Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 173, 26 July 1894 — HAWAII’S “BLUE” LAWS [ARTICLE]

HAWAII’S “BLUE” LAWS

C0NSTITUT10N aml LAWS Framed bv the Missionaries. LAWS of the HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. CHAPTER XI. LAW FOR THE FROTECTION 0F THE SABBATH s a well establishetl fact that a nation canaot enjoy peaee nor the people prosper, nnless they are tangbt in morals and religion. Wherefore the sabbath is of great importance; becanse on that day the people are extensively # taught iu those branches. If any one interferes with another in his observance of the day. or if any one disturbs the peaee and qniet of the day, be is enminal, —be does an injury to the puhlie, and to every indiv ; dual who is seeking the greatest good. Wherefore it is proj>er for the Utvs to give protection to the sabbath, and to all those who <Sbserve the day, lest anv one shonld interfere with tho greatest good of the land, by making the day a nnllity. Wherafore, Be it enacted by the King and Nobles of the Hawaiiau Islands in eouneil assembled, 1. All unnecessary worldly bnsiness is by thLs law prohibited frl?m being done on that day: It is not proper to cultivate the ground, engage in dshing, to seek for wealih or do any thing of the kind nnnecesswrily. But works of necessity whieh cannot be done before nor put off till after the Sabbath, together with works of paeroy for the distressed may be done. All other kinds of work are taboo. Who- , ever violates this law shall be fined one dol!ar, and if he does it again bo sball be fiued two dollars, and tbns it ahall be doubled for every of the offense even to the fartbest extent. 2. All woridly amnsements and recreations, and all plays aro at varianco with the quiet of the sabbath if engaged in on that day, they aro also at variance with the best interests of the kingdom, and are therefore by this law made taboo. Whoever violates this taboo, ahall be fined one dollar. If he violate it a second time he shall be fined two dollars, and thus the fine shall be doubled for every repetition of the offense even to the farthest extent. Whosoever shall give his sanction by standing and looking on, he too has violated the law. 3. All lond noise, and all wild runuing aboutof children, and all conduct whieh creates confnsiou in worsbipping assemblies on the sabbatb, are an interference with the right If the person committmg the offense be below the age of fourteen years, then he shall be oxamined in conneetion with his parents, und the person who is in fault shall pay the fine. 4. This law shall go into execution on tbe first day of January, in the year of our Lord 1841, at all places in this arcbipellago. All the words of tbis law having been approved, we have beruunto set our names on tbis thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord 1840, at Lahaina, Maui. (Sigued) KAMEHAMEHA III. KEKAUJiUOHi; CHAPTER XII. A LAW PROHlBITfNG RIVILINO, 4JWEARING AND SLANDER. If any man is not respected and beloved it is a groat rais - fortune to him, he eannol eojoy peaee and happiness when be is tbonght to*be a bad man; nor ean a man be happy, or well refr»in from anger even to sin, when one speaks to him in reviling ianguage. Wherefore this law is passed for the protection of people’s good name. 1. If one shall revile anotber with an evil intent, in order to make him odions or angry, the person doing tbis shall snffer the shame of irons, at the discretion of the judges, but not exceeding one month. So a!so shall the man be punished who swears at another with an evil intent. 2 If any one lie slanderously respecting anotber with an evil extent, or witb anger, in orderto involve an innoeeni person in difficulty. or in order to put a good mau to ahame, or to bringupona man tbe anger of others, or the anger o£ government, the man that does thus shall be punisbed accordiog to the aggravation of tbe ofiense. If tbe saying be perfectly false, the fine shall be large,—if nearly true tbere ahall be no fine. If it be a mere miaiake wiihoni any anger; there ahall be no fine. If the person sIaodering and tbe person slandered are both persons of distinction, tho fine shall be large, but sha)l never amonnt to more than one fonrth of the enmioal’a propert)’. Bol if the slanderer be a poor man. he may be pnt to a hard labor, bnt tbe time shall not exceed funr montbs, and it may be less, according to tbe magnitude of the offense in the estimation of the judges 3. This law shall lake effect on the firat day of January, in the year of oor Lord 1841, on ali the places on theae Hawaiian Islanda. AH the words of this lav havingbeen sanctioned, we have hereunto set our names tbis fourteenth day of November, in the year of onr Lord 1840, at Lahaina, Mani. (Signed) KAMEHAMEHA III KEKAULUOHI. y0f (To Ik Co*iinu*L) \