The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-10-30
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY. OCTOBER 80.
The Second Citizens Meeting at
Kaumakapiii.

According to adjournment from the previot
Thursday evening, the citizens again assembled
large numbers at Kaumakapili Church, on Tuesda
evening, TO discuss the remaining resolutions reporte
at the former meeting. After the meeting had bee
called to order by the Chairman, Col. Jones, and tn
minutes read by the Secretary and approved,
The Chairman suggested that the third and fOurt
resolutions be considered together, as bearing upol
the same subject, He gave in brief his owl
views as to the nature of civil contracts under tn
constitution. The laws can be so modified as 4
avoid constitutional objections, and to cover any cas-
that may arise. The subject however, should b
carefully considered, 50 that such a result can be ar
rived at that no man in the kingdom shall be able t
find any fault.
n motion was made that the third and fourth reso-
lutions be taken up and considered together, and car.
ried by a unanimous vote.
Motion was then made that the third and fourth
resolutions be adopted, which was carried by an al
most unanimous vote. Ut should be remembered
that the third resolution had been the subject of de-
bate for over two hours at a previous ~meeting.)
g. Rhodes said that the vote was taken so sudden
ly that there Was a misrepresentation. The President
and Secretary were rather sharp. Would like . re-
consideration.
j. o. Carter said that this meeting had assembled
for the purpose of having the views of citizens on the
resolutions and desired that Mr.. Rhodes should have
an opportunity to be heard, and in order to give Mr..
Rhodes an opportunity, moved a reconsideration of
the last vote. which was carried.
r. e. Vakeman moved that the third and fourth
resolutions do now pass. Seconded by several voices.
q. Rhodes-Had not been able to attend the pre-
vious meetings, but had read the necessarily imper-
feet reports in the papers, and by them the opinion
of the public in regard to the subjects under discus
sion was made sufficiently apparent. Labor is the
great desideratum. If all the natives could be
employed, it would be insufficient to supply the
demand. He deprecated the practice of making
speeches before the unlettered and unposted part of
the public, for the purpose of misleading and arous-
ing sympathy-for party ends. Call things by their
right names. In the first place there is no such
thing as u penal enactment on our statute books as
to contracts for labor. This is merely brought for
ward as n party cry. Just debts should be paid,
whether it was labor or money that was owed. He
was himself a laboring man, and he called upon
to say if this was a penal enactment? No
IL was coercive, if you please, to coerce the
aborer into keeping his agreement (By request,
he Secretary here read sections 1411, 1419, 1920,
l422, and 1923 of the Civil Code) On that chapter,
le MIR r. appealed to this assemblage, whether it
vas penal or only coercive he asked those who had
intelligence, to say whether if these laws
md the rules of society are not obeyed, we shall not
It once go into n state of anarchy Under our
King, k~anehameha -who may God long pre-
erve-laws ought to bear alike on all, and the laws
will compel men to keep their contracts. Repeated
hat this opposition to the contract system was merely
party cry, for the purpose Of misleading people.
the idea of a contract by every day bust
transactions between man and man, as to notes
nd other obligations deliberately entered into.
the result of commercial dishonor with
he so-called penal enactment for the enforcement of
nptraefG ThnSa manila tvhn ua nm this axeifatuept 2
ave nothing to lose, III the way Of money or character.
he non-fulhllment of contracts was morally n great
Trong, and he put it strongly in that light. Don't
contracts. This meeting of mechanics
nd laboring men is called for the purpose of having
come here and put their feet on the principle
I fulhllment of contracts He appealed to the cool
nd calm reason of the people before him, to look
head and consider the result of the abrogation of
ais principle. The wealth of the country is in the
.boring men and the mechanics. He had lived
ere a good many years and seen the progress of the
ountry through difficulties, when lands could not
got, for agricultural purposes, and money made
ere was taken out OF the country. 1t was different
ow. Plantations were the life of the country.
apital and labor should go hand in hand, but all
us argument and dissension is created by those
no have nothing TO lose and everything to gain by
citation. Let us be careful OF capital for its legiti-
ate ends. = We want labor, and must import tiff
1t Chinese, then some other. lie related his expe-
ence Of coolies, in the employment of which he had
en n pioneer, together with the late Judge Lee,
I'd others, who were competent TO consider this |
Ibject wisely. He had found Chinese coolies to be
od and just men. The laws were good and favored
one class at the expense of another. The existence s
these laws was the cause of the progress of the
untry. Pictured the deplorable result to the coun- y
y il the so-called penal statutes regarding contracts
labor were wiped out A saturnalia would result, !
gar planters would go into hopeless bankruptcy, d
d so would all the rest of US. Commerce would
IRISH. The natives-good, harmless creatures n
60 to ruin with rs. rs well as every industry :
the country. lie. MS reflect He would now close. a
ronical applause, which the speaker installing for a
3 real article, attempted TO go on again, when his '
ice was drowned in an uproar of dissatisfied cat a
lis, stamping, etc, and he sat DOWN.
J. o. Carter Out Of courtesy to the last speaker, D
had made a motion TO reconsider, which had been
rried, and he had repaid it by personality-saying Il
It those who were prominent in opposing his views :,
re getting up a party cry, and that they had -
to lose and everything to gain thereby. ii
Rhodes wholly disclaimed any intention to be b
sonal. OF
c. j. Lyons-I take all that on my own shoulders. -
Jndge Hidemann-Referred to the meeting at
chanic Engine Co. the Committee were then in n
acted to procure the Armory, if possible, for the a.
It meeting. He, as n member of the Committee, Al
lorsed and succeeded in getting the Armory, and br
ut there to report on Thursday evening. Found 81
t there was also a meeting ut this place. After L.
proceedings there came here, but was not able or III
pared to report then to the meeting. Was now gr
dy TO read the resolutions as reported by the =
at the Armory meeting. Was this meet "
ready to receive them? (Cries of no-no-soo
y Il,
y. Capian-YOu ought to have been prepared to iS
ort here. (Applause) of
The Chairman stated that Judge Widemann's Oh
position was out Of order. no
Minister of Finanee-He appeals from the chair.
question on sustaining the chair in its ruling ~
then put to the meeting and carried in the (M
native, and Mr.. Widemann subsidized. an am
|. ": CasHe-Increasing years had prevented his
g present at the previous evening meetings for IN
ussing these subjects, and only a sense of duty
brought him out tonight He laid it down as n -:
TIA W ensuio se P'"oPeiiy ~ cer
all musf nrosner alike. Reviewed the third der
ineC
fourth resolutions As proposed, Win q regard TO one
~ fitness of things The adoption of them Coo
ID be q blow aimed at the destruction Of our beef
Illustrated the result of the indis- won