The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-11-14


pect with all the reverence that = saint haas for his
Bible-this constitutional government Of England
stands ont before the world, u tower of adinira-
ton and pcrmanaucy never before witnessed.
Hers IS unquestionably the strongest and most
liberal system of government ever yet devised.
France also allows the people to participate in
the legislation Of her laws, and the number of
her voting population is said to be larger than in
England or the United States, numbering over
1000. 600 but 50 great is the nterference-and
surveillance on the part of the government, that
few except those siding with the Rulers are per-
mitted to be chosen. The result is that less
popular freedom is enjoyed there than in either
of the countries above named.
We have depressed a little from the subject Of
elections, with which We commenced. TO make a
comparison of our own legislative system with
those of the three most prominent nations in the
world. Ours is a constitutional monarchy, which
in its construction more nearly resembles that of
England than it does either of the others. Tie
principal difference is, that eligibility 10 n
seat as representative here is unrestricted. while in
England it is limited by n property qualification.
y property qualification here, were it Ilaced
ICithiH. reasonable hH4iLs, would undoubtedly be 4
public benefit. On comparing the two govern
ments, we find that England has her hereditary
sovereign, we have ours; she has her hereditary
Lords, We have our Mobiles she has her elective
COmmoncrs, we have our elective Representa-
tiyes she has her Constitution, we have ours.
For an uncivilizcd or even 4 semi-civilized poo
pie, an absolute or despotic form of government
may be better adapted than any other, while a
republican form of government Is whOHy insult
ed. 1t may be asked, why not then, an absolute
government for the Ihwaiians? Were there
none but Hawaiians here to be subjected to its
influence, this might be best. But it must be
borne in mind that besides a considerable portion
of the native race capable of comprehending the
principles of government, there is Il large en-
lightened foreign element here-the representa-
tiyes of almost every civilized country are among
us, and they and their offspring are each year in
creasing, while the native element is decreasing.
Although a minority in numbers, they are a
majority in wealth and Influence, and furnish by
far the larger portion of the revenue and moral
support of the government. y majority Of the
foreign population in this group are of European
extract and education, and probably more in favor
of 4 mOnarchical form of government than Of any
1t follows then that our present system
is the one most congenial to the sympathies of
the foreign element among us, and best adapted
to the present wants of the mixed clements OF
the kingdom.
1t has been broadly limited several times in the
PolVneSian, that our Constitution is q mere baga-
tclle, hardly worth the paper it is printed on,
and that some time it may suddenly disappear
from public gaze. Were the nation composed
entirely of ignorant unlettered natives, it might
very little whether Il Constitution existed
or not. But such is not the case, as we said
above, and the nation is now composed of those
who appreciate and value the constitutional
enjoyed by them, including that unalien-
lble privilege of being participants in the max
of the laws that govern them. Were the
obnoxious views and theories Of the satellites
control the POlynesian, to gain the ascend
lncy, our Constitution would soon become Il
and a moral, social and political blight
axe possession of our now peaceful islands. 1t
: in effect the same teaching of crazy-brained
anatics as has produced civil rebellion in Ameri-
and is now drenching the fair fields of the
south with fratricidal blood. 1t is the d~espising
# the Constitution of Il Countrywide setting
side of that important bond of Union between
he Rulers and the Ruled-that is the origin of
civil connections and wars. But thanks to
ur wise and beloved Sovereign, who values the
eace and happiness of his people even above his
wn, such counsels can never prevail here, and
ill meet only with rebuff. The first gratifying
esult of such reasonable teaching we already see
a that the government has seen fit to terminate,
t least noDliaaHy, its connection with it's press.
In another number, We shall recur to the sub
ct of the coming election Of representatives.