Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1852-06-12

j. DESvAULT.
Pro- Ap.
| Here is another letter from Desvault of simi
lar character, to the Minister of the Interior show
ing his disrespect to the authorities and interfer
ence with schools anterior to my appointment and
anterior to the appointment of any Prot Missiona-
ries as school Treasures.
have many letters of similar character which
| will hand you.
Cues. z. In your opinion is there any just
ground for the objection made by Catholic priests
against the present system of school examina-
] tions?
A. | cannot say that there is to the system
There have been instances of complaint on theil
part that the catholic schools were taken by the
kahukulas to protestant school-houses for examin-
alton. think there is no Just ground for these
complaints. The examinations do not in nv opin-
ion interfere in any way with the rights of con-
science of any religious sect whatever.
z. 8. From your observation during your recent
tour among the schools, have you found any rea-
son to believe that the children or their parents,
their teachers of the catholic schools desire q
change In the system now preserved, of school ex-
aminations
A. No. have reason to believe that as a gen.
eral thing they perfectly satisfied with it. have
examined in person, l think majority of all the
catholic schools on the islands, some of them re-
peatedly, have given them every opportunity to
make known their grievances in the most familiar
manner, and can now recollect but three or four
instances of catholic school teachers making any
complaint on this score. On the contrary, in q
number of instances, found the schools of dis
trict, both catholic and protestant, assembled to-
gether In the same protestant schoo-house for ex-
animation, and when l expressed my surprise, and
proposed to the catholic schools to retire to anoth
er place, and would examine them saparatey
they, both teachers and scholars, assure1lm that
they had not the least objection to being examined
with the other schools In some instances they
stated that their priest objected to this arrange
ment, but that they had no objection at all, as il
was not a religious matter. ght add that | am
not aware of any punishment upon teachers OF
scholars of catholic schools for refusing to assem-
BILE In protestant school-houses.
Q. g. Have complaints been made to you that
catholic teachers were paid less than protestan,
teachers of the same qualifications.
A. Yes.
@. TO- Have you examined into these COM
plants.
A. have, much as it is in my power to do
the parties being generally at distance.
Q. III. In your opinion, what foundation is there
for these complaints and what is the cause of such
complaints?
A. In my opinion the cause is sectarian Jealousy
as general thing, although in some cases. | have
fHought there might be foundation for the com.
plaint. More generally, however, in cases which
have come under my observation, there was nc
ground of complaint. The reason why the wages
of the catholic teachers was sometimes put lower
than that of the protestant, was ignorance, youth
fulness, or the want of good reputation as teach
er. But wish to observe that the precise wages
that every teacher shall receive, is not decd
ed by me, but by the school Inspector in consuta
ton with the trustees. Again | would observt
that the catholics having no High School for the
qualifications of teachers, and but few books, an(
these chiefly of religious character. As genera
thing the teachers of catholic schools fall far be
low those of protestants in literary qualifications
and this is one reason why their wages are some
times lower.
O. 12. Have any complaints been made by pro
testant teachers in regard to their pay and partic
ularly as compared with the pay of catholic teach
ers?
| A. The complaints of the protestant teacher:
are almost universal of their small pay. They
have several times complained of the catholic
teachers getting too much pay according to thei
qualifications-and they have repeatedly threaten
ed by whole districts to leave the schools en- masse
unless their pay was increased.
| Q. 13. You said you had never appointed
catholic priest to the office of Treasurer of school
| funds,-why have you not done so?
A. Because the are not subjects of the King
and if they were, have appointed men, who in my
/ Judgment have discharged the duties of schoo
| treasurers much more to the advantage of the
schools, than the priests would have done. Their
course during past years has not been such as te
secure for them the confidence of the Kings gov
| ernment-or to give them any claim upon it. fol-
appointments such as that under consideration
| The documents have already submitted, will en-
able the committee to Judge of this.
1 d. NO. l. TESTIMONY RELATING TO COM
!, PLANT ON MOLOKAI
COMMITTEE ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS o
Kamaipeekane, May 9Th.
QUEs. 1. Were you and Kaluna appointed BY
the Minister of Public Instruction to examine int
| complaint of P. Kamaka teacher, that he did no
receive sufficient pay?
Ans. l. We were.
@. 2 What were your instructions from thu
Minister of Public Instruction?
| A. 2. He instructed us to settle the difference
between Hooilo and Kamaka, and to endeavor Il
settle it amicably, (see letter of ins.)
@. g. How did you proceed?
| A. g. We went there to settle the dispute be
tween Hooilo and Kamaka, which was about the
teachers wages. The catholic priest, Joane Ma
ria came in and wished to be a witness in favor o.
Kamaka, to shew that Hooilo wrote to kamaks
offering him 81 1-2c. per day. We objected ant
said if the letter could be produced it would be
good evidence. Joane Maria replied that it wa;
| torn ND or lost We asked him why the letter was
not preserved. He replied that it could not be
found Hooilo said that they had parposely mis-
laid it, and denied that he had ever made such al
offer. That he wrote to Kamaka that if he would
come and teach. .xand if he found out that he was
every way qualified he would give him 81 I-2c.-
| have letter from Joane Maria, written at the
time of the trial giving the substance of Hooio's
letter to to Kamaka, which he wished US to keeE
secret Mr. Dwight the protestant missionary said
that all testimony should be made known and We
read the letter, which was as Hooilo had said,
will give the letter
We then told Kamaka that as Hooilo denied
having offered HIM Internationally 81 l-2c., and
he had not the letter to show that he had, and as
Hooilo did not consider him worth more than 25c
we must confirm Hooilo decision. Then thepries1