The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-11-27
Characteristic.

From the Gazette of this week we clip the fol-
lowing:
Whist on this POINT, We say again that our report Of these
remarks is correct ; aud further, that MIR. Carter has not pro-
believed by any one that he can. Nor does Mr.. Carriers saying
that he had seen one who could not read il, or would say that
he had not signed i, prove very Exclusively that some one
else had.
II will be remembered that the Minister of FL
nance, c. c. Harris, stated Mt a public meeting at
Kaumakapili Church that the coolies imported
into this country understood their contracts, and
could all read and write, and that he had yet to
see the first one who could not, and challenged
any one to produce one. Mr.. Carter examined
with a competent interpreter, ten coolies, and
stated the result. Mr.. p. c. Jones, Jr., had his
coolie examined and the result of the examination
led Mr.. Jones to give the coolie his freedom. 1t
is hardly to be presumed that u man understands n
contract that he cannot read. We will not say
that they cannot understand what they were told
in China, but that what they were there told
agrees with the contract, we do not believe. Mr..
Jones' coolie supposed that he was to be n stone
cutter here, because he was SO told, instead, he
became a cook. Mr.. Young Sheong informs us
that many cases of misunderstanding have come
to his knowledge. The coolies were grossly de-
ceived by the middle men engaged to procure
them.
To escape from the unpleasant position in which
he found himself after Mr.. Carriers statement,
Mr.. Harris is compelled to fall back upon the
word 50 produce ~ which he, Mr.. Harris, made Use
of. Because Mr.. Carter did not produce the ten
coolies at the meeting. Mr.. Harris claims his po-
sition unassailable. Such a miserable subteriuge
is in keeping with the Minister'S character, and
will not tend to increase the respect of impartial,
candid men.
The following letters from Mr.. Young Sheong
and Mr.. John III. Wood will perhaps satisfy the
Minister that the ten coolies could have been
80 produced :"
To The Eiaor Of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser:
In answer to your note of this date 1 would say
that / did accompany Mr.. j. .. Carter to the planta-
ton Of Mr.. John III. Wood, and ut Mr.. Carriers re-
quest examined the Chinese coolies there employed.
and can testify that the remarks made by Mr.. Carter
as published in your paper: viz
ale had visited a plantation in the neighborhood of the
city-that 81 j. II. WoOd-in company with a competent in
te:preter and had there examined ten Chinese cooie laborers.
one who could read but no, write and eight who could neither
read nor write. Not one OF them had signed the contract OF
tracts in which could be found the name Of the coolie claimed
TO be held under IL Three knew the eontsac, by sight seven
None OF them had seen the contracts until after they hal gone
ON board the ship which brought them here"
are correct and true in every particular. / will also
add that | have examined other coolies, az to their
ability to read and write, and with much the same
result. Truly yours, YOUNG SuEoNG.
Honolulu, Nov. 24th, 1869.
NUuANU PLANTATION, Nov. oath, 1869.
IL. NJ. WHITNEY, Publisher T.. G. Advertiser, Sir:
In reply to your note Of this date requesting n
statement from me as to the correctness Of Mr.. Car
tcr's remarks Mt n late meeting at Kaumakapili
Church, in relation to coolies in my employ, / would
say that / hearl the remarks as they fell from his
lips. and have them before me as reported in your
issue of Oct. 80, that the examination alluded to
was made ut my house in presence of MIR. Carter
and myself, by Mr.. Young Sheong-probably the
most competent and reliable Interpreter in the King
OMAN the facts elected as observed by, and re-
ported TO me Thy the interpreter) were correctly
stated, bo,Borally and in print above alluded to, in
every particular.
V%y respectfully yours, j. H. Wood.