The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-29 00:00:00

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

Considering the publicity lately given, in our
columns, to an official correspondence which took
place last autumn in Honolulu, of the Sandwich
Islands, and the importance it is likely to exercise
on the rumoured question of the anuexion of those
Islands to the United States, it must be interest-
ing to our readers to know something of one of the
principal actors, and to be made aware of the highly
respectable character of Mr. Robert Crichton
Wylie, who, at present holds the portfolio of the
foreign secretaryship of the Hawaiian Govern-
ment. _ .

Mr. Wyllie is the son of one of that respectable
and substantial class of men, who have conferred
on Scotland much of its intrinsic worth—an inde-
pendent heritor ; or, as they were wont to be called
in days of yore, a " Bonnet Laird,"—:was born, at
his father's residence, near Dunlop, in Ayrshire,
about the commencement of the present century,
and he soon distinguished himself at a school in the
neighbourhood.
Fortunately, for young Wyllie—and many more
similarly situated—the present popular incumbent
of St. Enoch s, Glasgow, the Rev. Dr. Barr, was
then industriously working himself into notice and
celebrity; and as a means to this end, occupied him-
self in teaching a limited number of pupils in one
of the adjacent towns. The subject of our memoir
was placed under Mr. Barr's charge, who soon recog-
nised in his pupil a Mind and talents of no com-
mon order, and dedicated more than usual atten-
tion to his instruction ; while it is gratifying to
know, that the unequal relation of master and
scholar gradually transformed itself, in later years,
into that of friendship and mutual esteem.
Mr. Wyllie having chosen the- medical profession
to be that of his future career, he passed from
Ayrshire to College, and after the usual course of
study took out his diploma as a surgeon, and in
following up this course, chose Chili as the field of
his labours.

He did not practice long at Valparaiso ; his cha-
racteristic shrewdness having soon revealed to him
that, in those incipient days of the independency
of those countries, there was more to be made by
commerce than by medicine. Having, therefdre.
resolved to " throw physic to the dogs," he purchased
a small vessel, loaded her with suitable Bri-
tish and American manufactures, and carried
them to the coast of Mexico. There he met
with great success, and ballasting his small
vessel with copper, he set out for Calcutta
with the specie proceeds of his first adventure.
Meeting there with many friends, he had little
difficulty in selling his Chilian vessel, and in mak-
ing a still better investment, with which, on one of
the large Calcutta ships, he returned to Mexico;
and entering into partnership with one of the rich-
est and most influential natives on the coast, ho
took up his residence in San Sebastina, and, in a
few years, by their united exertions and enterprise,
Mr. Wyllie amassed a fortune sufficient to enable
him to return home, and enjoy society much more
congenial to the cultivated state of his mind and
to his aspirations.
For many years subsequent to 1831, he was
known in the city as a successful dealer in foreign
securities, and had his office in Pinner's Court,
Old Broad-street. In the metropolis of this coun-
try, as in other places, he soon brought himself
into respectable notice. His practical and accurate
knowledge of foreign countries, and their financial
resources—especially those in America which had
won their independence from Spain—his perspica-
city and assiduity in unravelling financial state-
ments, however mystified by interested parties,
and his indefatigable attention to business, soon
placed him amongst those in the first rank of
dealers in foreign loans—perhaps the most influ-
ential class in the city.
To Mr. Wyllie they were chiefly indebted for the
memorable classification—the various borrowing
governments into paying—" and repudiating states
and countries." His pamphlet on this absorbing
subject at the time will not soon be forgotten.
It completed his reputation ; and when the re-
pudiating system had assumed so menacing a
gravity, such as to embarrass the fortunes of
many, Mr. Wyllie was one of the commissioners
chosen by the committee of American bond-holders
to proceed, accompanied by some of the most
respectable men of the city, to the United States,
and endeavour to prevail on the local governments
of the repudiating states, to change their system,
and to amend their legislation on so impolitic a
procedure.
After fulfilling what he considered his part of
the onerous duty thus laid on him, rendered
doubly interesting to himself from the deep stake
which he held in American societies, he proceeded
to Mexico to re-visit his old haunts ; and there meet-
ing with Colonel Miller, then on his way to assume
the honourable post of British consul-general at
the Sandwich Islands, with whom he had been on
terms of intimacy when Colonel Miller served in
the South American army, Mr. Wyllie was induced
to accompany him, it is believed, more from a
desire to visit these remote islands, and to proceed
home from them by way of China or India as oppor-
tunities might occur.
On reaching the islands, Mr. Wyllie found them
in that transition state, which to a mind like his,
enthusiastic for improvement, and for doing good
to his fellow creatures, was deeply interesting ;
and admiring the Haweiian race, as superior to
the general run of the Pacific islands, they en-
listed his sympathies, and he at once threw him-
self, with all his acquirements, experience, and
energies into their cause.
About this time the Sandwich Islands had
assumed the liberal, popular form of constitutional
government, and Mr. Wyllie accepted one of the
secretaryships, the portfolio, we believe, of the
home department. In this branch of the execu-
tive his labours were unremitting, and crowned
with such success, that. in 1847, it was estimated
there were more accurate statements, both of the
trade and agriculture of these islands, than of any
country in Europe ; and more children at school,
in proportion to the population, than even there
are in France.
Recognising the benefit to be derived from the
press, of having an organ of the government, and
ft means of communicating freely amongst the
people, and the several islands of the group, Mr.
Wyllie applied his influence to originate, and, sub-
sequently in keeping up, the Polynesian, a paper
which does every credit to its originator and to the
government by which it is fostered. His influence
was also brought to bear on the establishing of a
free public library at Honolulu—the selection in
which is excellent, and consists of many volumes.

