The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-01-27
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser,


~-
kingdom t. be surveyed and q careful record
made, forming what has come u De known in
history as the d. DJmcsday-book." The historian
Hume makes tie following reference to this
remarkable book 1T was a general survey Of
all the lands in the kingdom, their extent in
each district, their proVri=tJrs, tenUres, value
the quantity Of meadow. pasture, wood, and
arabic land which they contained and in some
counties the number Of tenants, cottagers. and
slaves Of all denominations, who lived upon
them. He appointed Commissioners for this
purpose, who entered every particular in their
register. ny the verdict Of juries and after 4
labor Of six years, brought him an exact ac-
count Of all the landed property of his kingdom.
This monument. called Domesday-book the
most valuable piece Of antiquity possessed by
any natiOn-is still preserved in the Exchequer;
and although only some extracts have hitherto
been published, it serves 10 Illustrate TO US, in
many particulars, the ancient state Of England.
The great Alfred had finished 4 like survey of
the kingdom in his time, which was long kept
at Winchester, and which probably served rs
4 model TO William in this undertaking.
During the reign Of Kamerameha III, such
a survey and record were made Of the Hawaiian
Kingdom. 1t forms one Of the most interesting
transactions Of the wise and good kauikeaouli's
ever-memorablc reign. 1t forms 4 proud mon
ument to the labors Of n few undetermined men,
who were instrumental in managing the landed
system Of this kingdom during the critical
period while the old feudal system was grad
ually being suFTlanted by the present system,
more confCruable to the ideas Of modern civil
lied nations. The huge folio volumes, con-
tanning over eleven thousand separate surveys
and the entire records of the Land Commission,
are now deposited at the Government House,
and are under the special charge Of j. IL.
Smith. Esq, who has ofieiated with 50 much
patience and fidelity, for about twenty years,
rs Secretary Of the Land Commission. Could
lie have fOreseen the writing which he las ex-
ecuted, we think he would have shrunk from
the undertaking. The mere casual inspection
Of these volumes is quite enough 10 convince
any one that it has been an herculean labor
to reduce the old system Of land-tenures to the
present form. Al honor to the men who toiled
in this work.
At the head Of the list stands. by preemi-
hence, the name Of the Rev. William Richards.
The annuity granted to lis widow, and the
suspension of his portrait in the palace, We're
comparatively meagre testimonials for his in
valuable services 70 the Hawaiian @.ation. The
late Mr.. Wyllic ever accompanied the men
ton Of the name of Mr.. Richards with the
warmest expressions of praise, and on a certain
occasion, when the idea was suggested that the
annuity should be discontinued, lie was per-
fectIy indignant. Mr.. Hopkins, the Hawaiian
Consul in London, in his history of the Islands,
appears TO have travelled out Of his sphere as
-, s,,,,-tT.l lf--,rT,, 20 Sc--, -, tla c.,o
city of a calumniator, and heap obloquy upon
the memory of this bcnefactor of the Hawaiian
people. Alas , ambition, ;" remarks Mr.. Hop
kins, sometimes dweIls beneath unstarched
white crayatS and suits IF black alpaca"
Never WAS there offered a more gratuitous in
suit to the memory Of a good man, who would
gladly have remained the Missionary instead Of
becoming the PlenipotentiaTy and Ambassador
TO the United States and the Courts of London
Paris. We positively know that he en-
tered upon his civil and political career only
from the most imperious sense Of duty. When
Manly Hopkins, Of London, has done one hun
drcdth part for this nation that was done by
the lamentcd Mr.. Richards, ne may retire upon
a pension for life from the duties of Consul in
London
Among those laboring in the work of the
Land Commission, may be honorably mentioned
such men as John Ricord. Judge Lee. Judge
Robertson, John Ii, and others. Mr.. Judd and
Mr.. Armstrong were not formally, we believe. !
connected with the Commission, but their in
flucncc, counsel and advice were often called
for. Mr.. Andrews also did a great amount of
Interpreting. The amount of writing, trans
lating and patient investigation which these
men Performed is inconceivable, except by those
intimately acquainted with the undertaking.
Most Of the copying was performed by natives,
and the manner in which it IS executed is in
the very highest degree creditable to their
scholarship and ability. The surveyors, too.
worked hard and performed their work most
creditably. That errors may occasionally be
found in their surveys is no more than what
might be expected. In reference to the building
of Rome. there Is an old Latin SAYING. .. Hoe
opus esl."-.s This i work or =. this is labor"
With equal Irorriety it will apply to the
- DovESDAY-Books'' of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
This Is one Of the indirect results Of the Ameri-
can Mission to these islands, and yet, Mr.. Hop
kins has the ef%rontery 10 publish TO the world
that this mission has been "a failure and
the Bishop Of Oxford appears to be itineratins
over England and endeavoring to prove the same
point, That all the good people Of England are
not led astray by his ford appeals Is manifest
from the following paragraph from 4 =. Church"
paper:
correspondent of the London Record SAYS:
The great majority Of tlo-. who are Interested
IN the progress OF Christianity consider that Mission