The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-02-03
CALIFORNIA CORRESPONDENCE.
Irnox OUR REGULAR coRREsrosDEsI.l
sAs FaAscIsoo. JAS. 30. ls6a.


organization is somewhat peculiar, and is
obtaining considerable popularity in the
community, to the detriment, perhaps, Of
life Insurance companies
In one society an admission fee Of five dol
lars is required annually, and, upon the death
of any member, tax Of one dollar levied
upon each member. The sum total of these
collections is paid to the family Of the de-
ceased. The number of members is limited
to two Thousand, so that, in the event of any
collected and paid over to the proper person.
The annual admission fee of five dollars,
which, from two thousand members, would
amount to ten thousand dollars, Is invested
for the benefit Of the society, the interest of
which can be appropriated towards the death
tax on each member
This plan of life insurance should commend
itself to the charitably-inclined leading spi-
riis in your mixed community. A similar
society organized in your city might prove
of great benefit TO very many.
Small Fox.
Our city is afflicted with the small pox,
and the public press has the disease in its
worst form. 1t is not to be wondered at,
then, that allude to the subject again.
The mortality for the month of December
reached the enormous total of sol. OF this
number 14s were caused by small pox.
Our city authorities are paying a heavy
penalty for the apathy exhibited by them
ever since thesmall pox made its appearance.
Had vacciadtion-the only sure rsmedy-6eea
ntOvoug hly performed by reliable agents during
the stsamer months, the disease might hare been
checked ere his.
There is a prospect now that the disease
will soon finish its course among us, as the
number of cases is steadily decreasing. The
number of small pox cases last week was
twenty five.
Reciprocity Treaties.
To show how wise some newspaper wri-
tiers are upon a subject upon which they
really know very little, take the following
from late EUening Bulletin:
Again, there is treaty at Washington wait
ing fol. ratification between the United States
and the Hawaiian Kingdom, in respect to
what is termed reciprocity. This treaty
amounts to this, and very little more 1t pro-
vides til at the United States shall remit duties
on sueTlr, the product of the Islands, which
duties would go to keep up an efete monarchy
there Not that our citizens would purchase
sugar any cheaper by reason of remission Of
duties, but the Islanders would obtain the
money which would otherwise pass in the U.
S. Treasury and be enriched thereby. The
crop Of sugar being so small, when entered in
the Unite States. would scarcely be felt; hence
it would not give the people cheaper sugar.
but simply put money in the hands of a few
individuals. The loss to the Treasury. how
ever, is not the only consideration to be taken
into acco unit. A ratification Of the treaty would
assist to raise up on the Island an aristocracy
most niincal to our citizens. On this subject
a conten .porary remarks:
Properly. the Sandwich Islands belong to
the Unit ed States. If let alone, they will drop
into our lap as surely as ripe apple falls FROM
the tree. If the so-called Reciprocity Treaty
and we. can see no reciprocity in the mat
ter-is adopted, the Islands will pass into the
possession of France OF England, as sure as
the sun makes its annual passage around the
equator. Gen. McCook may be, and undoubt-
edly is a good soldier, but that be is no states
man or politician is evident from his action in
the matt er of the treaty under notice. Had he
been paid to work in opposition to American
interests, instead of for them, be could not
have devised a more effective plan for earning
his wages than that he has adopted. The
"a Recir.r ocity Treaty" is wholly in the inter
est, in t1e first instance, Of certain parties who
hold OFF ee and derive incomes from the Haw
allan G Government; and secondly, in the in
terests Of France and England, and opposed
to the United States. There is no possibility
of the United States receiving any benefit from
the tire ETY., but its adoption will be to in
ure to ur injury.
If the Hawaiian Islands want our trade,
they 50 Ould come under American rule, for il
would be manifestly unjust to give them por-
ton o our revenues which are raised by the
taxatio of imports. We could as we'll send
the u awaiian Government annually a sum Of
none equal to the duties asked to be RENTED
as to introduce their sugar in the way sug-
gestt,d.
Death OF Charles WestmoreIand.
Letters from Panama have conveyed to us
the painful intelligence of the death of
Charles Westmoreland, who died at that
place December 23d of small pox.
Mr.. p7estmoreland was one OF the Union
Presidential Electors for California, and had
been chosen messenger TO carry the vote Of
the State for Grant to Washington. He was
on that errand when be died. He left San
Francisco on the 4th of December in perfect
health, but was attacked with small pox on
the trip, remained at Panama, and died as
stated above He was man Of culture and
fine intellect. good writer and speaker, and
a noted politician. He was going East full
of health and hope. expecting advancement.
He was witty and genial companion, and
his untimeIy death, at an age not beyond
forty, will be lamented by very wide circle
of friends.
His death will not interrupt the transmits
sion Of the returns of the vote of California,
as Mr. Westmoreland confided the package
to W. B. Carr, Union friend who accompa-
MED him, and duplicates of the returns had
been forwarded overland, by express, from
this State.
Montgomery Street.
As everybody who has ever visited this city
knows, Montgomery street holds the same
position in this city that Broadway does in
New York. 1t is the most fashionable avenue
of promenade Since Kearney street has
bee1 widened and improved, and now meets
Third street as southern extension, great
deal has been done towards extending Mont
gomery street