Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1855-04-28

Ond, | omit to deduct the SIS. 400 which the
Prince, IN his excessive desire to save money.
thinks may be economical by discharging so
men for six months of the year. do not
think that we can be safe with only sixty men
ready to act when called upon, even during
the most quiet months of the year. Ii is not
the stout-armed and stout-hearted sailors
who earn their bread by hard labor and
amidst many perils, on the stormy ocean.
fishing whales, that we have most to fear
Our dangers arise from those who are lands
men, and who desire to live-not by labor
as the sailors do, but by appropriating to
themselves the fruits of the labor of others
and who, in predatory bands, invade peace
iul countries IN the name of Hbert9, ciriiiza-
tloR and progress. What such men want is
to nil their pockets, not to peril their lives
Their system, like that of all other robbers.
is to attack by surprise; and so long as we
are without foreign vessels of war, perma-
nently in port, it becomes us to have always
at command, such force as would certainly
defeat them, In any attempt at surprise
| For these reasons, and others which
shall show below, in place of the $50 900 to
which the Prince has pared down the esti-
mates for the Department of War, | have
asked ofthe Minister of Finance $50 900, as
you will see by my dispatch to him of the Sd
instant, of which | append copy marked G.
append, marked II, tabular statement
of the whole expenses for the military, under
the appropriation made by the last legisla-
ture, showing the proportion expended for
different purposes, from 3lst March. 1851.
to the lst of this month; also marked II bis,
brief account, showing how the balance of
the appropriation of $1,000 by the Privy
Council of 1854 was expended.
The appropriation of last year has sufficed
only with the utmost pinching in every thing,
by the help of 1929 23 cents, arising from
the sale of useless old iron guns as you will
see by the correspondence, of which ap-
pend copies marked l, j, K, and by Si252 90
for gunPOwder and percussion caps, which |
had to order from San Francisco, and for
which | have advanced the money, as shown
in the supplementary military account, of
which annex copy marked L.
| very strongly recommend to your con-
sideration, the Militia Act which the Prince
has prepared. There are many points along
the coasts of the Islands, where foreign
marauders of the class have referred to
above, and in my Report of Minister of For
eigu Relations, might effect a landing; and
repudiating as we do, most cordially and
unanimously, their principles and their pre-
tensions, we ought to be In position to cap
ture and disarm them, wheresoever they may
disembark. 1t would be very easy so to iso-
late such plundering intruders, on any point
on which they might land, as to leave them
only masters of the ground on which they
stand, and to cut off all resources from, and
all communication with, them, until the ma
tives could muster in such force as to over
whelm them.
We need never apprehend that such vag-
abonds will invade us in any force beyond
what, with proper organization, we can over
come. The nearest point from which they
could come upon US is California, and to
bring even 200 men from thence, at say $50
per head, would require $4,000, to say
nothing of the cost of their arms and accou-
trements. Such men are usually rich only
in the intensity of their desI ire to seize the
property of others, and in their readiness to
commit any number of murders that may be
necessary to secure their booty Yet, |
must not conceal from you that it has been
reported that men possessed of large means
in San Francisco, and not unknown to indi-
viduals residing amongst ourselves, have
been ready to furnish the means of fitting out
a filibustering expedition against these ISL
ands With the example of Ieras, CVJa'
the Peninsula Of Bdjd California and of quay
mas, before US, we must not shut or ears 10
such warnings. Y
If we neglect the militaY organization
suggested by the Prince, sdthoriZe no militia
throughout the islands. import no arms lor
distribution among the natives, theh we VIII
be chargeabe wir1 not only shutting our ears
and our ewes 70 the dangers of our position,
but with actually inviting foreigners to invade \
us and profit by our weakness.
In his desire to meet the penury of the
Treasury, the Prince, in his schedule OF
arms required to be purchased, has SAID 4
nothing about field pieces. In my opinion, a
dozen of brass field pieces, so light as to ad-
NIT of being rapidly carried from one place
to another, on horses or mules. and with an
ample supply of every thing required tor
their use, would add greatly to our means OF
defense.
These brass field-pieces, with oil their aP- .
purtenances, would cost little compared with .
the old iron guns bought of Messrs. Butler, 4
Keith s. Hill, of Boston, in 1850, without
shot to fit them, at cost of So, ,403 81, IN !
cluding freight as you can see by reieEg,'T ne
to the account, marked No. %. reirt m
in my report as Minister of Fr's ! N nee, Of
tions These guns are noId' a,uo' ,hern ta
and are absolutely ofnan oy saiu'i"s en-
mount SGtutir 1o,s lst- pa
FilibusteHrked NJ. copy OF the rrlhoo : bi
on go Of the 24th February last, recOui- nj
.nd;no that the Arms should be Doug - a, a,
noIand. the price there being rnu'h wv Il
H. ITnited States. ";
You VII, ,ad opss, Schedule puts down s. 25O lOr