The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-09-16
TEE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 10.

The TREAIY with France Is q. length before
the public. Like some great hero retired to his
final sleep, alter the conflict Of q decade Of years,
it is laid out in state for the gaze of the curious,
the wonder Of the simple, and the careful scru-
tiny Of thc thinking ard practical. Like anoth-
er image of Baal, IL has been erected in the
gateway OF the Department of Foreign Affairs,
and the official organ commands that it be an OBJ
.ject of reverence and worship for all true be-
levers in tee wisdom, sssacity and u%nrivaled
craftsmanship of His Majesty's present advisers.
We approach this formidable state document with
all the respect due 10 an instrument promulgated
90 in the name of the most Holy Trinity - and if
we do not fall down and do obeisance to it, it
will be because, like the idol of Baal, il is desery-
ing rather OF our pity and compassion than reyer-
ence and because we are simple enough TO re-
gard its enactment rather ae a national disgrace
than in So the character OF a national triumph
1t is such g document az could only be expected
TO emanate from the combined wisdom of the
present Ministry after years Of discordant dispute
and shameful concession. Lengthy to a fault,
verbose beyond all necessity or precedent, ex-
tremely dubious and equivocal in almost every
article, its provisions will be found ON practice
TO yield more than the most arbitrary would have
dared to demand We defy any one 70 point to
a treaty that can compare with it in length, and
in the many points on which a double c~onstrue-
ton can be placed. This feature would De bad
enough were il confined 20 one language only,
but when VIC come To tho variations created by
three, there seems no limit TO It's censure. That
it may appear more III contrast with customary
similar treaties, we take the liberty to reprint
aionr with - Tho 1oer .rooS- ,y;fb, E-a,+ P-;$o,,
both of which will BE- found on our supplements
airy issue OF this date. 4 comparison of the
wording Of tho two documents on the different
subjects treated, will be a curiosity TO any who
have the leisure 70 make It.
The treaty ouens, with TIE declaration in Art.
IL, that there shall be reciprocal commerce :. be-
tween all the territories OF the French Empire in
Europe and these islands. Here is found the
first Of that d~uplicity which runs through nearly
every paragraph of the treaty. Does it mean
only the territories IN Europe, or not? Are the
Colonies OF the Society and Marqucsas groupeand
New Caledonia Intentionally excluded from this
treaty? We are the more confirmed i'm the opin-
ion that such is the intent of tho document, from
the wording of the llth Article, which expressly
says ports Of France" and again in the 18th
Article, : in France" in both which there is an
evident intent to cvade embracing the French
Pacific Colonies within tie provisions of the
treaty. Had any other meaning been intended,
1T would have been easy to have worded it to em-
brace all, by emitting the words 5. in Europe
or otherwise.
Again, in the second paragraph of Art. II, it
is a nice question whether liberty to carry on a
coasting trade among these islands lie not welded
81 1911 - Al
paragraph to the contrary, Notwithstanding. We
believe that a Frenchman can claim the privi-
lege to trade in foreign goods from place to place
IN 4 French vessel, Nth or ,rithout license.
and carry all the HaOaiian passengers he may
choose from port to port without let OF hindrance.
If such is not the intent of the article, why is it
inserted
Again, in the fourth paragraph of this same
Art. III, 1T Is a grave question, which may vet
have to be settled, whether the treaty does not
grant full liberty to French subjects to retail
liquor 10 the natives within and without the
limits of Honolulu, inasmuch as it is expressly
provided that . they shall have the right to bny
and to sell" liquor, spirits, or anything else, ssof
and to whom they please, without any monopoly,
contract, or exclusive privilege of sale or pur-
chase, prejudieing or restricting in any manner
ichatsrer their liberty IN this respect" If the
right is not fully conceded, it is because the Eng
lish language is not capable of doing it.
Art. III relates to the introduction of the French
language in all official intercourse with the gov
eminent. This demand. it will be seen, is fully
yielded by our government. And what will be
its effect? Simply this, that in every depart
ment of the government, and on every island, in
all its official intercourse with French subjects it
may be compelled to procure, at more or less cx-
pense, TRANSACTIONS or employ translators. To
what extent this may increase the expenses of
government it is impossible to predict. Were
its operation confined solely to the French Lam
guage, it would be comparatively small perhaps.
But this concession is granted by parity to every
nation with which we have a treaty, should they
it. We must receive Spanish documents
to safiafy Chile and Peru, we must receive Danish