The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-08-21
Editors Gem. Aluert,ser and Pasncs,qn.

Z COlIttA " II W or
more contemporaneous Journals at the same time. :.
[ crave the indulgence of an insertion of the rema.k,
which [ propose TO make in your respective tapers,
They pertain to the Sailors Home. which circumstan-
ces have brought rather prominently before our CON-
munity for some little time past. L shall try 10 avoid
all personalities and use Of improper or offensive lam
guage, knowing that they prejudice rather than ben.
eft the cause they are designed to serve, and are mos,
likely to be wanting in courtesy and kindness 7
shall hope to make my statements of facts conforma.
bic to truth and my reasOnings according to the mn
mutable principles of justice and right as I under
stand them. It is not my purpose to provoke contra
versy for which [ have neither time nor inclination
but being personally acquainted with the facts from
the beginning, | wish simply 10 lay them before the
public for their Judgment, nor am [ without hope that
it may promote the interests of peace to do so. sin.
cerely regretted the remarks of the Pacific as far
they were of a personal and private nature, nor couS
I feel the necessity for the Polynesian holding up a
part of the Trustees of the Home as designing men
dipping the remainder, but l will proceed with nv
statement.
Attention was first called to the subject of a Sailors Hms1
Honolulu in November 1854, and a series of pubIemsssnma
were held in reference to it. A deep hsl interest mt was sni-asa IN the
the sailors visiting this port, and which would contribute largely
A Society was formed, a Board of Trustees chosen and a consti-
tuition adopted: One of the first objects was to secure a good
location for 2 Home whenever a sufficient amount Of funds could
be raised for that purpose. The lot upon which the Home now
stards then belonging TO the Government, was thought by some
to be the best adapted of all others for this purpose fit could be
obtained. Its location bet ween the harb1r and most Of the
houses licensed for the sale of liquors was thoughttob be favorable.
1t was hoped that many Seanen might be attracted thhher by
its inviting and orderly APPEARANCE, and once there, be retained
result of indulgence in the Intoxicating cup;
The Government was rlemorialized and asked 10 bestow thebt
for this benevolent purpose. 1t responded most nobly and Tter-
! ally, by granting the lot. 1t was one of the noblest Of the many
ence. Individual members of the Government lent their personal
equntenanee. aud ia lGe ns., by S" ashiD aS acc hec GIIg to their
tees, and no doubt the cheerful cooperation cfall was lent toths
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees on the Sd day of May
1855 To take preliminary steps for the erection of a building, it
was stated by one of their number that a lot had been purchased
by a party Immediately adjoining the lot granted for a Home,
and a hotel in which nc spiTlt5 sv would i be SO sod was "a to be erected, thus
fares between the contemplated Home and the harbor.
of the Board and some were almost prepared to abandon the en-
ter~rise, unless something could be done to prevent the opening
of such an establishment in such located proximity, and so favor
an TOT u almae ~ LIZ ! III Ia lii - fr IS oh IngS 81 - T zen
Contract for building if already made. rasheEthan have his enter
prise prosecuted in that location. a committee WAS appointed
to wait upon the Minister of the Interior and request that no
licenses might be granted on the Bethel square. Responsible
members of this Committee stated explicitly to his Royal High
ness, that they woaif assume the purchase OF the party who had
bought the lot if he desired, 50 anxious were they that no license
should be granted in that location. The Minister stated expressly
that a license had been furnished for one year, but that the de-
partment was under no obligations TO kina beyond that period.
Robertson, Chairman of the Committee, and to Mr.. Maxeyf
same date. He also, in the same letter. advised the Trustcesn
6i%S aFer the eSrjraton Of Sir. MaSev;s iiiee1ss. 49, D@1
The communication of the Council to His Highness was made
verbally. The statements Of what passed are from members Of
In conformity with the recommendation Of the Minister, the
Board pstitioned for such an ordinance as he suggested, which
was passed by the Council on the 2Ist Of May, and commuats-
ted 10 the Board verbally by SIR. Alien its presiding Officer at its
+ first meeting thereafter Mr.. Al.u's connection with both the
Priyy Council. and Board, probably led to the omission ofthe
formal communication by the former, to the latter, ofthe oi-
Hence there is nothing but the record Of the verbal repwto
Mr., Allen, in the minutes of the Board, but the Board, and we
presume the Government, regarded il a none the less au'henlS
on account fits Informal communication.
