The Hawaiian gazette., 1872-08-28

are enacted to apply to all cases arising
under this Act.
The Act to further define contracts is
simply directive one, intended. as its pre-
amble sets forth, to define to magistrates
what may not be held by them either I'M
der common law or construction of the
old Statute No married woman can be
held under a contract except by consent
Of her husband, and a single woman I'M
der contract, by marriage annuls the con-
tract
Servants under sentence of Court to
work extra time, shall be paid wages as
though the contract were still binding,
and they shall not be compelled to work
beyond the date of the expiration OF the
contract by reason of any claim the mas
ter may have on account of debt or ad
vance.
The Act making retailers of spirituous
liquors liable for damages is species of
legislation that has made its appearance
on Statute Books only lately. Ii aims, as
can readily be perceived, at the discour-
agement of the indiscriminate sale of
liquors to persons known to be habitual
drunkards 1t makes the retailer respon-
sible for all damages sustained, and for
exemplary damages arising out of the acts
of the intoxicated person, or in conse-
quence of his intoxication.
The words, "a public whipping not to
exceed twenty lashes, is struck out of the
old Statute for the punishment OF larceny.
As whipping has fallen into desuetude Tor
many years, the amendment has been
made more as tribute to a sentiment
than to remove a practice.
The Act to regulate the currency makes
a positive enactment on a point specially
provided for by former legislation. The
only law on legal tender heretofore exist
ING, is the l4S5th Section of the Civil
Code, which makes the American dime
and halfdime a current coin in this King
dom. The new Act declares that, be
sides the dime and half-dime. the coins of
the United States Of the value of % cents,
so cents and loo cents shall constitute the
currency of the Kingdom, and that the
halEdollar or fifty cent silver coin, shall
be the standard, and shall be legal tender
in all payments. All gold coins and silver
coins other than those above named shall
be received for Government dues, and
shall be legal tender in payment of debts
between private parties at the value which
shall be fixed by the King in Prvy Coun-
I'll. and shall have been published in the
GAZETTE. The second Sec
ion of the Act provides limit to which
coins of thevalue of 25-cents and less may
pc restricted in payments.
The Act relating to Acknowledgements ]
o instruments provides for identification
# the person making the conveyance or
instrument by the officer before whom it
: subscribed. The party must be either
personally known TO the officer, or be sat
sfactorily proved to be the person by
witness known to the officer. This law Is
Intended to make more secure and salts
actorv all transfers of real estate, and in
his view is an important as well as neces-
airy one.
The Act reducing costs of Court makes
large reduction of costs, and thus rem
Iers litigation a much less expensive lux
nv than it has hitherto been. 1t will also
N the other hand bring appeals to the
yourts by those seeking redress more
argely within the reach of parties inter
sted. Most of the reductions are in the .
of s. to 81.
The Act relating to names provides for
he change OF names, no provision for
rhich is included in the laws of 1860.
he power to change a PERSONS name is
onfded to the King in Privy Council.