The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-03-19

KAUPAKUEA Posi- OFFICE, I
Hawaii, Feb. 20, 1864. :

Hawaii. Feb. 20. 1864.
TO The Postmaster General, Honolulu:
DEAR SIR.-The last clause of Section All, Civil
Code. enacts, lit shall be the duty Of the several
ocal Postmasters to make quarterly returns, &c, to
the General" sc.
Ii has pleased Providence and your predecessor
that | should be g local postmaster" Of Kaupakuea
Tor the last four years or thereabouts, and tall this
day, did not know there was such q law or require
ment In existence, which is proof OF my fitness for
the office and the skill and abilities of your predeces'
sor Who appointed me. As I've never heard from
you upon the subject, it is fair to presume that you
are equally dark about the matter. 1t would give
me pie; sure TO report to you all the transactions OF
this Office, during my incumbency, if knew anything
about them, and that the enterprise did not smack q
little of the gratuitous. In fact. I'm too lazy TO be
ofhcious, aud 1 trust, for the public good, that virtue
pervades the department throughout the Islands
Before the postal law went into effect in SO, the
transportation Of the mails, like native virtue, "was
free as air" and twice as easy, and I've no doubt 1t
was the intention Of the trainers of the law, to check
a too free circulation Of the intellectual blood, II L
may so call It, by setting a gloomy face against 1t.
At any rate, l have so understood the law. (Which IS
my constitutional right and acted accordingly, not
being instructed TO the contrary. | have invariably
frowned at every attempt of the people to purchase
stamps, telling them it was much better to work hard
for me at FIVE dollars a month and found, than spend
their time writing foolish letters and pay two cents
each for the privilege. You will comprehend at q
glance my exalted motives, which is to benefit myself
at the expense Of his Majesty's exchequer, and pre-
vent ignoramuses from drowning themselves in the
"Pierian Spring"
By overhauling your books, if you are weak
enough to keep any, you will see at once by lack of
credits for stamps to this Office, that l have nearly
succeeded in my endeavors to prevent my own people
and ~neighbors from showing much cheek or making
faces to creditors or constables outside of this favor
ed and secluded spot. All of which has saved
scoundrels from the Judicial whip, an immense
amount of litigation and Jail fees to the Government.
and as a reward for which, L expec; the aloha Of pos
terity aud a continuance in Office. At FIRST entering
upon its duties, / scorned TO avail myself Of the
Thanking privilege attached to the Office. owing
doubtless to p~rejudices derived from mistaken notions
in regard to the divine aud irresponsible mission ofthe
servants of the people. | suspect I'm bravely over oil
that now, for, by some unaccountable psychological,
OF mental or moral sumersault. or all together, if
they mean the came thing, l not only take pleasure
i'm Thanking my own letters, and occasionally one, on
the sly, for q friend of the Government. but actually
regret the FIVE dollars paid out OF my own pocket for
stamps. These regrets are not from sordidness, for
you know l would sacrifice my best friends rather
than lose a dollar, so it must be owing to some other
cause, probably an unconscious feeling o: exemption
from the common burdens of life natural to people in
high Office. Being needless to this fact, explains the
decline Of British power, whose Queen and Ministers
of State are obliged to pay postage like common folks.
1t explains also the sc claw of other governments
whose honored servants frank tons of Intellectual
pabulum daily, at the expense and for the benefit of
the dear people. Our corps legislatif" as the
''gayest people in the world" call them, may take it
ter.island postal law, IS we'll as some Others, to make
them resemble the British, now that we are under
their temporal and spiritual dominion, but l trust
you'll throw every pound of your official tceight
against It. | have a mind to say something in the
name of my brother Postmasters, but not knowing
their minds, l abstain. | dare say, however, we are
of one accord in regard to the burdens Of the office,
and particularly in this sparseiy inhabited country, if
the postothces we're removed far from our residences.
4 .'hint is as good as a kick" and n great deal better
than travelling ten miles over rough roads to mail q
letter and pay two cents besides. Please don't give
out that ''our burdens are greater than we can bear"
lest the powers believe it.
One favor deserves another and while coming
to the sensible conclusion to continue me in Office. l
hope you will look into the breach Of license commit
ted by the schooner yManu0kalcdi in failing to take
the mail from Kawaihae to Honolulu after the wreck
of the Emma Rookie, and thereby damaging this
dignitary and others more than l dare attempt to
state here. In fact, it was while seeking some chris.
tian method Of revenge for the injury inflicted on US
by this infraction of the postal law. that | happened
to light upon a knowledge of my official duties, and
for all which you will say. no doubt, lapnDale.
--, Postmaster, Kaupakuea.