Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-16
silly aunt. Since the will Of Kalakaua de-

silly aunt. Since the will of Kalakaua de-
clared that Liliuokalani, his successor,
should, failing heirs, announce Victoria
Kaiulani to be her presumptive heir, and
since this announcement WAS made long
ago, the royalists would have q sort OF
basis for taking her as their new leader. Her
father, when in this country little more
than two years ago, took occasion to deny
any predictions for English control in Ha-
waii, saying that, though born in Scotland,
he left that country before he was five years
old, went to Honolulu a. boy of 10. had
lived there for 40 years, and preferred that.
if Hawaii would not be Independent. 1t
should belong to the United States rather
than to England.
But ne ither the niece of Liliuokalani nor
anybody else will reign in Hawaii. The
monarchy there is dead, and the throne will
stay kicked over. After 1887 and 1898, no
more risks with royalty will be run. In
three or four years, at most, Hawaii may
be expected to enter the American Union.
The Torrens System Of Lend Transfer.
portland Press.)
The question which the Hon. c. F. Lib
by discussed in his very able and exhaus-
tive address to the State Bar Association
Wednesday is one in which the general pub
lie as well as the lawyers ought to be in
terested. A year or more ago the question
received some slight attention in the news.
papers, but it was not pursued
long enough or persistently enough
for the public to realize thoroughly its i'm
portance. Even in spartely settled local
ity like Cumberland county, where the
transfers of real estate are comparatively
infre quent, almost everybody who has con-
veyed a piece of real estate has had brought
home to him through lawyers fees the diff
Guilty of tracing title Of piece of real
property. In large and populous
places of course this difficulty j.
intensified a great many times with
the result that the transfer of small
parcel of real estate is attended with great
expense and not infrequently fails alto
gether by reason of the impossibility of as
certainiug all the facts necessary to estsb-
lish valid and Hawless title in the grantor.
Time will of course only serve to increase
the difficulty, by reason of the vast number
of volumes which will accumulate, and the
multiplication of errors and omissions that
will have become on account Of their age
irremediable.
The Torrens system of real estate trans
fers which 10 the opinion of Mr.. Libby and
of great many other distinguished law
yers. will 20 far to solve the difficulty, orig.
mated in Australia. 1t is explained in de-
tail in Mr.. Libby's address, and to the lay
man certainly appears simple and feasible.
The fact that it has worked we'll where it
has been tried 10 strong presumptive evil
dence in its favor, though of course it 10 not
conclusive proof that it will work we'll any
where and under all sorts of conditions.
But reform will evidently soon be needed,
if it is not already, and the most promising
direction to look for it is in this Torrens
system. OF course it will meet opposition.
Every reform encounters that, especially If
it changes long established customs and
methods Of doing business. We, presume
the lawyers will not all be enthusiastic for
it, ~ it's adoption would end to depress the
profitable business Of searching titles, and
thus cut down their revenue. The place Of
its origin will possibly be an objection tn
some people. But if it has the merits which
it appears to have it will in time surely
establish itself.