The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-08-14
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY, AUGUST IA


maintain. An individual who conducts all his affairs
with prudence and good faith establishes for himself
q reputation as extensive as his name becomes known.
His word and his name in his business transactions
are relied on as the best security between man and
man. But let him depart from the line of strict hon
esty and faith, let him once take advantage Of the
technicalities which he may turn in his favor to the
detriment of his fellows, and confidence in him be-
comes impaired-his credit begins to waver. So it
is with Governments. The prosperity or ruin of a
state depends in O great measure on its administra-
ton. If honesty, integrity and justice are the para
mount principles which govern its executive officers,
a general confidence will be reposed in it at home and
abroad. If, on the other hand, i'll faith, dishonesty
or injustice are allowed to enter into its acts and con-
troll the deliberations fits ministry a general want of
faith and loyalty in it viii as surely ensue as light
follows darkness.
cit Isl singular fact - says a sterling writer in a
New York paper, 9 that in all semi-civilized and hea-
then countries business is transacted almost entirely
without credit. To pay down is the rule, to give
credit the exception. In proportion as man aseends
in the scale of refinement, intellectual development,
and moral culture, he has a foundation of character
on which his ~neighbor can rest with security. Thus
elevated, he is worthy to be respected, honored, and
trusted. In no more tangible way can we show that
we repose confidence in another, than to place in his
hands our money or our property. One step higher
than any other man stands the Christian, and his re-
Egious principle IS everywhere acknowledged, (other
things being equal) as the truest basis of confidence
and credit. He may be poor, but if he is a man of
real honest character-not q deceiver, he is worthy
to be trusted. If however, he is ever so good, NOR
ally, but has no capacity for business, (and there are
thousands of such) he cannot safely be entrusted
With our grePsrty: ,,- But IT. # he possesses both wealth
sham, and as a business man should be avoided. No
one would think of trusting a pickpocket, a mid
night assassin, or a notorious liar, whatever his pc
cuniary responsibility might be. New Zealand, Pat
agonia, or any other community Of barbarians, would
meet with poor success in negotiating a loan in Wall
street, not because they are poor, but because they
will cheat, steal, or murder if they think they can
thereby promote their own interests. A man of
princely wealth may come to New York, stop at one
of our 8 fashionable uptown hotels, , ride in his car
rage, jingle his money perpetually, and yet if he is
known to be a d~efaulter, everybody Except the sher-
riff will say with regard to him, :" hands off, We
have thus shown that real integrity Of character i.
the only true basis of credit. Without such a basis.
no individual, State or Nation can have high COM
mereial standing. This is a fundamental law, inhe-
rent in the very constitution of the universe, and a
law of God,
During the past week there has been some excite
ment in town, occasioned by the relicensing of the
Royal Hotel on the Bethel square. The issuing of
this license is considered to be an act of bad faith on
the part Of the Government and an open violation of
pledges given by it to the Sailors Home Society, a
society that embraces q vast majority of the merchants
and foreign residents on these Islands, Government
officers included, the captains, officers and crews ola
large portion of the whaling and merchant feet Wis
iting this port, and the friends of seamen in various
parts of the world.
The history of the affair is this On the 3rd of
May, 1866, while the trustees of the Sailors Home
were celebrating on q plan Of an edifce for the Home,
it was brought to their knowledge that other parties
were making arrangements to erecta Hotel and drink
ing Saloon upon an adjoining lot in the same square.
The trustees Immediately made known to the Minister
of the Interior their desire that no house should be
licensed to retail Intoxicating liquors in such close
proximity or even on the same block.
On the 9Th of the same month the Minister rep,it-
ted to the trustees a courteous letter in which he sta
ted that he had taken counsel in relation to the mat
ter, and although he felt himself compelled to grant
the license applied for, on the ground of its havihg
been promised by the Clerk of the department to Mr..
Maxey, it should be only for one year from July 1st,
1855, and that it was his intention not to renew it
after that period. Of the above determination of the
Minister, Mr.. Maxey was also notified under the same
date, a copy of the Minister'S letter to him being en-
closed to the trustees. The Minister also advised the
trustees to petition the King and Priyy Council to
pass an ordinance forbidding any future licenses on
that square. A memorial to this effect was presented
to the King and Privy Council signed by all the trus-
tees. This was responded to. verbally, by one of the
Kings Ministers, who assured the trustees that such
an ordinance had been passed by the Priyy Council,
forever forbidding the Minister ofthe Interior to grant
any licenses for the sale of intoxicating drinks on the
Bethel square.
With the above assurances from the Government,
Mr.. Maxey erected his building and called it . The