Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1855-04-28
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Ube polpnesian.
REIGN OF KING KAMEHAMEHA "
REPORT

! III thO uOlllSC VI ldlS hll1 Name
hameha Ill, (of benefcent memory termin
ated the functions of the late Lieutenant
General and Commander-in-C Chief, Prince
Llholiho. That Prince, on the 18th of De-
cember last, ascended the throne amidst the
plaudits of His subjects, fully justified by the
enlightened and liberal course, which, as
Sovereign, he has pursued from that date Ut
to the present moment. Early admitted to
the counsels ofthe late King as Privy Coun-
selor, and as member of the House of No
bles, the brilliant natural talents which adorn
His Majesty, carefully cultivated by good
education, have been directed to the gravest
interests of the state There is no depart
ment of the late kings government which
was not much benefited by his wise sugges-
tons, but none so much as the Department ol
War, of which he may be considered as the
Creator. 1t would be waste of your valu-
able time for me to dilate upon the difficulties
which beset him at every step of his course
in the organization of military force, or
upon his success in overcoming these diff
culties by dint of perseverance, and by the
most Judicious application of the small means
placed at his disposal by preceding legisla-
lures.
After His Majesty's accession TO the throne,
one of his first cares was 10 provide a prop
Ier Commander-n-Ch Chief, in the person of His
Royal Highness General, Prince Kamehame-
ha, who had served under himself, as second
in command.
1t is well known to the Kings government
that ever since 1913, | have urged the ne
cessity ofa regularly organized military force !;
that | predicted dangers as likely to come
upon US, from California; that instructed
Mr.. Jarves and Mr.. Judd, in lS49, to repre-
sent those dangers to the government of the
United States, and that, in all my preceding
reports, as Secretary at War, l have press
ed the subject with great earnestness.
In proof of what | say, | appeal to those
reports, TO the records of the late Kings
Privy Council, to enclosure No 66 of my
report as Minister of Foreign Relations for
the present year, and to the extracts from let
ters to Mr.. Judd of the Sd and 18th Novem-
ber and Sth December, lS49, of which
append copies marked A, B and C..
may therefore lay claim to some credit
for prevlslon events that occurred during
last year, and others more serious which were
fully confirmed my predictions
made years before. Without entering into
particulars which would condemn a far. and
hurt the feelings of many, | solemnly warn
the representatives of the Hawaiian people,
as they love their sovereign and their exis-
tence as a nation, not to vote against the ap-
asked for the military, without
first applying to General Prince Kamehame-
ha, Commander in-C Chief, to see my despatch
es to His ExcelIency, NJ. Kekuanaoa, Gov
ernor of Oahu, dated Ith, 18th and 25th No
vember, 1854. | wish to be understood, in
the plainest sense of my words, when say
that, there is not a representative of the peo-
pie who, after reading those dispatches, can
vote against as full an appropriation for a
military force as the revenue of the kingdom
can admit of, without betraying the rights of
his Sovereign, the very existence of the Ha-
waiian people; and | add, with all becoming
without violating his own oath to
support the Constitution and the laws. When
the kingdom itself is in danger, do not be
deluded by the fine sounding phrases of pub
he improvements Those recommended by the
King in his gracious speech from the throne,
and by the Ministers of the Interior, Finance,
and Public Instruction, are all unquestionably
of great importance but, as for the so called
public improvements of by-gone years, where
are they? What benefits have they confer
ed upon the masses of the people compared
with the immense sums that they have absorb
ed What wharves, roads and bridges of
permanent and general utility can we boast
of? What benefit have the people of Ha-
waii. Maui, Molokai and Kauai, derived from
all the expenditure that has been made with
in radius of three miles of Honolulu? In
favor of judicious public Improvements for
the public good, am as great an advocate
as any man can be. | may claim the honor
of having been the first to suggest some of
the greatest-such as the introduction of in
ter-island steam navig alton, and the general
improvement of the harbor, forts, Sc; but,
so long as the kingdom itself is in danger,
would never recommend any application of
the national revenues to public works, how
ever necessary and useful, that would leave
the King without the means Indispensable to
the national defense.
With the view of obtaining and laying be-
fore you the fullest and most correct partic
uIars of everything connected with that de-
fense, on the 18th February last ] addressed
to His Royal Highness, General Prince Ka-
Commander-in-Chie under the
King, the despatch, of which | annex copy,
marked D. | further addressed to His
Royal Highness the despatch dated Goth
February, of which l append copy marked
E. After carefully reading and considering
those two communications, | particularly re-
commend to your attention the reply OF. ID 7 !
Roya! Highness. dated 26th March, ff
and of its three annexed seb,sr;ll observe :
'0RS' BS the sFfn first during il gsToh Iisyih
that the tots9l OLA SOS SO cents. BY the second
months eI11Is you will see that the cost of sup
orting for one year, only 100 infantry, Is