The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-02-21

There was large and notable gath
ering at the Hawaiian hotel Saturday
evening for celebration of the quarter
centennial Of A. +. Judd upon the Su-
preme Bench. The decorations includ-
ed flowers and ferns and flags. Music
for the evening was supplied by the
Government band. The company in
cluded nearly every member OF the Bar
in Honolulu. The dinner was all that
could be desired. Gen. A. s. Hartwell
was called to the chair and said
Gentlemen of Bench and of the Bar:
This twenty-fifth anniversary OF the
appointment to the Bench of Mr.. Chief
Justice Judd has. been taken by the
Bar as a, fitting occasion to ask him to
dine with them and to offer him their
congratulations upon the general re-
suits of his long judicial life and upon
the health and strength which he still
retains.
Hawaii has seen stirring times with
in these twenty-five years. There have
been great changes, both in the funda-
of government, which required the ad-
judication of serious constitutional
questions.
In order to obtain judicial decisions
in these matters which would command
the respect of the law-abiding portion
of this community, 1t was essential that
members OF the Supreme Court should
not only have the requisite learning
and ability, but that the community
should have confidence in their honor,
integrity and impartiality.
The fact that during the political
crises of the country which presented
those questions. their adjudication by
the Supreme Court was generally ac-
quiesced in, is due in no small degree
to the possession and exercise OF those
qualities by Chief Justice Judd.
In February, Of 1874, When Mr.. Judd
went upon the Bench, the town Of Ho-
nolulu was practically occupied by a
foreign naval force which had been
landed during the election riot. Polit-
ical feeling among the Hawaiians had
run so high in favor of Queen Emma
and against Kalakaua that II took con-
siderable time to get the town into any
thing like a peaceful condition. Mary
rioters had been arrested and were in
dicted. At that time the Supreme
Court tried cases nisi prlus.
After the times became more settled,
an incident occurred which required
the interposition OF the Justice OF the
Supreme Court to prevent serious diff
ficulty. The King, Kalakaua, demand
ed the stamp duty as his personal per-
quisite on the ground that the Stamp
Law provided for the payment of the
stamp money to His Majesty. using,
rather unfortunately, the expression
common in English statutes when re-
ferring to the public revenues. The
opinions of the Justices were invoked
and successfully quieted that incipient
trouble.
Then came the Revolution OF 1851
Tor II was revolution-whereby al
change was made in the Constitution
IN a manner not provided for in that
instrument and contrary to the man
ner In which the Constitution provided
for its amedments. There were some
OF us who dissented from the decision
OF the Court upon the difficult question |
OF personal veto power OF the King, |
Dut the strong position taken by the
court at the time OF the Robert Wilcox |
revolution OF 1883 happily disposed OF |
the question OF personal power claimed |
by the Sovereign. This latter decision
met with general approval, and un-
doubleday went far to check the tend
ency towards absolutism during the
rest OF Kalakaua's reign.
Then came the critical years follow.
ing the downfall OF the Monarchy.