The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-02-17

ply recommend to the Legislature the
adoption of the Torrens system. leaving
the matter of the enactment of law
to that body. Mr. Weaver accepted the
suggestion OF Mr.. Kinney as practical
and then the gentleman who had made
sociation recommend TO the Legislature
the adoption Of the Torrens system of
registering title TO land. 1t was the
consensus of opinion that this would
leave the association in a stronger po-
sition than if a bill were presented at
once, and the bill presented by the
committee would be ready for action
when the Legislature acted at ALL and
the Kinney resolution was therefore
adopted.
| General HartwelI then moved to take
up the consideration OF the majority
and minority reports from the COM
mittee appointed to draft bill for the
codification or compilation of the laws
OF the Territory, and the motion pre-
vailed Mr.. Thurston at once moved
compilation his motion receiving a
second. Mr.. Milverton moved the adop-
ton of the minority report, providing
for codification, but his motion was not
seconded and so the minority report
was not considered. Speaking to his
motion, Mr. Thurston said that the need, |
at the present time was not so much a |
codihcation of the laws as compilation |
of the laws existing. The urgent neces-
sity, now, was to know what the pres
ent laws of the Territory were, to have
them brought together in an authori-
tative way, the conflicts reconciled and
the redundancies thrown out. No man
knew, now, what laws were on the stat
ute books. No man ever would know,
unless there was some such work done
as was proposed in the majority re-
port. A codiflcation could come, prop
erly enough. two years from now, after
the laws had been brought together
and the conflicts reconciled-after we
knew what the laws of the Territory
really were.
as presented was then taken up, Sec
ton by section, considered and amend
ed. The discussion was largely tech
meal, but the bill as it was finally
amended provides that there shall be
a compilation of the laws authorized
by the legislature to be made by com
mission of lawyers authorized to prac-
tice in the Supreme Court, and that one .
Of the commissioners may be a judge
Of the Supreme or Circuit Court. This
is to be appointed by the
Governor, with the consent of the Sen
ate, and is to be compensated for its
abors. The compilation is to include,
prefixed but not a jart of the laws, the
e constitution of the United States. the 5
leaty of annexation, the joint resolu- l
ton of annexation, and the organic act q
Of the territory. In connection with I
these prefaces, the point was made by
Mr. Thurston, backed by General Hart s
we'll, that while the treaty of annexa
ion was never adopted at Washington, o
{ was made the basis of the final reso-
ution annexing the territory, and the I
whole question of the validity of annex
ltion prior to the date of its acceptance t
1T this end might hinge upon that state o
If facts, should the matter ever come
nto court for decision. 6
The report provides that the compila
ion shall be presented to the next SEES
ion OF the legislature for it's action,
hat changes shall be made in it later,
md that the compilation shall be print
d and copies sold by the Secretary of
he Territory for $40 per copy.
Upon the conclusion of its considera- z
ion by sections, the report of the me- il
ority was adopted as a whole, and a
he Association adjourned until next '
Wednesday at 7:30 p. m.
The following gentlemen were present :,
It the meeting: w. A. Kinney, A. s.
Dan Case, A. F. Judd, w. L. =
stanley, E. NB. McCIanahan, Lorrin
Phil. Weaver, R. w. Milver
on. Chief Justice Frear. Geo. Davis, H.
|. Bigelow, S. H. Derby. ]. A. Matthew II
nan, r. d. Mead, C. L. Clemens, L. A. .
'hurston, w. w. Thayer, c. r. Hem p
nway. L