Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-05-07

The summary dismissal from the Police
Force of four constables, at the instance, it is
said, of the Chief Justice. necessarily leads
working of the force in question. The
Marshal we know, is at the head of the ex-
ecutve, under the Minister of the Interior tor
tho time being, and the constables are
appointed by the Marshal subject to the
approval of the said Minister. In a mixed
community such as this, it is advisable to en-
ploy officers of various natonalties, Amer
lean, European, Chinese and native. Of those
whose dismissal we are now referring to-
two were Americans, one South Sea man, and
one Chinese. 1t is of the latter we propose
more particularly to speak. The man in ques
tion was both constable and interpreter, posts
the Importance of which it is scarcely possible
to exaggerate. In the capacity of interpreter
he stands alone between the law and the
thousands of his countrymen here. In any
case brought before Court of Law, be it
civil or criminal, in which Cinnamon have to
testify, or in which they are suitors, or
accused as criminals, the whole question at
issue hinges almost altogether on the ability
and integrity of the interpreter. Judge, jury,
defendant and complainant, criminal and wit
ness alike, may be said to be at tile mercy of
the interpreter, and who is able to detect
mis-interpretation He is master of the
situation ! Amongst the Chinese are sundry
cliques and clans. always able and often
ready to pay heavily for assistance in the way
of getting verdict. Now, here is field for
roguery available of which we cannot imagine
an equal, or on the other hand, a display of
incorrnpubiity and disinterested uprighlness
that few men would bo capable of practicing,
especially when long faIailiarity with the Law
Courts, may have taught new impunity may
be assured. To b, almost daily beseiged by
offers of bribes would be severe trial to the
honesty Of any man. Every one accustomed
to hearing the examination of witnesses knows
how difficult it is for even well meaning,
upright man TO avoid tingeing his testimony
with some faint shade of par,iaity towards
this side or that as his interests or hopes may
tend to sway him,-how much more so then
an interpreter between his own countrymen
and the foreigner And what guarantee is
there for impartial Interpretation In the
case of Hawaiian or almost any other language
there are generally those present who can
detect aud rectlfy any mistake in interpreting,
intentional or otherwi,e, but with Chinese,
quis oustodliet custodes.
| There are several respectable Chinese who
can speak English well, but they are not OF
the class from whence constable-interpreter
can DO looked for. 1t seems to us an inn
perative necessity to employ an American OF
European, capable of interpreting, and of con-
trolling such Chinese constables as may be
deemed necessary. He or they, for two would
be better than one, should be employed not
only in Courts Of Law, but in making them
selves acquainted with all that goes on
amongst the swarms of Chinamen now in this
country. We have very good reason for
believing that there are many placards, notices,
! posters, etc, in the Chinese language which