The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-06-28

The native race IL for the most part but half
civilized. at least 80 far Is relates 70 its capacity
for selfgovernment. but the intermixture with
it Of the elements OF European monarchies and
: American RePublicaniSu. constitutes a feature
3 which 10 other nation possesses in a like degree.
, Our present constitution Is not despotic or arLi-
: trary, nor i it republican. 1t happily draws q
line between the two extremes, and adapts itsel!
20 the anomalous condition Of the people it Is in
tended for. Time will no doubt work a change
in the wants Of the people as we'll as in the
government. and then viii be sufficient time 10 de-
nounce the constitution. and seek a change.
In the proceedings Of the MOBILES for June i,
we find the following, which. a. we presume it
i not a =. garhled report we copy
Mr.. Gregg offered the following resolution a:
Rssoiret, That it i the province Of the Govern
meut TO protect the domestic enterprise and industry
Of the Hawaiian people; that in this view, duties on
articles Of import are fair subjects Of discrimination
in order 10 guard against undue foreign competition.
and that therefore the tariff should be so constructed
a. to f.vo. home labor and internal resources to the
highest extent consistent with the public welfare.
The resolution was made the special order Of the day
for Monday next. (25th,) in Committee Of the Whole.
together with the Resolutions Of the Honolulu Cham
Der Of Commerce
Although the resolution is evidently thrown
out as Il feeler, it must give rise 10 the discussion
Of the general subject of protection and free trade
in all its bearings as well as the applicability of
either system to the financial policy of this gov
eminent. While it does not indicate a commit
tai of the Ministry to a protective policy, it be
trays a want Of confidence in the operation of the
new tariff, which has now gone into force. This
tariff is admitted on all hands, we believe, to be
a measure calculated TO work iniuriously against
the commercial interests of the kingdom, even
should it result in ultimately 1.-TWO TO five years
hence) in producing an increase of revenue from
the customs. If such be the resalt-if it turns
away a portion Of the whaling fleet which have
heretofore visited us-if it reduces our imports to
the smallest possible amount consumable-if it
checks the tide of international commerce which
open ports and liberal port regulations would in
vite hither-and thus deprives us of one of the
sources of our internal prosperity, it is well To
consider and discuss it, and inquire whether any
increase derived from it, is not offset by greater
injury given to our internal prosperity.
There never was Il port more f~avorably located
for Il large transit commerce than this port Of
Honolulu. 1t has heretofore attracted but little
of that trade which is constantly crossing this
ocean seeking a market, because the policy of our
government, during the last fourteen years, has
steadily been to derive an income from every ship
and every ton of merchandise arriving at the port.
This policy has been looked ON as a matter of
necessity, and Us such it is still pursued. and the
same principle carried out. Hence transit COM
merce shuns the port, except 50 far Us is absolute
ly necessary for repairs and supplies. But it will
be said that duties on importations can in nowise
affect transit mmerce, provided all transit duties
are removed. Heavy duties, however. have the
effect 10 reduce the of Il nation. even
though port and transit regulations may be light.
Such Is found to be the case wherever high duties
exist. \ port to be free, must be free in every
sense of the word.
Victoria is Il notable example of the advantage
which a free port has over a high tariff port.
Although not two years have passed since it be-
came a depot for foreign goods. its importations
from san Francisco alone for 1859 were about
81 200 900, while the present year promises an
TO over 81 800 600, which is probably
not over one half of all her foreign importations. t
The cause Of this rapid increase is due to nothing I
Else than her free trade policy, a policy which is !
destined to make her an important commercial '
tine very position which Honolulu l
night occupy, had the ministerial policy favored 1
t! In commenting on this striking prosperity =.
# Victoria, the Alta California remarks e.,
a. But the most reliable information obztainable =
not place the white population Of Victoria and !
British Columbia inclusively at above five or six c
thousand persons. Where, then, do the consumers :
from, or what becomes of the large amount of n
merchandise sent monthly from this port. TO say :.
rOtiing of the Victoria exports from the Sandwich -
stands and Europe, or the -four, provisions and {
ruits from Oregon? This difficulty, it seems to US, Il
an find but Oge means of solution. Because there D
re but few people ut Victoria, or in the mines, it
not follow that there is but a small population
n the adjacent American possessions. Thousands -
rho have sought the mines TO realize but dsappOint- -
lent, have settled in Washington Territory, and look VI
D Victoria for supplies Of such articles of necessity or II
IGury rs they do not themselves produce. And in o
MS they have n motive of no common force. Veto /,
ia is a free port. No duties are charged on mer- -
handise imported, and hence the merchants Of Vic u
)ria can probably compete with, and, indeed, under o.
I'll, the merchants ofthe adjacent localities, in regard d,
all goods not American. This gives them a deci- IS
ed advantage over their Sound n%eighbors, and. =,
deed, renders Victoria a more desirable place Of "a
Irchase, in many respects, than san Francisco. If OF
Gods, 1T other ports dutiable, are wanted, of course, al
ictOria i rescrted to, freight from San Francisco to
ictoria being Offset by the absence of duty on the
purchased. 4 large portion of our exports to rs
ictOria are purchased i'll bond, and hence are laid =
Dwn at Victoria free of duty. Purchasers from the "'
ljacent districts have few, if any, restrictions on
eir transfer to the American side, unless in large W
lckdges at the few points guarded by the officers Of
e American customs. 1t is no wonder, then, leav- ~,
q out of consideration that the Indians, who are WI
'Ogressing TO some extent in civilization, and are
coming consumers of merchandise, particularly fin
ticles of food and raiment-it is no wonder then,
at the trade of Victoria should show a %heslthtul
Grassland it would be stranger if those having at -.
art the prosperity OF the place should regard with -
ilousy the rapidly increasing settlement of the M
nerican borders of the Sound, for such increase le1
preserved their town from a decay as inevitable es
that which marked the mining pretensions OF those est
which II was called into existence to supply. he
nd while the present policy Of mo duties" continues col
be exercised, We shall expect TO see no diminution
the exports Of merchandise in that direction
y Our readers will notice in the advertising loo
lumns, a call for the formation of a ~cosmopoli- N
n club on the principle of such European socie- bo
:. The want of some such organization has sal
On long and deerIv felt by those who have at