Latterly, the charge of the foreign relations of the
Hawaiian group has been confided to Mr. Wyllie.
The firmness and energy which he displayed, a
year or two ago, in settling the pretensions brought
forward by the commander of the French marine
in those waters, afforded one proof of his decision
of character, love of independence, and determina-
tioa to preserve the rights and privileges of the
government intact ; and the late stand which he has
singly and so successfully made against the en-
croachments of the United States, authorises the
to expect that so long as Mr. ILULUS
portfolio of foreen, • no surrender will be
to their leviathan neighbours, of one
jot or tittle of the integrity of the Hawaiian group,
although they may, like a cluster of ripe grapes,
have been dangling in brother Jonathan's eyes,
and dazzling his vision for some time past. Nay,
from what we know of Mr. Wyllie's procedure on
former occasions, we would venture to predict that,
ifleft to act, and gets fair play, the Scotch laird
n ill clap his " Ayrshire bonnet " on Mr. LUTHER
SEVERANCE, and extinguish for ever both him and
his hopes of annexation.

[We have the high gratification of being for
many years personally acquainted with Mr. Robert
C. Wyllie. and feel no common-place pleasure in
bearing testimony to the accuracy of this memoir.—
ED. N. D. T.]

THE EARL OF HAREWOOD AND Ins TENANTRY. We
have the authority of the steward of the Earl of Harewood,
and two highly respectable tenants upon his lordship's
estates, to give the fullest contradiction to a paragraph
which appeared in our last, respecting the alleged recal of
the return made to the tenantry some time back.—Leeds
Times.
DEATH OF TIIE EARL OF DARTMOUTH.— We have to
record the death of this respected peer, who expired on
Tuesday last, at Patshall, the family seat in Staffordshire,
after a short illness. The deceased nobleman was fourth
earl. He was born 1784, and married, first, in 1821, the
eldest daughter of the second Earl Talbot; and, secondly,
in 1828, the second daughter of Viscount Barrington. His
lordship's son by his first marriage, Viscount Lewisham,
M.P. for South Staffordshire, succeeds to his titles and
estates.