The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-12-30

HIS MAJESTY gave a reception on Wednesday
evening of this week at IolAni Palace to Admiral
Winslow and the officers of the Flag Ship California.
His Majesty received his guests at Z O'Clock, P. N.
The Admiral spoke as follows:
"Your Majesty 1t is with great pleasure that I
take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to
you for this interview, and on the part of my officers
and myself, | would say that it has given us great
satisfaction to be enabled to visit your beautiful ISL
and kingdom. / cannot fail to see around me great
changes since my visit here some eighteen years ago,
changes that indicate advancement in all that tends
to make a nation great. On behalf of the United
States Navy, l would tender my sincere thanks
for the services so nobly rendered to the officers and
crew of the Sdgiaac, by your Majesty and people"
To which His Majesty responded in a few appro-
pirate remarks, after which the guests partoOk of
an elegant luncheon.
THE GAZETTE On RAME-Ourc contemporary is
eccentric in its management of - selections - as
well as in its original matter. This week, some
very dry and ancient facts about Ramie, cut from
an old California newspaper defunct a numbero of
years ago, is given on its first page in extensO, and
to impart an air of juvenality and freshness, the
editor informs us that he is indebted to a gentle
man of this city for the % interesting account"
That gentleman, owing to a habit that is natural to
an experienced and thorough journalist (Which he
UOoJ PO-CNS-No ohCA W O0 hRlhh66
one of which the Gazette now makes him the father
OF. The concluding paragraph of the article may
be found somewhere else in that paper, the '6bre''
mentioned being next to a case of brains knocked
out very appropriately.
@s- We End the following item of interest in
the S. F. Alta OF the 9th inst.
THE CENTRAL POLYNESIA LAND AND COMMERCIAL
CoMPANY.-A number of prominent citizens have
associated themselves together for the purpose of
Incorporating under the laws of California, a COM
pany under the above title. Its object is the pur-
chase and acquisition of lands on the beautiful
Navigator Islands, and the cultivation, sale or lease
OF the same. The formation there of a coaling sta
ton for the steamers for the United States, New
Zealand and Australian Mail Line is also proposed.
as also the establishment of a Central Polynesian
depot for commercial purposes which would serve
the whole group of Islands. The capital stock of
the corporation is to be 100000, in ii 900 shares of
500 each. Five trustees will he appointed. For
the FIRST three months the following gentlemen, I'M
til their successors are appointed, will act in that
capacity: !. w. Stow. j. b. NJ. Stewart, James
Makee (f Honolulu, one of the largest plantation
owners of the Sandwich Islands). n. B.. Stone and
+. A. Bee. Thus are the beautiful and fruitful is
lands OF the Pacific. gradually and by no means
slowly, receiving the attention they deserve, and
we are glad to note this evidence of the interest felt
in them by leading business men of San Francisco.
THE CALENDAR.-Sunday December 31st, st. Sill
vester, Bishop OF Rome. died 1886. He succeeded
Miltiades in the Papacy A. d. 3l4, and was the first
to introduce pals, corporals, u~nctions, mitres, etc.
Many miracles are recorded of him. Monday, JAN
nary lst, Circumcision. Instituted to commenor-
ate our Saviour's obedience to the ceremonial law
on the eighth day after the Nativity. This feast
was one of the latest introduced into the calendar,
and does not appear to have been observed till
toward the end of the 18th century. Saturday,
January 9th, Epiphany, or Manifestation. On this
day, the wise men of the East. following the guild
ing of a star, found the infant Saviour in a manger
at Bethlehem and there offered him gifts. Accord
ing to tradition, the Wise Men were three kings
Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar. They were later
in life baptized by st. Thomas, and spent their
days in preaching the gospel after their death
their relics were removed to Cologne, and may to
this day be seen in the noble cathedral there. Fol-
lowing this example. the Queen of England. through
the Lord Chamberlain. annually on this day pre-
sents gold, frankinsence and myrrh at the Chapel
Royal, st. James. Until the alteration of the cal
endar in the year 1852, the anniversary of Christ's
birth was held on this day. 1t is also = Twelfth
Day." which is a high festival with young people
not only il England, but in most parts of. Europe
a cake is prepared for the occasion, and the King
is drawn by lot -
Police CoURT.-On Tuesday, the day after Christ
mas, there were six cases of foreigners fined for be-
ing drunk. and not one native. One foreigner for
fast riding, was bailed for 80, which be forfeited.
James Barnes was charged with assault and battery
on All Sow, keeper of a restaurant. Barnes, who
appeared to be an intelligent person, stated that he
had been without food for several days, being with
out money or employment. That he went to the
Chinaman's restaurant and ate a hearty dinner, and
then said that he would pay when he got some
1900 NJ Fill. L. -
and was rather noisy in his demand for pay, where
upon Barnes struck him. In reply to the question
as to how q man of his intelligent appearance should
become so reduced in a place like Honolulu, and
whether he could get no employment by which to
earn a subsistence, he stated that he had been en-
ployed at painting but failed to give satisfaction and
was discharged, and that his present destitute and
degraded condition was attributable mainly to the
use of intoxicating drinks" He was sentenced to
twenty days Imprisonment at hard labor for the as
sault. Naihi, a bright looking native boy, about
thirteen years of age, was charged with being a
vagrant. He had no father or mother and no
friends. He had served out a committal to the Re-
formatory School of two years, and since his dis
charge had been to the Catholic school, until vaca-
ton, when, having no place to lodge. he had slept
on the esplanade amongst the piles of lumber. Sent
to the Reformatory during minority. Robert Win
field was charged with carrying a pistol and with
using threatening language towards several persons.
On the evidence, which was quite conclusive, he was
ordered to be committed until he shall give bonds in
$500 to keep the peace for twelve months.
AN IMPRAorIcABLE LAw.-There is a law on our
statute books entitled can Act TO prevent married
persons from deserving one another" that is pro-
ductive of some amusing scenes in the courts, but
apparently results in no good whatever in the direc-
ton for which it was intended. We will describe q
couple Of cases. On Thursday week. q very pretty
and neatly dressed young native woman was brought
before the Police Magistrate under arrest for deser-
ton of her husband, q respectable looking, middle
..oJ latina Che oonfacoad 20 fha obarra 10 daaar