The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-02-22

occasion. took me Ia visit the public b~uiliingsi hrs,
We sisitci the Court House. We entered the room
of the petty Court. where the police casss were tried
aud saw some disposed Of The Magistrate was a
man without any osteniation Of manner. who dis
patched the business before him calmly. I MAS toll
that hs predecessor hal been removed for improper
conduct at ala election the King Of kabyla and
the Chief Justice declaring that one who trtei with
the peoples rights at the ballot LoK Was unworthy 10
bc a Judge before them.
We nent visited the room u the Lord High Justice,
b whom I was presented he was a gentleman II
imposing appearance. who inquired eagerly with
reference 10 the news from abroad. expressing the
utmost SYMPATHY for the progress Of Liberty and the
cause Of Justice wherever IL was ia danger. lie al
luded with much feeling 10 the triumph Of COnstitu-
tional Government in America, insisting that man
hood suffrage Was the only true basis u Government.
aud impressed me AZ n man Of sound intelligence. 1
asked my friend IL lac was as bold 10 declare in de
Tense Of political rights and the sanctity Of c~onstitu-
tionalism in Kabyla as in other countries. and was
told that lac was-thnt he was remarkable for his
st'ict adherence to principle. and had once sternly
rebuked an attempt 10 draw from him an opinion
that u new prince could avoid the constitutional linn
tstions Of the Royal authority-that lac avoided all
outside business that he might devote himself more
thoroughly TO hs work. and was noted for the prompt
ness Of has decisions. or the other Judges much the
same was said. and IA tribute paid to their sobriety.
purity Of character and example. OF course the Bar
was necessarily modelled after the Court, and only
persons Of unimpeachable character and record were
licensed to practice. I congratulated my friends
upon their good fortune in the judiciary department
OF their Government. The Police department / found
ably managed, and an efficient organization.
/ was taken TO the Government House, where were
located the offices for the clerks Of departments, and
visited the Home Department. Here | was struck
with the industrious application Of all the persons
about the building. Clerks were noiselessly stepping
from desk to desk attending to their business. | was
Immediately told that ia all the departments the
clerks were not allowed to engage in outside bust
ness. That it had been said that at one time there
was but one drinking saloon in town not directly
controlled by some person enjoying Government
patronage, and the Minister discovered that the
chief clerk had some some one or two under his
management, but he instantly dismissed the party.
i understood that the rule now in Kabyla was to
limit the number of licenses granted, and only give
them To parties of good character who were held TO
n strict accountability, and in order to insure against
undue influence, no Government officer was allowed
to be directly or indirectly interested in one of them.
This rule had been found to serve the interests Of all
parties and the public peace
The other departments consisting Of Finance,
Registry, Law, and Foreign Relations-seem to be
under equally wise rules. In the Department Of
Education I was informed that they were in some
thing of n quandary. Some time previous a church
party, Insignificant in numbers but backed by strong
foreign influence, had claimed that the school DEPART
ment was too much controlled by the dominant reli-
gious sect that had been for years the prevailing
faith Of the people, and it was claimed that they
ought to be governed by a non-sectarian. They sue
cesied in finding a man without religion in the land
to accept the office, but his virulent hatred of the
sect had led him into the opposite extrmee,
and the result was, that with increased expenditure,
but few scholars were in attendance upon the public
schools. 1 learned that the Board who governed the
had determined upon his removal, and
such a reorganization as would bring the children
the schools and remove the prejudices of the
Pleased as / was with all that I had seen, I learned
during my stay in Kabyla to attribute much of the
of the Government to the ruler Of the land,
whose great regard for the welfare of his subjects led
him to require the highest order of administrative
in all the departments, and the close attention
Of all to the good Of the people. Setting aside his
pTeItItnCcS ne nAu regaru 10 the ntneSS OF
persons for Office, and especially demanded for the
people the full enjoyment of all their rights while ex-
pecting from them true allegiance. 1t was said that
he had dismissed n favorite Minister for expressions
showing that lac held the constitutional obligations of
he throne too lightly, and another for using his
journal to insult and abuse a citizen. He
was seemingly determined that his land should be
second to none in the enjoyment of undisturbed con-
- n -.
iestiny they should be fitted for every position events
might assign them. The affection and esteem in
which this ruler was held by both the foreigners and
natives under his sway was his best reward for his
answering and unselfsh fidelity to principle. In
prosperity or in adversely his subjects ever held him
in the highest vcneration he was so jealous of the
of his Government that he would never
,nnction aught that was unworthy of its dignity. and
a pure record in his officials. I found the
roads in the country good-shaded by trees. pro-
by public order-and every facility offered for
he conveyance of produce. A system of rewards
was offered for the best attainments in agriculture.
md for the best scholarship in the schools. The
Is education was so general that the need Of an edu-
,ational qualification was not felt, and the Govern
ncnt always used every excrtion to allow . fair ex-
preston of the popular will. The newspapers were
al independent. as n rule Of the Government was
never to enter into competition with private enter
prise; and the public work in all departments was
by private contracts, offered 10 public competi-
ion; aud no citizen was taxed TO support any publ
,ation against his will.
My visit to Kahyla filed me with respect for the
Sabylians, their institutions and rulers. and being
,ascd upon the true principles of Government. l have
IN iouhf of th,ir stability lef tho Nountrx with ]
he best wishes for Kahyla, and the thought that
'thcr countries might cory its example in many inn
,ortant things. VOYAGES.