The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-12-19

impofiatlons through the mails from
jay ]. 1904 % June 90. 1905, and Ia
addition go THIS number 20 dutiable
parcels were either forwarded or re-
turned 10 sonders.
The advIsabnlty OF Increasing the
number Of supreme court justices In
Hawaii from to is one requiring
serious consideration by Congress.
Many important cases. some involving
large amounts. come before the SUI
preme court and a decision by a bench
Of would be more satisfactory than
one rendered by bench of 3, espe-
cially In the event of dissenting
opinion by member of the court An
Increase I'm the number OF justices
would also I'm some degree meet the
argument for allowing appeals to the
Federal Supreme Court in cases In
which Federal questions are not in
volved, or, If it is deemed best to al
/ low such appeals, 1t would tend to
reduce the number of cases in which
such appeals would be taken. The Su-
preme Court of the Territory of Okla
homd has membership of Z, and the
Supreme Courts of Arizona and New
Mexico. in each of which there is prob
ably less litigation than in Hawaii,
consist of ) members.
An important change in the organic
act was made during the last session
of Congress by providing for the
amendment of section SO, which ceases
to recognize the system of courts in
Hawaii as distinct and separate from
other Territories, and provides in eff
feet, that writs of error and appeals
may be taken from the Territorial Su-
preme Court to the United States Su-
preme Court in all cases where the
amount involved, exclusive of costs,
exceeds $1,000. The Governor calls at
tention to the fact that no notice of
the introduction of any such amend
ment had been received in the Terri
tory, nor was there any publicly ex-
pressed desire for it, the first intima-
tion of its existence being by news ca
bled to the effect that the amendment
had passed.
During the year some question has
been raised as to the jurisdiction of
the Territorial Circuit Courts in nat
uralization matters, and the effect has
been to reduce the number of residents
capable of serving as jurors. 1t Is
clearly within the power of Congress,
however, to remedy the evil in ques-
tion by allowing aliens to be natural
lied by any court of record having
common-law jurisdiction when such
aliens comply with the conditions and
provisions of the United States stat
utes.
Among the most important criminal
cases in the year We're several against
public officials-a member of the house
of representatives and an attorney at
law were convicted of connection with
scandals concerning vouchers of the
Legislature of 1903: former commits
sioner of public lands was also found
guilty OF embezzling public funds and
is now serving sentence.
Under the head of needed legislation,
the Governor makes the following rec
concentrations:
1. The passage by Congress of an
act under which the Secretary of the
Treasury shall cause to be set aside
Tor period of twenty years rs per
cent of the customs and internal rev.
enues from Hawaii, to be used in Ha-
waii as may be directed by Congress
for the following purposes, to wit, the
erection of educational and Federal
public buildings, harbor improvements
and Federal military and naval de-
fenses.
2. An act clearly defining the juris-
diction of the Circuit Courts in Ha-
wall in reference to their power of
naturalizing aliens and legalizing their
previous actions in that respect, by
act.
3. The amendment of the organic
act so as to confer upon the Governor
the power of suspension or removal
between sessions of the Senate of any
appointed officer; also the removal of
the restrictions on leasing agricultural
lands, and the providing for annual in
stead of biennial sessions of the Leg
islature.
L. The modification of the immigra-
ton laws, providing for an increase of
population so as to develop the re-
sources of the Territory to the fullest
extent
The Governor also recommends that
appropriations be made by Congress
for the following purposes. to wit: To
continue the work of dredging the Ho-
nolulu harbor, a matter which is in the
interest not only of the Territory, but
of the entire American trans-Pacific
commerce; for lighthouses, including
the very much needed new front and
rear range lights in Honolulu harbor,
to afford better protection to COM
merce; under the Department of JUS
tice, an appropriation for carrying out
the desire of Congress in the condem-
nation of private fishing rights in Ha-
wall, and an increase in the appropria-
tion to provide for two additional
judges in the Supreme Court; for re-
funding to the Territory the sums ex-
pended between June IA, 1900, and De-
cember 80, 1904, for the maintenance of
lighthouses, an expenditure which no
other community in the United States
has ever been obliged to undertake.;
also refunding to the Territory all ex-
penditures during said period in dredg-
ing Honolulu harbor and providing for
arfA fAw- fHA IN,l