The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-11-03

cerneo ID several plantatlOns as hSent
The speaker mentioned them, and
showed that by sales and transfers from
the original owners. they had not realized
what they had expended, by very large
sum-understood to be more than million
of dollars.
Mr.. Castle continued: Now nearly all this
money that was theirs has gone to their en-
ployees. Your coasters, besides about five
millions, proceeds of the crops, your trades,
your laborers have been supported by it.
Overthrow the plantations bring them
down, and you will bring down all the pros
perity you have. tits useless to talk of rails
| ing wages. We get all the labor there is at
the present rate, and the business will not
bear to raise them. know of no country
where the rights of all-the laborer as we'll
as the employer-are better protected than
here.
Mr.. Castle was very brief, and was
listened to respectfully, though the meet
ing was evidently impatient at being
detained by any expression of views dis
senting from the Resolutions.
A. F. Judd, ESQ.,, observed that two
gentlemen, venerable for their years, and
of large experience in the country, had
spoken in favor of the present labor sys-
TEN. He believed in calling things by
their right names, and did not understand
the difference between the words "pehal 4"
and coercive," as applied to the labor
contracts in this country. He had known,
and might say had reverenced Judge
Lee, and undoubtedly. twenty years ago,
the Judge had talked and acted differently
from what he would now, if alive, under al
tered circumstances and at different times.
Mr.. Castle has spoken of the fitness Of
things if therich man fails to fulfill his con-
tract, he pays money, and does not go to
prison. Bat poor man has not got the
money, and thereforegoes to prison. Thisis
wrong, and there is no fitness of things"
in doing wrong. Mr.. Judd remarked that
other people had thrown down the gaunt.
let, and - we" have picked it up. He did
not indicate wherein the altered circum-
stances exist, to which he alluded when
referring to Judge Lee-whether in the
increase of the number of available la
borers in the country, or in the decrease
of the demand for them. Nor did he seem
to notice the fact that by the 1423d Sec
ton of the Civil Code, If the master is
guilty of any violation of the terms of the
contract-and among violations, refusal to
pay is certainly one the servant is free
from his contract; the master, fined and
: in default Of the payment thereof shall
be imprisoned at had labor until the same
is paid . l. e., if the employer will not pay
that which he has agreed to pay, and CAN
pay-money-he must 60 to prison until he
will pay it. And if the laborer will not pay
that which he has agreed to pay, and can
pay-labor-he must go to prison until he
will pay labor with the advantage in favor
of the laborer, that if, on account of sick
ness, he can not pay the labor, his en-
ployer must care for him, and cure him, if
he can. Mr. Judd made allusion to Gen.
Butler. and water-wheel of a factory be-
ing attached to answer to a suit for an
operatives wages, at Lowell. That is the
way, says the speaker, that the courts and
public opinion favor the laborer in Massa-
chusetts Mr. Judd did not point out in
what the protection afforded here to la,
borer sueing for his wages, would be less
than in Massachusetts
Mr.. Thomas Hughes obtained the floor, and
said he came here under contract, and expect
ed to be held to its performance and hold 9TH
ers to it, and did not think that any sensible
man would start away from any country to
go to a strange one, without having an as
surance that the engagement With him should
be kept, and could see no reason for abolish
foreign countries. Contracts should be full
filled, and no honorable men would try to
avoid them, and he could not see the advan-
tage of Withdrawing those guards which would
compel those men to keep them who are I'M
willing to do so. When the plantations were
in full blast and increasing in number, he en-
ployed about 200 men las it reached us, } at the
Honolulu Iron Works, and if it could keep up
to that quantity of work, he never would have
sold out. Now they are employing, as be-
lieye, about twenty-five. Any mechanic who
cannot stand against Chinaman, ought to
fall. They make good, industrious citizens,
and are benefit to the mechanic-as they
supply the greater part of the vegetable mar
ket, and supply the mechanic with board, at
least, cheaper than he could otherwise pro-
cure it.
Mr.. C. J. Lyons said that the effect of this
kind of labor is, to bring down our wages.
Whether Mr.. L. is fearful that the Chinese
will be employed in writing for the Kuokoa or
any other paper which he is connected with,
or merely, by a playful figure of speech, was
fiattering the working-man by exhibiting to
him the sympathy which Philanthropist and
a Philosopher could have with him, is unknown
to your repOrter.l He proceeded to say that
the venerable gentlemen who had addressed
them. (Mr. Castle and Mr.. Rhodes) had got
read much political economy. Free COMPETE