The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-24

here several days, guest at the Ne'
| Willard. He is working slowly ou
carefully, seeing officials of the Interio
Department. and Senators and mem
bers regarding the proposed change
in land laws for the Territory. Il an
working entirely in harmony with tn
Interior Department" said Mr.. BoyC
70 your correspondent, and make n
moves without consulting Secretarl
Hitchcock II have had one or TIVE
brief interview with him and have
found him very courteous and solicit
tous for the welfare of the people OF
the Islands"
Mr.. Boyd will urge several changes
in the Wilcox land bill, which changes
are already known, he says, in Honolu-
lu. Among other things he will work
for the sending of commission to the
Islands TO study the conditions there.
In due season he expects ample oppor-
tunity for hearings before the Senate
and House Committees.
Saturday. February s, Mr.. Boyd call
| ed at the White House and was cordi-
ally welcomed by President Roosevelt.
The visit was informal. but the Presi-
dent gave Mr.. Boyd half hour to ex-
plain the conditions of public lands in
the Islands. Il was much pleased at
the interest the President exhibited in
Hawaiian matters" said Mr.. BOYD to-
day. He assured me that he wanted
to do everything in his power for the
welfare of the Islands. I did not touch
on political matters with him at all,
except that he inquired as to the SEN
timent of different elements there to-
wards current affairs
Within a few days Mr.. Boyd expects
that he will have opportunity to see
the President again, and will then pre-
sent him with some photographs of
the public lands of Hawaii. He Will !
probably have a hearing tomorrow !
CTuesday), before the Senate Commit |
tee on the Pacific Islands and Porto !
Rico, on the Wilcox bill and Wednes-
day Mr.. Boyd will probably go over
to New York for a few days.
Speaking of the claim that he is OPP
posing Col. Parker's ditch bill. Mr..
Boyd said: II am not here in the in
terest of any ditch whatever. There
are no two ways about it. 1 am here
solely on prospective legislation re-
sarding the public lands of Hawaii
Ny only interest in legislation regard
ng the ditch is that the rights of the
Territory shall be protected and the
lights of citizens and property holders
contiguous to the ditch. l. told Senator {,
Foraker that 1 thought the bill was +
oosely drawn, and that some safe 7
guards should be given to the people I
vho might be damaged by the burst q
ng of the banks or the dams holding t
he water"
kilograms have recently been received l.
rom Col. Parker on the Pacific Coast, 7
ut they have no reference to the polit- I
al matters with which he is identified a
Il, &C. lal a q =,
hat he will be back in Washington a
-ithin ten days but probably he can
OF have a conference with President !
in time TO catch this mail -
Hawaii by telegraph to San Fran n
SEQ Up TO date everybody in Wash a
lgton seems to be very much in the I;
ark as TO what the outcome Of the c
after will be. a strong opinion pre-
ais that If Gov. Dole resists any at =
.mpt to Dust him from office. the -
resident will not dare or will not ;,
are to force the Governors hand. %
Whether George r. Garter will come d.
here with Col Parker is not known
he returns to Honolulu, he will
-obably carry with him much infor- cc
alton regarding the situation, which H.
i'll not be available here in Washing St
n for week or ten days afterwards CO
THE CASE OF HOWE II
After long delay, Lieut.. James p. How fl
|, of the Sixth Artillery, whose wife IS m
ON Honolulu, has been absolved from 50
G sentence of the court martial and is Vi
wv performing his duty as an officer ST
the regular army. The verdict. as an as
,unced by the President, was briefly dc
legraphed in time for the last steamer $S
lie letter by that mail recited some OF ~
e circumstances that led the Secretary ! nc
War to set aside the sentence of the of
urt martial in the Philippines. The pr
1rk of Lieut. HoweIls friends was be- pr
n quite six months ago, Secretary ST
anry l.. Cooper taking up the case 81
tn Assistant Secretary of State San tic
r while the former was in Washing pr
A. The recommendation by Secretary W
,ot, on which President Roosevelt or til
red the verdict of the court martial tic
aside, follows: tn
This officer has been tried and con- or
tied under the 18th article of war, les
lich provides that any officer who is ! or
md drunk on his guard party or 9th an
duty, shall be dismissed from the ye
vice w
The severity of the punishment re- an
ired by this statute indicates an inten- gr
n to describe a crime of the most Sc in
us character. If this We're a case OF ms
st impression in the construction of so
> statute, 1 should feel obliged to say un
It the evidence does not establish the ms
tIlSe ueSCTlbeu. mere mas Dttn, HOW ne
II, long course of construction co
'ough which it has come to be gener- VIC
Y held that the drunkenness need not tra
such as to totally incapacitate the De
rty for the duty. but that ii is sutfi- Wis
Mt If II be such as to ma terially impair De
full and free use of his mental or 7
ySical abilities. 1t may be that the en-
endant's mental and physical abilities me
re to some degree impaired, and that bill
the sense thus given to the statute off
comes within its terms. 1t is plain, pr,
viewer, that he barely comes within Crt
m. and to very slight degree. and tn;
lie l do not feel justified in recon- -
ndins a disapproval of the findings Of sh
court, justice plainly requires that les
sentence imposed should be COM go
ted and so mitigated in severity as TO rit
respond to the slight degree OF culpa-
ity Of the accused l think the pun
ment already suffered by the defend 70
t is fully commensurate with his real D
snse. e
"ELIHU ROOT. q
Secretary OF War. e
February 8 1892"