Upon these ssurlnccs the Trustees restel with implicit conf
lence ; and without suspicion, rs they had been accustomed to
do, in other transactions, aud in other Capacities, upon the
pEghted faith of She Government More than a year elapsed.
when their attention was directed to the fact that the sale"
spirituous liquors was still Continued e. the Hotel and ts e
PORT that a license had been or was about being granted s
another year to Its occupant. LAS SssInet quite LlCieAEo 80
u meeting was called, a memorial To the Minister OF the llar i
Ell to the duty assigned them, and subsequent to tn, the Pnn!
Council repeated the ordinance of May u, 1888, prem
MaSeg's license was renewed for another year.
which has alreaiy been published in ysus respective JSa TEs
ton to Mr. Maxey, upon the faith, of which he had made his in
vestments, that to deny his application fer a license would bet3
ruin him, and that the ordinance of May 2lst, was, really, !oa
as far as Mr.. Maxey was concerned by reason of the previols
pledge 70 HIM, that it siloNi not have beea enacted that n ia.
the distance to- other Hotels was but a little greater, and that
the power to revoke its own ordinances was vested in the o0m-
ell when other parties were not preiudiced thereby.
The main positions ID be noticed in this reply are the pn5
to annul its own ordinances, when no prejudice in its opinion
will result in other parties. Upon the former, I would remaIa
to the Trustees should not have been assumed as being incm,
patibie with the former to him, but in this case it seems cbar@
me from the facts stated that the Council was in error. thl
there was no expressed or even implied pledge 10 Mr.. Make.
1t will be remembered that the purchase was brought to the ~
tce of the Trustees soon after it was made, and before a suoSs
was struck on the Home or the Hotel towards their erec
The subject was brought to the notice of the Minister anu a. J:
his alvice before the Council without delay. The Minister as @
snred both the Board of Trustees and Mr.. Maxey tina. and and
July 1886, no license would be granted on Bethel square,
to make assurance doubly sure the Council passed an oril1ra mm.
to the same effect. Now could the Minister state to y
mittee of the Trustees, that the department would De an Is h.
obligation 20 MIR. NJ after the close of the year, could e ret
clerk have assured MIR. NJ. he would not be again licensed, ~ ar
place Of course, could he have advised the Board 20 peutpmn.r.
an ordinance-such as be did, and could the Council have M.
ed 1t, IN the face of an implied pledge, even, that na U % rbich
been assumed of a directly contrary character and both o., 81 %u one
II would nave been utterly impossible to keep, for he aamd Mr..
could be kept without the violation of the Others, ana ~ ,fNs
M.haye had any reasonable expectation of a renewal nat
license directly in the face of the assurance of the MIss ep-
1t would not be renewed +? The existence, of any pc &c 1s tenr
press, or implied to MIR. NJ. SO at variance with the "n y few
OF these official and public acts, within the compp@ Is;cbI be-
days is Incredible. 1t would argue a duphcity OF 1." WI # thi
heTe the Government to be utterly incapable. IHt,rnosed
time l cannot believe the Government had any more that il
renewing its license than the Trustees had expectauto. But
would he renewed, nor had he any reason 10 expee1It, farfs IN
in the recent Council L cannot believe that all OF III nssnt 20 the
the order of occurrence, and their bearing, were pe we been
minds of the members, or such action would n'
taken. Io-ishp
IF the failure to get out a license would have been . mne 10
TO Mr.. Maxey, it should be remembered that the asssun.answed,
him that his license on Bethel Square would mol nc ~ ersdGu
was communicated before a step was taken towards men would
of his house, and at a moment too when responsive 5oubles
have taken it of his hands at the cost, or at thai IL