The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-15
RIGHTS OF GRAND JURY.

In his original charge to the Grand
Jury, Judge Humphreys told them that
they had not to have any fear of any
one, but had to investigate anything
that they thought wrong or for the
detriment of the community. Under
that head he called their attention to
Sunday liquor selling, to the police de-
partment in general, to the houses of
prostitution, to the insane asylum and
so forth.
But Judge Humphreys has come to
the conclusion that his first charge was
far too broad and must be narrowed
down. The statement having been
made i'm a paper with which Judge
Humphreys is closely connected that
there had been corrupt ring of law
yers in the courts during the Republic,
and that the Judges on the bench show
ed gross favortism-a very serious
charge indeed, since two of the present
Judges must be affected by it-W. a.
Kinney wrote an open letter to the
Advertiser asking the Grand Jury to
make investigation.
Yesterday morning Judge Humphreys
again summoned the Grand Jury and
charged it afresh. He told the MEM
bers that he wished to call their atten-
tion to certain published statements
which have appeared from time to
time" and to caution them against
paying any attention to anything
which had not been brought to their
attention officially" The Judge con-
cluded by saying you are not public
threshing machine to go over new
things which appear in public print but
you are to direct attention exclusively
to the matters that are presented for
your consideration"
AS long as the Grand Jurys investi-
cations. therefore, are confined to what
Judge Humphreys thinks are subjects
for investigation all is smooth sailing
but the Grand Jury is cautioned"
against listening to anything else, or
kicking over the judicial traces. The
Grand Jury is to be a creature of the
court not a free and independent body,
which. one always considered that the
Grand Jury was.
In addition to the main argument
not listen to anything which was not
officially brought before it's members,
there was an attempt to cloud it by
pointing out that it was not the duty
of the Grand Jury to consider things
that had occurred under the Republic,
or under the Monarchy, or to decide
whether MARY Queen of Scots was
rightfully beheaded." Which was a set
of incontrovertible truisms that had no.
thing to do with the matter
In point of fact the charge involved
the present very seriously. The charge
practically stated that two of the pres
ent Judges on the Supreme bench had
shown great favoritism. If this is true
they are certainly unfit for their exalt
ed positions, and steps should be taken
to remove them. The initiative in such
matter should certainly come from
the Grand Jury. There should be no ,
slur upon our courts, the well of Justice
in the Territory should be pure and I'M
defied, and if there are Judges on the
Supreme bench who have shown favor
ltlsm In the past, they will be showing /
faNoritism now. If there was a corrupt
ring of lawyers in the past, who con-
trolled those Judges, the same corrupt
ring of lawyers are banded together
and can control them in the present.
Undoubtedly this is nothing of the past
but something very much in the pres
emit which demands investigation.
Moreover Judge Humphreys charge
that nothing but what is presented to
the Grand Jury officially should be con-
sidered, narrows the duties of the
Grand Jury to the consideration of
what Judge Humphreys thinks in his
own mind should be considered, or
those, who have his ear, may represent
to him should be considered. To put
the case, Judge might himself be
corrupt and the whole press might be
ringing with his msdoings, while his
decisions might be VIGOROUSLY Venal
Such judge would certainly not charge
the Grand Jury to investigate himself
yet 1t would be a batter that ought to be
investigated for the public good. In
point of fact Judge Humphreys would
have the Circuit Judge a sort of King
of the Grand Jury and we have done
with Kings long ago.