Polynesian., 1855-05-19
HONOLULU, H. l., MAY I9, 1856.
Gbe polpuesian.
REPORT
Of the Minister Of Foreign Relations. con-
tinued from No Of l2h May.


sectarian jealousies, family quarrels and dis
sentions among the foreign residents, of which
Sir George gives an amusing description, at
page 62, Part ID. of the narrative of his
I" Journey Round the World, " it was fortunate
for the late king, that man so well known
and so deservedIy trusted as Sir George re-
posed so much faith in His Majesty's govern
ment, as to lend them the sum above mention
ed, and arrived at the conviction, from the
which he discerned, that the native
king and his subjects were capable of exist
ing as an independent state, aud ought, by a
formal act of recognition and by treaty, to be
brought within the pale Of international law.
1t cannot fail 10 interest you to know what
Sir George says on this subject for himself
quote from page SO of part I'd of the work,
as follows:
GAS was myself party TO the negotia-
tions, which resulted in England's recognition
of the independence Of the group, l might
appear to have personal interest in defend
ing the policy of that measure, had not Lord
Palmerston's previous disclaimer" of British
sovereignty left little but matter Of form to
be settled between Lord Aberdeen on the
one hand, and the Hawaiian Enjoys and my
self on the other. But even before Lord
Palmerston offered the disclaimer in ques-
ton, what was the actual position of our
with respect to the native authorities
as distinguished from the rival powers Of the
civilized world Though against the latter,
the claim of England was conclusive and
complete, yet in regard TO the former it
amounted to nothing more than the barren
rights of feudal superiority. Considering that
in the days of Cook, the Sandwich Islands
were Just about as populous, in proportion to
extent, as Wales or Scotland, they could not
on any principle of law or reason have been
as unUccupied territory for the
purposes of colonization, more particularly
as the aboriginsS lived. at least as exclu-
siveIy as either the Scotch or Welch, on
what they extracted from the soil by the
sweat of their brows.
&c But the rights Of discovery, whatever
they were, were clearly abandoned with re-
spect to the natives by Vancouver's accep-
tance of Kamehameha' 5 cession of the SOW
ereignty of Hawaii, an acceptance which
the British government of the day never dis
avowed, while the new title for which the old
one was thus bartered was itselfinconsistent,
as was also its subsequent confirmation by Ii
hoIiho, with anything like direct interference
in the internal polity Of the group. If Eng
land had taken the offers of the COnqueror
and of his son according to their well under
stood Specification, she would have assumed
only the protectorate of the archipelago, an
office which at least, according to French
experience and perhaps in the nature of
things, would have embrniled her, TO say
nothing Of the jealousy of foreign rivals with
the very savagesf whom she protessed to pro-
tect If she had actually established the in
direct dominion IN question, she would in all
probability have soon been justified by some
violation or other of her rights, in grasping
the immediate sovereignty; but as she had
not chosen to establish any thing of the kind 4,
she stood on the same footing as France or
America, or Holland, or Denmark, with re-
spect 10 the natives, in any attempt at annex
ing the Islands to her colonial empire. Such
annexation, unless it rested on the plaInest
Justice and the strongest necessity, could not,
on the whole, BE- advantageous TO the mistress
Of so many widely scattered dependencies,
held for the most part in cheap and willing
subiection by their faith in her moderation
and integrity. 1t might indeed promote
the welfare of the great mass of the people,
rendered palatable by comparative trl1lng
amount of amenities, which, in most cases,
would be limited by nature herselfto the lives
Of the first recipients. 1t is only on thus dis
interested ground, and in this honorable way
that England can ever think Of possessing the
Hawaiian Archipelago however tempting may
be its agricultural, or commercial. or PoIt-
ical attractions"
That Sir George, from the state in which
he found things in 1912, took a correct view
in believing that the Hawaiian King and peo-
pie were worthy of being recognized as an
independent state, and possessed the elements
necessary TO an independent existence, will
be found from the extracts from an Expose
prepared by me, on the 18th of August last,
of which l append copy marked No. 6.
1t pleased the late King to associate the
Chief Timoteo Haalilio with Mr.. Richards lr
the mission which, with them, Sir George
Simpson undertook, as | have already ex-
plained. On the l4th December, 1872, Mr.
Haailio and Mr. Richards having arrived a
Washington, addressed a very able note Il
the Honorable Daniel Webster, then Secre
tarv of State, setting forth the grounds upor
which his late Majesty asserted his right e
be recognized as an independent sovereign
by the United States, and by the eadinl
powers of Europe, in which note the following
paragraph occurred:-
His Majesty is also desirous that ther'
should be definite arrangement for the set
tlement of any future difficulties which may
| sThe Disclaimer Of Lord Palmerston was his Lord
ships reply the British Parliament, to question pu
by Lord 1ngestrie, in March, 184O (see page OF m,
Report for 1S45) The modesty of Sir George pre-
vents from taking credit to himself for his own success
in inducing the French government to consent to tn
recognition of Hawaiian independence in March, l84O
as shall show hereafter. h Z. W.
! Tin using the word " Saua9es," be it remembered
that Sir George is speaking ofthe years 1874 and 1924