The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-12-30


years. 1t has been customary in the
past to prepare the summaries for pc
RODS Of two years for the biennial ses-
sions of the Legislature. Hereafter
they will be prepared yearly. The fol-
lowing will give a general idea of the
number and character Of the cases, both
civil and criminal. and the nationality
of the convicted in criminal cases.
There are, of course, some Implications.
owing to appeals from one court to
another, and In some instances to
third court In general there has been
a slight falling off in the number of
cases during the past year, as com
pa red with the number during the pre-
ceding two years.
Attorney General Lorrin Andrews has
this to say concerning matters in his
department:
The Legislature in 1903 passed a law
increasing the number of Circuit Court
terms on the Islands outside of Oahu,
it being the expectation that as the
county act then passed would go into
force on the lst day of January, 1904,
the additional work of representing the
Territory at these added terms would
not fall upon the Attorney Generals Of
flee, but upon the new county attorneys.
The immediate result, however, was to
increase the work of this department.
Between the last of September, 1903,
and the Both of June, 1904, there have
been thirteen circuit terms held, at
which 1876 criminal cases have been
tried and disposed of, resulting in 131
convictions and Go acquittals: and to
this should be added the work of the
various grand juries and the prosecu-
tion Of offenders charged with misde-
meanors.
In addition to this jury work the At
torney Generals office has argued in
IS cases in the Supreme Court 10 of
which have been decided in favor of the
Territory, and has tried 81 civil cases
for the Territory.
Mr.. Dole in his report for the period
ending December 81, 1902 recites that
in two and one-half years he had rem
dered 341 legal opinions to the depart
ments Since February /, 1903, and up
to June 80, 1904, the Attorney Gener-
ais office has rendered 439 opinions to
the various departments and to the
Legislature, of which PSF We're rendered
within the period covered by this re-
port. In addition thereto, within the
| last year the Attorney Generals office
| has had 654 oral consultations with
heads of departments and has drawn
| for their use 81 agreements, contracts,
| leases and other legal papers. In ad-
| dition to these matters the Attorney
Generals office for the first time in
many years has, at the request of the
| Treasurer, handled suits for delinquent
taxes on the Island Of oahu.
While the Federal judiciary Depart
ment is thus treated by United States
District Attorney Breckonst:
During the early part of the year the
local officers of the United States Dis
trict Attorneys Department became
convinced of the existence within the
Territory of some kind of an organi
in the importation of women from ia
pan for the purpose of prostitution, and
| in many instances in the holding of
them to a condition of slavery within
the Territory. Systematic and persist
ent work finally resulted in the un-
earthing of everything connected with
this organization. Ample evidence was
secured showing the methods employ
ed by the organization, and the names
and addresses of the members. about
"a in number. During the year all of
the members We're indicted, and about
two-thirds of them convicted and pun
ished, their sentences ranging from four
TO eighteen months. The prosecution
in these cases was not directed so
much toward the suppression of prosti-
, tuition as against the Importation of
women into the United States for the
purpose of prostitution. and the hold
ing Of women to slavery.
; A kindred class of cases handled dur
ing the year related to the sale by male
, japanese os their wives to other Japan
ese. Many instances We're unearthed
in which Japanese husbands had, by
written bill ot sale, made direct trans
sers of their wives. In almost every
case discovered, indeed, there was dis
covered also a written bill of SALE the
document being nearly always couchet
in legal phraseology, resembling quite
closely the usual form of bill of sale o.
. chattels in use in the United States.
In both classes of cases above re
ferred to the sentences inflicted wer,
comparatively lenient. Their prosecu
tion among the japanese was treate,
by the department as more or less edu
q Cational in its nature. In nearly al
of the cases 1t appeared that the prac
- tices INDUCED in by the japanese wer,
not considered by them as PARTICULAR!
;. criminal in their nature. Most of tn,
defendants came into court and frank
: ly admitted all the facts, stating, how
ever, that they were not aware of tn,
; existence of any law in the United
States making these practices unlaw'
tul.
The prosecutions have had. in my
judgment, q most beneficial effect. Sew
eral of the japanese newspapers pub
lished In Honolulu have contained full
| accounts of the pro seedlings, and III
Z entire Japanese population have by thi