They are
not placed in power to further the interests of
themselves OF their friends, but to faithfully exc
cute the trusts confded TO them. When they
violate these. they become amenable to public
criticism and censure, and, if need be, TO removal
from Office, for no faithless officer can long hold
his post.
This case affords another lesson of the impro-
priety Of Government officers having business
outside of their Official duties. When the Minis
ter of Finance accepted Office, he should have
thrown up all private practice. 1t is impossible
for any Government officer to continue to serve
interests without sooner or later bringing
them in conflict. 1t should be n lesson. too. to
Of Government not To be too anx-
iOus 10 lend themselves as tools To serve the yri-
yate interests of their suTeriorS.