The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-03-17

only true safeguard. We can congratulate our
selves that foreign commerce with our port
which has been greatly overdone, rs gradnany
retreating within it's proper bounds Is have
been a nation of importers and shop-keepers /;
but this evil is slowly remedying itself, and that
fearful gap between our imports and exports is
annually narrowing down. But the gap is there
vet, decreasing in size it is true, but still formi-
dable enough to act the nightmare to our slum-
bers. We are still importers of many articles
that we can raise or manufacture. There are
thousands of acres of good lands on our islands
yet to be reclaimed from the wilderness, and
many a broad field where the glebe has yet been
undisturbed by the pillow.
While turning our attention in this direction,
however, we need not either neglect or desplse
those interests which chance or the convenience
Of our ports throws in our way we can be thank
full for favors both large and small, and can offer
ample accommodation for them all. Neither
should we forget that to our excellent harbors
and the visits of foreign whalers much OF our
present prosperity is due. But there Is no rea-
son why a foreign whaling feet should absorb the
entire attention, capital and interest OF our ISL
ands. and become the golden calf before which
all must bow down and worship. We have long
enough licked the hand that doles out its favors
in times of prosperity, but, when the day of adj
yersity comes, turns to smite US, wide New Bede
ford Shipping List.) Are we not unwise to place
all our reliance on those whose patronage, unsta-
BILE as water, may be withdrawn at any moment,
leaving us, unless we guard against it, nothing
to fall back upon, and nothing to hope for!
These reflections lead us to advert to another
change in the way of reform, which has created
no little surprise and talk the past month. An
influential member of our national legislature
has been found bold enough to declare that Tor
eign whaleships should be treated just like ''other
folks'-no better, no worse-and a legislative
BODY has been found to endorse his sentiments
with their votes, IA to 9, that such ships shall
pay just as high a duty on their stores as other
foreign ships. And though we may not agree in
all that the honorable gentleman said on the
subject, we point to it as an indication that a
change is undergoing on this important subject,
of special favoritism to whalers. We grant
them much. More than what they now receive
thew cannot ask. 1t is true we are often extolling
the unexampled facilities which our ports offer as
a rendezvous for whaleships; and that our boasts
are not groundless is proved by the fact that
those ships flock here year after year, after try
ing and rejecting the pretended advantages of
other ports in this ocean. If then these ships
derive so much accommodation and benefit by
recruiting here. why should they not pay for the
privilege the trihe that the government may
demand to enable it to preserve and secure the
safety of its ports and harbors, maintain an ei1-
police. and enforce the laws? We might
with Justice turn the tables upon the N. r. Ship
p;,o Liss and assert that New Bedford has en-
riched itself at the expense of the Hawaiian gov
eminent. Certainly this government has an
enormous list of charges on the wrong side OF Its
Ledger in its transactions with New Bedford.