The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-05-28

2,14s
portuguese. .......... ....... ''oSo
Japanese. 1854
Other foreigners ................. LOLA
Naturally the largest part of the
business has been done in the nom
jury courts. OF the Chinese 1923 +
per cent. are convicted of various
offences, while there are 4.30 per
cent. of Japanese, $50 Of Portu-
guese, 7.56 of Hawalians and 14.88
of other foreigners. Drunkenness
figures as the offense IN 1896 cases,
an increase of GIL over the last
period; of this increase 293 are
among Hawaiians, while 347 are
credited to foreigners. All of the
increase belongs to Honolulu, there
being an actual decrease in the
cases in other districts. What the
story would be, were arrests made
now as before the present law, is
an unknown story. That drunk
enness is increasing, particularly
among Hawaiiars, is now generally
admitted. The list of offenses is
long one. OF the convictions, q
small selection is as follows: Arson
4, assault and assault and battery
876, bribery 2, burglary II, con-
spiracy Is, disordorly house II,
embezzlement 6, extortion 4, for
| gerry and uttering 16, gambling 800,
larceny, all degrees, 304, malicious
injury 105, manslaughter, second
degree, 4, third degree l. murder
10, opium, all offenses, 100, perjury,
first degree, 8, polygamy 8, rape 2,
riot 5, violation of Sunday laws
ia, treason 1. The total amount re
ceived for fines, penalties and costs
amounts to SOL, 464.83. It would be
extremely interesting to know how
many days imprisonment have
been inflicted during the two years
past, and what amount of labor has
been lost to the country thereby;
in short, to have some means of
Judging more certainly of the loss
and ruin which crime has brought
upon the nation. The civil bust
ness of all the courts, remarkable
to say, shows the same number OF
cases in each of the two biennial
periods past, to wit, 66N. The
number of divorce cases has de-
creased, perhaps for lack of fuel,
let us hope for lack Of causes. Ac-
tons for damages have increased
from 484 to rs. Bankruptcy cases
from ~ to 38; these are largely
confined to the Chinese. Hearings
in Banco from SO to 113. Contract
service cases have decreased from
1885 to 1880. The Supreme Court
has tried GA of all the cases.
Of compilation work, the period
has been fruitful; comprising the
compiled laws in Hawaiian, Vol
VI. nd VII. of Supreme Court re-
ports (although volume vi. does
not properly belong to the series
and will be productive of confusion
in citations in the future) and a re.
print of volumes ]. and II.
| The law library, owing to the
liberal appropriation of the last
Legislature, has received over coo
volumes of reports and text books
which has placed 1t in the list Of
well equipped law libraries.
| Excellent work has been done in
overhauling and rearranging the
files in the clerks Office of the Su-
preme Court. In short, that Office
was never so we'll arranged as at
the present time, a very complete
set of lndices has made all of the
records Immediately available.
Much of this is due to the care and
patience of the recent clerk Mr..
William Foster, but his mantle has
fallen on worthy shoulders.
Naturally with the increase of
business, the expense Of conducting
the Judiciary Department has been
heavier, and in some branches will
require more appropriations. The
actual cost of jury trial is heavy,
and the Chief Justice recommends
that in civil cases the losing party
should be charged will all jury fees.
At present $12 of the usual $50
cost OF the jury is SO charged.
Whether it would shorten trials to