New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-19
France, the Sandwich Islands and the United
States.

The quarrel between France and the Sandwich
Islands has broken out again, under circumstances
which have an important bearing on the future
destiny OF the Hawaiian Kingdom Our Califor-.
mia mails bring us full particulars Of the state Of
affairs. AS the origin OF the dispute may not be
fam lar to most OF our readers, sc will briefly
reoapiiula,e the facts.
Cow .a.-- 90 5:-1 1--~Ir ---- ---1~ OV-
tween England, France and the Sand Vich
Islands, in which the independence Of the latter
country was guaranteed by the two former. One
of the s!pulatons in that treaty waS, that goods
imported in British or French vessels should no,
be subject to duty Of more than five per cent.
ad valorem, except wines and spirituous Ii
ouors," the duty upon which was to be optional
with tho Haw allan Government, provided it did
not amount to absolute prohibition Soon after
this, the duty upon &" wines and liquors" includ.
ing beer and ale, was fixed at IS per gallon. The
British Government demonstrated against the
tax, on the ground that beer and ale could not be
clAssed as wines or spirituous liquors, and Rher
some discussion, this distinction was admitted
and the articles were allowed TO be introduced
under the regular FIVE per cent ad ralOrem duty
The French Government thereupon claimed that
French wines and brandies should be received
on the same terms, and the IS per gallon tax al
ready collected, refunded in full. Az this claim
was in direct conflict with the terms of the treaty
It ws at once refused. The French naval forces
then in the harbor Of Honolulu, took violent pos.
session Of the fortress, which they held for seve-
raj days. This event, which occurred about sight.
cen months ago, was the commencement Of the
aggressive course viii has since been pursued
by France.
At the last account. the French authorities not
only demanded repeal of the duty on wines and
brsndies, a manifest violation Of their previous
compact, but insisted with singular sbsurdity,
that because two members OF the Hawiian Min
istry happened to be Scotchmsn and an Ameri'
can, (Mr. Wynie and Mr.. Judd 4 FrenchmAn
should also be chosen 10 the Cabinet of King
Kamehameha Another demand 10, that the
French and American missionaries should be
placed upon an equal footing, with regard to the
funds devoted by Government TO the support of
the missionary enterprise. Ii was also com
msnded that all correspondence between thetwo
Governments should be carried on in French, aot-
withdrawing the well known fact that the Eng.
lish is spoken throughout the Islands, and has
been declared the official language of the oOun-
try, on account Of the poverty Of the Hawaiian
tongue. The frivolous and ridiculous character of
sheIe demands needs no showing.
Such, 1t appears, was the ultimatun sent TO the
Haw aiixn Government with the declaration that
II the demands were not complied with by the
scth Of March, the fortress would be again seized
and the port blockaded. The Government con-
nnued firm in its intention TO resist 80 shame.
lees an imposition, and it was generally believed.
would shrow itself under the protection Of the
United States The San Francisco papers assert |
with confidence that the American colors will
be at once adopted, in ease Of an attack. The
Americans constitute large majority of the !
foreign residents at Honolulu, and the commerce |
of the Islands with California and Oregon is now
equal to their entire trade with ENGLAND and
France. Under these circumstances, i, is ea,v
to foresee that the Government, In case Of actual
contact, will receive ali possible sympathy and
aid from our citizens.
lt nprobable that our Government appealed |
to by the Haw siian King and Ministry will inter.
pose its medistive influence. The CalliorniaaS,
however will hardly wait for the SLOW result Of
official communications We have no doubt that !
In few weeks after the ne W. OF the blockade OF