The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-02-27

Iteration, posted as they arc in the ve.y
middle of the Pacific equidistaut from
China, California and Australia, and just
halfway between the Isthmus of Darien
and Japan and Corca in the direct course of |
all American, European and Asiatc ships. |
They will be the necessary stopping place |
(or coal, water, stores, refuge and general |
outftting) of half the commerce OF the |
known world. They may become, indeed, |
within the bounds OF common possibility, Il |
second Tyre in trade and might and wealth. |
The Hawaiian Islands possess a constitu- |
tional government, and arc a limited and |
liberal monarchy not unlike Great Britain.
The King is elected by the local House of
Lords, like an American President by
popular electors chosen by suffrage, but
has also, from heritage and national tradi-
ton, certain or uncertain patelmal preroga-
tives or prescriptive powers which his alien
denizens and naturalzcd subjects are quite
Jealous of his asserting, and which his
native people would be glad to have him
exercise as regal right, both in their in
terest and his own. King Kalakaua, how
ever, is wise and politics enough sovereign
to avoid an error in the direction of imper-
alism or undue autocracy. Like Louis
Philippe, he is king by popular acclaim;
| and, unlike Louis Napoleon, he is too in
| telligent to misuse or exceed his royal
| authority. His only mistake is that OF
allowing himself to be overuled and his
own excellent Judgment to be warped by
the selfish counsel of Influential monopolists,
the short sighted policy of superannuated
| statesmen and the blind and biassed
antagonisms of brokendown politicians He
should know that his best advisers are those
who have industrial and commercial inter-
ests at stake in his island kingdom and who
largely help to pay the taxes and bring out
side contributions to the royal treasury. On
the whole, however, the government is
moderate and temperate, and the executive
branch thereof intelligently administered.
Hawaii has the fortune to have secured a
learned, firm, experienced and most respect
able Supreme Court Bench, consisting Of
three Judges (Chief Justice and Chancellor
Albert Francis Judd and Associate Justices
Lawrence McCully and Benjamin Hale
Austin) who possess all the powers of Office
in law and equity incident and appel tanning
to such high judicial functionaries in
England and the United States. They adj
wise the crown in International and legal
affairs, hear and decide nisi p11us causes
according to the statute law of the realm
and customary and judicial jurisdiction
'Sl VII SAl9oiiS W Soiliiioi '7"SoS vi III iii''i
adoption, express or implied; and listen to
suits in equity in conformity with the es-
tablished chancery system of modern times,
decreeing final Judgment by the accepted
aXioms Of both civil and canon jurisprudence.
The bar of Honolulu is likewise able and
alert for business, astute in the principles
and versed to profundity, | was assured, in
the practice and knowledge of precedents
belonging to Hawaiian low. 1t is numer-
ously American, and at the head Of the list
of advocates and chamber counsel Justly
stands the name Of Alfred S. Ha; well, to-
gether with those Of Messls. Davidson,
Hatch, Preston and other distinguished
legal brothers, DOUBTLESS, whom | had not
the honor to meet during my blief sojouln.
There is also an Acknowledgement now
paul Neumann, late Of California;, who is
by VII tue Of office member of the privy
council and special cabinet adviser in diplo-
macy.
The courtroom Of the supreme bench is
a magnificent chamber, we'll lighted and
with the royal arms, crown and insignia
appearing above the Judges seats and desk
in varied hues. A fine, complete law library
is in the same superb edfice rich in English
and American authorities and repoI S, and
| saw Il recent number of the Albany L0w
Joa0nM on the green-table there.
OF course Hawaii is a de .jape and de tact0
kingdom, small as are its dimensions and
isolated as is the location of the orOuD