The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-07-23
sketch of the COnstf
buttons of 1910 and 1852.

. In reading the proceedings of the Convention,
as published in our last paper, our readers will
be amazed at the ignorance displayed by several
of the speakers, and especially by the remarks
which follow:
three persons, Lee. Ii and Judd only, and now the people have
an opportunity of having their voice heard in the formation of
cous right of making laws. He was a member o. the coming
Legislature, but had no right as such to make a new Consttu-
ton, only to amend"
On the same page of the paper, His Majesty is
reported to have said, Hence this Convention
has been called for the purpose of revising and
changing the Constitutions [of 1882
As it seems that we are about to cut loose from
all our moorings, and to drive the ship of state
ahead without compass or chart, it becomes US
all, who have interests at stake, to take an obser-
walton and find out, if possible, where We are.
With this view, let us glance at the history of
constitutional government in this Kingdom, and
ascertain, if possible. what powers end what
rights, if any, we, THE PEOPLE, have under our
Constitution.
In 1910 the King, as Sovereign, performed one
OF those gracious acts, which VIII ever make the
name of Kameilameha Ill. dear to his people,
and highly honored, wherever civil liberty is es.
teemed of sufficient consequence to be worth en-
lOylnG. l. wis an ACT GlllTGiy uHIdTiileltu III
the history of any nation under heaven. But
ttcenty years after the introduction of Christian
ity and letters, we find a Sovereign hitherto pos
sessing absolute and undisputed power, volunta-
rily yielding his own prerogatives, to L large ex-
tent, and comforting rights and privileges to h5
people never dreamed of by them in all t,tir
past experience. By this Constituti4s<Ihvery
man was guaranteed 'lJe, limb, H6erttE reedom
from oppression j.; the earnings oEAH -idnds and
the earnings Of has mind. Starts off with the
inspired declaration that "God hath made of
one blood all nations of men to dwell on the
earth And that /" God has also bestowed Ger
tain rights ALIKE on all men and all chiefs, and
all people on all lands
These were noble sentiments from a noble
hearted Sovereign, after having enjoyed but
twenty years of instruction in the precepts of
the Christian religion.
And although the Constitution that followed
these declarations, was evidently not drawn up
by a hand skilled in the technicalities of legal
lore, we find the principles here laid down, fully
wrought out and evolved in the instrument
which thus gave birth to a constitutional govern
ment for the people of these islands.
But it was not by these general declarations
alone that the views of His Majesty were carried
out. The duties. rights and privileges Of the
three Estates of the kingdom were defined with
some degree of distinctness and for the first
time in the history of the nation, the PEOPLE
were admitted to a participation in the govern
ment. They were admitted as having a right
to a voice in their own government. The
language of the instrument itself is, There
shall be annually chosen certain persons to sit in
Council with the Mobiles and establish laws for
the nation. This representative body
shall have a voice in the business of the king
dom. No law shall be passed without the
appreciation of a majority of them"
What a noble stride was here from absolutism
to a manly, responsible independence! And is
strange that the name of Ka~mehameha III.
should be held in respect and affection by his
people, and by foreigners who reside here from
other lands? Z!