The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-05-16
the JAPANESE.
EMIGRATION TO HAWAII AND CRIMINAL
LAWS.

LAWS.
Among the prominent passengers
on the steamer City of Sydney, which
arrived here on Tuesday, was Thos.
ID. Van Buren,, for eleven years the
United States consul general in
Japan. The general is California
pioneer, having come to San Fran
cisco in February, 1919, on the Cali
fornia, the first steamer that ever
entered the Golden Gate.
"Come in; very glad to meet
you,' was the generals cordial
greeting, as reporter of The Chro-
micle entered his apartments at the
Palace yesterday. "The steamer
Toxic, upon which 1 travelled from
Yokohama to Honolulu, carried nine
hundred Japanese passengers, who
were landed at the latter place. The
residents and plantation. owners of
the Hawaiian Islands have become
thoroughly Disguised with the Chi
nese laborers, and their places upon
the plantations and as household
servants are being taken by the
Japanese. The nine hundred are
only first installment. About one
tenth of the immigrants are women,
most of whom are married. 1t is an
interesting movement, and was ORR
| ginated by ex-Consul General Irwin,
of the Sandwich Islands, who hopes
to bring over one thousand or fifteen
hundred more during the next month.
Those who immigrate from Japan
have their passage paid, are guaran-
teed employment for three years,
and at the end of that time have the
privilege of remaining or returning
to Japan, to which place their pas
sages are also paid. The japanese
government protects it's subjects in
a thorough manner, and you can not
employ a servant there unless an
agreement is signed and permission
obtained from the government Off
Gals"
"Upon your last arrival in Yoko-
hama did you not present copies of
codes of California given to you by
Judge John c. Burch, of this city,
to the Japanese government 2"
Yes, but of what use they were
to that government l am not aware.
Their codes of civil procedure have
not as yet. been formulated. Their
criminal laws are similar to those
used by the French. For instance,
when an accused person is upon trial
a regular form of set questions are
asked by the judge, which in this
country would appear exceedingly
ridiculous. Then, again, there is no
latitude left whereby judge may
use his discretion in passing sen
tence upon criminal, as the punish
ments for every degree of crime are
distinctly set forth in the crimina
) code. Several movements have beer
made by leaders of the government
to have number of foreign judges
appointed, who may try the offenses
l committed by foreigners, and from
whose judgments there can be nj
appeal. Nothing definite has beef
done in this direction, but if n mum
r Der of judges of that kind were ap
1 pointed think 1t would prove highl
e satisfactory, especially to the foreig
e element. The japanese laws in re
gard to religion have recently bee
greatly moderated, and at the pre-
t sent time residents can follow an
!, religion OF belief that may be mos
d acceptable to them. This is grea
:. step in the advance of civilization
d and indicates the rapid strides Japa
: is making in that, direction"
It Gen. Van Buren, will remain i
this city about ten days, at the en-
of which time he will visit Pas
Robes springs, after which he wi
make visit to Highland springs an
IS Monterey. In answer to questic
). in reference to his present trip
1T California and the intended one
t. Washington, he said:
1t 81 am here solely for my healt
re 1 do not know whether i would a
s. cept the consul-generalship to Japa
70 if reappointed, or not. AT all even
a. l think / shall put in my resignatio
9, l have been in the government ST
rs vice so long that | am actually tir
out. When first went to Japan
expected to remain only a year, b
that year swelled to eleven. AS t
o. Irishman said, If | had known
v, was going to be there so long wol
%. not have gone at all. "-SaN LrO