The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-08-15
The Foreign News.

The clipper ship ReyHaTd delivered us, after n
long interval, a large batch OF papers, covering
advises from Jrly ith to 2Sth. Besides the nom
nation of the Democratic candidates for President
and Vice President, which WIS reported in our
last issue, no very important event has occurred
in the interim.
On the 20th of July, the Hawaiian Reciprocity
Treaty was brought up before the Senate. Two
speeches were made ON IL, one by Mr.. Sumner, in
It's favor, and one against it, by Mr.. Fessenden.
No further acIi,n or discussion was taken ON it,
and with other business il has tn lie over till the
Senate assemblies again in September. All dis
cussiDn on this treaty has to be in executive or
secret session, and a. these are short, it may take
several sessions to afford time for all who wish to
speak on it.
At the session in September, more Southern
Stats will be represented, and the Senate will
comprise between 90 and ~ senators, the approval
Of two-thirds Of whom will be necessary to ratify
the measure. The new Senator's are Southern
men, who are generally supposed not to favor the
treaty, and whose interests. it il thought. will
lead them to vote against it. The chances in
favor of passage of the treaty, therefore, what
ever they may have been, are now narrowed down
to u very slender point. In fact there seems to
be but a little hope for it.
We observe that n movement il being made in
Congress, to authorize the initiatory steps for a
reciprocity between the United States and Canada.
Should this receive favor on both sides, and n
treaty be the result of the action that has been
taken, it will help the passage of a similar treaty
with this Kingdom. But these treaties are heavy
things to handle. and they move very slowly,
often taking years to complete them.
Congress has fully ratified the purchase Of
Alaska, by voting the sum stipulated to be paid,
81 500 900. This settles the question. An at
tempt was made to accompany the bill with n
protest against any similar action on the part of
the Senate, without first obtaining the assent OF
the lower House. But this failed tn pass. though
the attempt to pass it shows that the popular
branch oil Congress is jealous of its rights. 1t is
doubtful whether any treaty TO purchase new ter
ritory will again be ratified by the Senate without
first obtaining the sense of the other House. 1t
would be humiliating indeed, to have such a
treaty rejected.
The prevalence Of the small pox in San Fran
cisco should admonish our authorities to be pre-
pared for it. whenever it makes its appearance
here, as it certainly must. Every effort should
be made To encourage the vaccination Of al sfl0
are exposed to the contagion. 1t is now fifteen
years since it spread here last. Consequently
haD the population nOIo Hring are exposed to it,
unless they have been vaccinated since 1858.
There are no means of ascertaining how many Of
the entire population are liable 10 an attack, but
it must be n considerable portion. The Board of
Health has ut its disposal ample funds to meet all
necessary expenses in connection with this matter.
The reconstruction of the Southern States APP
pears to be going on rapidly, all but three
being now restored 70 the Union. But n novel
feature of their reconstruction Is the election of
blacks rs well as whites to the State Legislatures.
For instance, we read that the Alabama Legisla-
ture had organized, thirty members being blacks.
This is a sore pill to those who Lave been accus-
toned To regard tile cOlOred man rs nothing but n
chattcl. How it will work there remains To be
seen. The Democratic party talk rs if they
would rather see war again than submit to the
present state of things. The thoughtful should
read Gen. Wade HamptOn's remarks ut the Dem
ocratic Convention in New YORK. They mean
something.
The States that have been fully restored to the
Union are Alabama, Arkansas. Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Tennessec-eight in all. Georgia has not yet
adopted the Constitutional amendment, but prob
ably will, and be soon added to the above list.
Three States, still controlled by n rebel majority,
refuse to accept the terms offered by Congress,
and will remain out until they choose to accept
them. These are Texas, Virginia and Mississippi.
President johnson has, for n wonder, made
some sound suggestions to Congress. He recon-
mends that amendments TO the Constitution be
passed providing for the election of President
and Vice President by a direct vote of the people,
and prohibiting any person from being President
two terms in succession. He also recommends
that United States Senators be chosen as Reprcsen-
tatives now are, by the people. These prop
~ositions ought to be e~ngrafted upon the Constitu-
ton. Now the will of the people may be frus-
trated in the election of n President-that Is, the
candidate having the highest number of votes
may be defeated, while the one having the few
est-if there be only two candidates in the field
may be elected!
As we ANTICIPATED some weeks ago would be
the ease, Gen. Napier has been titled, and will
hereafter be known as Lord Napier of Mag
He has, moreover, been voted a life pen
SION of $4,000 a year. In various other ways,
the English Government and people have shown
their admiration oS bis services and rewarded the
hero of Abyssinia. This certainly is doing the
thing promptly and handsomely. If now the
people will but elevate the hero OF
Richmond to the Executive char OF the nation 1t
will show that Republics are not ungrateiul.
The declaration of the French Minister of JUS
ice. made in the Corps Legislatif July 10th, is sig
,ifcant, and should not pass unobserved. lie
ieclares that the separation Of Church and State
n France is . only a question of time" The
aine is true Of England. Austria and Italy. The