The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-07-29

language g which no opposition, no postponement
can prevent from becoming the commercial.
legal, scientific and court Language of the coun-
try. A little enquiry on the part Of those who
make these complaints would have disclosed the
fact, that it is o fundamental rule of the Ameri-
can Board in all its missionary operations, to
commences and carry on instruction only in the
vernaeular Of the countries which they endeavor
to benefit. The reasons which led to the adop-
ton of this rule, will readily commend themselves
to an intelligent mind, and do not require to be
argued here. Thus it will be seen that it was
not optional with the first missionaries to have
introduced at the outset the study of the English
language among this people, had they desired to
do so, nor even at a later period, when changes
and circumstances pointed out the desirableness
of such a course. The great North Pacific whal-
ing fleet, now concentrating twice a year at the
islands-and the near neighborhood of rising
and wealthy states, scions of the Anglo-Saxon
stock, and growing to be giants in commerce
and agriculture = has made the English the
business language of the country to an extent
that could scarcely have been dreamed of in 1920.
Under this condition Of things, all will recognize
the necessity, in order to its preservatie n, that
the Hawaiian nation should, as soon as p~ractica-
bic, be instructed in that language which only
will enable them to compete with their visitors in
trade and commerce! But tbs cannot be done in
a day, and in this particular the remarks of the
report are sensible, and viii be responded to as
correct by all who know anything of Hawaiian
education. 1t will be seen by the report that the
Board are of the opinion that a larger proportion
of the school revenue ought to be appropriated to
this nh.aot o-1 -. oao,Io~ .-.xl
understand that the New Code has been framed
on this point so as to give the Board the requisite
authority to appropriate from time to tine such
portion of the school fund to the support of
English schools for natives, as in their Judgment
may seem necessary and proper.
In regard to the publication of native school
books, of which the report saws there is great
need, and that they will be SO reprinted as far as
the funds at its disposal will allow we hope
that as small editions as are absolutely needed
will be printed. An algebra and globe maps are
the only works referred to in the report as having
been published during the past two years. The
latter is what has long been needed, is a well
executed map, and will serve our schools to some
purpose. One thousand copies have been issued
at a very low cost.
The report refers us to several important docu-
0ONN
ments in the appendix. which we have looked for
in vain. The issue of the report without the
documents alluded TO, is certainly not very
bnsiness-like, but we are at a loss whether to lay
the heca of its non-appearance to the President of
the Board, or to the inability of the press to exc
cute it.
BY the report, we are informed that 1000
copies of the Rae Halcaii. newspaper, are issued
9 under the general direction of the Board of
Education" and that the expense of this second
Government Journal for 1857 amounted to 1888
the receipts being S2.0l6 %. 1t will thus be
seen that the Government supports two official
journals-one in the vernacular and the other in
the English language. Very enterprising and
liberal :. The Haze, we arc told, '.seems to be
growing in popular favor Hardly as much
can be said of the other.
The latter part of the report, which we shall
publish next week, gives the number of marriages,
births and deaths for 1856 and 81. The mar
riage figures are probably correct. the others are
doubtless only approximate, but furnish the most
reliable data that can be obtained in the absence
of an official census. A statement is also given
of the births and deaths for seven years, or from
1851 to 1877 inclusive. When compared with
the table gwen at the close of the report, we find
several errors in the figures, but correcting these
as near as we can, the sum total Of births for the
above period is IL ia, and Of deaths 1880
an excess OF deaths over births of 10.646.
The present population is estimated at 10000.
We hope that the Legislature will make some
provision for taking a census. The Legislature
of 1855 repealed the last census law, and no pro-
vision now exists for taking one. Perhaps the
year 1860 would be a proper period to begin, and
afterwards every fifth or tenth year.
We trust that our readers will carefully peruse
the report of the Board of Education, not merely
because it is desirable TO be acquainted with the
nresent state Of educational affairs in our king
dom, but because it appears to be the developing
policy of the present ministry. if the position
assumed by the Minister of the Interior and the
Government gazette are to be taken as an index
overthrow the present popular system of
education, under the pleaN0f giving way to ga
of circumstances to which no other
nation was ever subjected before"