The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-07-26
TEE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THERSDAY. lilly d

: THURSDAY, JULY 26.
IT Is related somewhere Of an ancient monarch.
that when one Of his viziers brought before him.
10 examine and Tromulgate, as was the custom Of
the realm, q huge pile Of state documents, %
pondeEous that they required the aid Of several
servants to bear them, he peremptorily ordered
his yizier u take away the mass. and condense
the whole into q space not exceeding four foIiOs.
adding, 81 let that hereafter be the duty 0f YOUR
Office, 70 cUrtail into the briecest possible space.
the history Of the labors you have done at ny
Command Whether the example OF the Eastern
Sovereign has had any effect in our Councils. We
know not, but if not, then the Minister Of Foreign
Affairs and = Secretary at War; most certainly
deserves the gratitude Of the public. for the first
successful attempt in issuing reports Of readable
length: the former ending TO only f6ur pages,
and the latter 10 but twelve. The reputation for
midnight industry which the honorable Secretary
and Minister enjoys, will not suffer from the cur
tailed length of his state messages.
With the report Oh Foreign Affairs, which ap-
peared in our las issue, no one can reasonably
find fault, unless 1t be with the vanity so c~onspicu-
Gus in il. As a nation, we must have foreign re-
IQtireS, as Mrs. Partington humorously observes,
and it Is but the part Of wisdom that the manage
ment Of them should be placed in the hands of a
Secretary capable Of disposing amicably all dis
putes in their incipiency for a word or note Of
explanation opportunely made, will often save
fOliOs Cf correspondence. not infrequently abound
ing with chOler. 1t Is as true in state affairs, as
in the humber incidents Of everyday life, that
: a stitch in time saves nine Some have
thought that the maintenance of 4 separate min
isterial officer for the express purpose of our for
eign correspondence is a waste Of revenue. With
such we cannot agree. 1t constitutes one of those
cases in which a judicious expenditure may be
wise economy. The King should and must have
his responsible and reliable advisers, either in or
out Of his cabinet, and there is nothing unwhole-
some in the arrangement that such adviser should
act as q Minister Of Foreign Affairs, or be paid for
his services.
From the report, it would appear that the Min
lister has not been on the best of terms with the
Commissioners Of France, and 50 far was this di-
plomatic feud allowed to 90, that the e media
ton of the Kings Chancellor was invoked, the
effect Of which, as we learn from the report, was.
the matter was sI!yed over, temporarily at
least. If we are to rely at all on runor, the re
lations at present and for some time existing be-
tween the same diIlOmatists are not Of the most
nature, Notwithstanding the success
full mediation aforesaid. How long such Il
state Of things should be allowed 10 exist. i
a grave question, affecting not merely the har-
mOny of the Kings Councils. but even the peace
and safety Of the kingdom. If such misunder-
standing continues, after the passage Of the notes
which appear in the appendix Of the Ministers
report, it would indicate some serious causes Of
disagreement or quarrel, existing behind what
has transpired, and which 20 To uphold the posi-
we have long maintained that the cabinet Of
the King Is not a unit, and requires remoddling
to adapt itself TO the exigencies Of the state.