The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-04-10

AMONG the matters Of chief moment
in this community. during the past
month. have been the proceedings for
restitution by civil process, and upon
q charge of conspiracy" by criminal
process. taken by the Government
against Messrs. Macfariane and Luce.
wholesale liquor merchants, and Mr..
E. II. Hayselden. son-in-law and poll
teal agent in general of the late Pre-
mier. Mr. Gibson. The suits are
based upon heavy frauds upon the
revenue, unearthed at the late session
Of the Legislature. the mode of which
was an illegal use of the Kings and
certain foreign Ministers frank
under which they have to pay no
duties upon imports for their per-
sonal use. As the Chief Justice. in
the capacity of committing magis-
trate. handed defendants over to the
Supreme Court for tTlal. the arrests
were so far justified and at this writ
ing demurrers on behalf of the de
tense are pending before Judge Dole
at April Term Attorney General c.
". Ashford conducts the case for the
Crown. and Nessrs. A. S. Hartwell.
F. VI. Hatch and ". A. Whiting
for the defense. The Frisad. religi-
Gus monthly edited by Rev. S. E.
Bishop. pleads that, as. in any case.
only few offenders can be reached.
and. as. if guilt be proved against the
present defendants, they are to be re
garoed IN large part as creatures of
circumstances connected with a very
low ebb of political morality. and, the
probability being that full penal
ties would tend TO create an injurious
reaction against the Reform cause
itself, therefore. IN the result of con-
yiction. nominal punishment would
be sufficient atonement to justice.
Mercy and forbearance. says the
friendly writer, ~are particularly in
place after severe political reyulsions,
although indiscriminate amnesty is
an evil" These sentiments probably
reflect the best minds of the com
munity, but in repeating them we i'm
ply Of course no presumption of
guilt.
In our last review mention was
made OF His Maiesty's soiourn on
Hawaii island. prosecuting the cult
walton Of coffee, also of Her AIajesty's
excursion to and over the garden
isle of Kauai The King and Queen
returned to town, but the former left
again on the 23d uIt. for his country
seat.
The Legislature viii meet at some
as yet unannounced date IN the
month Of May. There will be no
small amount Of business for dealing
with by the assembled wisdom
and, from their acquaintance with
each other gained by Mobiles and
Representatives at the extra session,
as well as from the reconstruction of
the Cabinet upon more harmonious
basis than that existing then. it may
be hoped that amity and a whole
some disposition to act in concord
for the public interest may control
their deliberations
A Puvy Council was convened on
the 18th of March to discuss a reso-
luton brought before it by the Cabi-
net, authorizing the Government to
continue the expenditure for the
steam tug in Honolulu harbor and
roadstead, for which the legislative
appropriation had become exhausted,
and the earnings of the boat having
to 60 into the general revenue. After
a full discussion the Council decided
that it had no authority to vote on an
appropriation of the kind, thus lea7-
ing the Ministry the alternative of
recourse TO an indemnity bill or tenn
pOrarily suspendiDg the very import 1
ant service.
The roads, not only in Honolulu
but throughout the Kingdom. are
improving under the new
system inaugurated by the present /
Government. Honolulu Is now lighted 1
by electricity, provision for which .
was made by the Legislature of 1886. (
The motive power for the dynamos Is 4
derived from the city water supply, +
upon a Leffel turbine 4
wheel At present some sixty arc
lamps are IN action, with very success
full results, and the system viii soon
be increased to the strength Of
one hundred lamps Steady progress
has been making since our previous
notice In the construction of water
pipe system for supplying the leper
on the island Of MoIokai.
From one to two miles of pipe are
laid from never failing stream
rising IN q deep mountain gorge.
This Improvement brings to mind the
report from Japan that DR.. AIasanao
Goto, an eminent specialist OF re-
puted ability TO cure leprosy, has
been engaged by this Government to
come here and battle with the ma
donal scourge.
Business IN a general sense has
been active during the past month.
the sugar crop being rapidly har-