The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-05-06

magnificent Jealous, has not Deen oDser'eu ny
our government officials with that degree of at
tention which would seem appropriate.
/ a civil GrowI from 81 Canine.
Mr.. EDITOR Although but a canine, L have a
grievance to lay before the community, IN the hope
that reform may be brought about. My feelings have
been sadly injured. 1 have seen members of my
race dragged ruthlessly through the streets, confined
for a time, then shot, and then shamefully dragged
through the town on a hand-cart, their gaping
wounds exposed to the curious gaze of vulgar bipeds-
You can perhaps imagine how my heart-strings were
wrung, and will be lenient in your judgment If my
well-meant bark should degenerate into q sullen
growl. l have since ascertained that my own exemp-
ton from a similar fate was owing entirely to a
small piece of metal, covered with strange hieroglyph-
les. which nv considerable owner had placed upon
my collar. If 1 was at all like some of the higher
order of animals, 1 might perhaps complacently lick
my chops, or stroke my beard if l had one, and say
that the misfortune of others was no affair of mine,
but l cannot be so heartless. l have consulted u
friend, who has read o little law, and find that the
killing before mentioned was in accordance with the
strict letter of the law, Uery promptly executed. So
l have no grounds for an action before the Courts
but [ can find fault with tax assessors, or tax collec-
tor, or both. | find that the assessors, by the letter
and spirit of the law, should have had their returns
in the Finance Office by the first day of September,
but they failed of their duty, and only passed in
their books on the second day of January, following.
Was any one called to account for this breach of
law? Some may ask-What has this to do with
your casei | will tell you. If the books had been
in the hands of the Collector when they should have
been, he would have made his collections during the
fall, when money is in the hands of all classes, and
many a biped who had no money in January could
have paid his tax and saved his dog. Thus you see
the failure. to observe the requirements of the law in
this respect has caused the .untimely death of many
of my race. | have looked askance and whetted my
teeth at those assessors, often. but they are too heavy.
Now for other breaches of the law. About gam
bling, the law says { Whoever by playing at cards,
or any other game, wins or loses any sum of money
or thing of value, is guilty of gaming Now l know,
and SO do you, that gambling is common in
this city. If the letter and spirit of the law were
observed in this respect, my friend of the Police
Court would handle more money in fines, than they
handle mt the bank or, if imprisonment was de-
cided on, what ii lot of heightened citizens would be
pushing mud cars across the esplanade Occasion
ally | see an item in the other paper about the police
making u raid on a number of natives or Cinnamon
who sit down to ape the manners of their superiors,
the only difference being in the amount of the ''ante.''
By the way, Mr.. Editor, why do they say ''ante %
Is it because they have to 'tpungle down u before
the game is madea Excuse the dispersion, and let
US return to n a, ~ bone.
1 go to see ny I'd (. Cum - once in a while.
and 1 have there seen a member of the police-per-
haps the identical one that raided on the Celestials
putting up q half dollar with other bipeds, and
shaking dice to see who should have the lottery
Now, " it seems to me-" as my friend the
General says, that this little game of my
star - friend is covered by Sec. l, Chap. AZ,
quoted above. But | could not feel so very indignant
him, for have L not seen some of his superiors
IN rank, from the highest to the lowest, at the other
around the corner, where the buggy with the
span of bays stands so much during lottery times,
shaking dice, with the stake openly placed upon the
able l have thought if the police were to Sc raid -
Ipon that house they would bag big game-some too
arge for their net. Then, again, ii they are spelling !
or a raid, why not visit the Clubs, where they play /;
or & only a quarter a corner,''-like the g mokes - a
md heather Chinee - before alluded to,-what a
lice lot they would bag to be sure This kind of a
: raiding" would be highly advantageous to the !
exchequer, for the game trapped would 5
ome down literally with bail, 8 and no questions t
So much for gambling. c
Now for another common vice-Drunkenness. :
zee. 1. Chap. 30, says " Whoever is found drunk |
any street, road, or other public place, from 1
he voluntary use of any intoxicating liquor, shall,
n the first conviction for such offense, be punishtd
y a fine net exceeding six dollars &c., &c.
When the police make a scoop with their net. they
oubtless catch a goOdly number of inebriates, but
is a matter of astonishment to maUy how some
fish get through the meshes. | say it g more in
PROV than in anger" that one distinguished indi- Il
idual is too often seen upon 6 any street. road, or
public place. in a condition that would war 81
ant arrest for drunkenness. With such a prominent
xaDnpIe before Luem, Is IL 10 De wondered at that =
consume more intoxicating drinks than
yer before, in spite of the noble work done by the
Good Templars." =
One more growl, and | will rest my case. Sec. 9
hap. SO, says: 1.-The Lords day is taboo all
Orldly business, amusements and recreation are q
rbidden on that day and whoever shall keep open
is shop, store, warehouse, or workshops = = = +
TALL be punished by fine not exceeding ten dollars"
the g raiders of the police force will keep on the n
promptly enforce the letter and spirit of this n
W, what IL number of KS they will he the means "
adding to the public crib not to say anything of
e gain in public morality,-seemingly a secondary
nsideration nowadays. If the d" stars - will Just u
volve around a certain club house on most any
Lords day. they will make a haul. The one I
OF of is where the legend is common that a member
the Judiciary, (f high rank, again) played bill r
the live-loDg 90 Lords day. and far into the =
ght perhaps to give evidence of his endurance,
+, possibly to show his contempt for the law he has n
to maintain. Here, again, we have the force
example.
Since the steamship lines have made this q port of
Ii, too many of the wholesome restraints which
as a barrier to vice have been ruthlessly
oxen down. Some say it is a work of necessity to
lade and coal steamers arriving on the Lords day.
that a whole community should be incon-
nienced for a few gentlemen who own a steamboat.
the first occasion of a steamers arriving on the
I'd 8 day, if the above quoted law had been enforced
cording to its letter and spirit, the gentlemen who
n steamboats, would have SO timed them that they
uld have arrived upon some other day. The
latest good of the greatest number should be the
D of laws.
And now one word to our law officers. Enforce
laws you find upon our statute books. without
r or favor. This is your duty. And if the laws
unjust, or prejudicial to the best interests of our
immunity, let the people, through their representa-
IS, amend or repeal them. WOODEN.