The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-10-13

advance in wages viii DO productive Of
more hands. We, then must so foroign
for labor. and the question is to 80 where
labor Is high or cheap.
C. j, Lyons ESQ. spoke TO the follow
ing effect: There are diihcul.ies aiten.
dant upon the labor question, which result
from the transition state Of the country.
The contract system was very good, per
haps. In its time Il does not follow that
We should endorse it as permanent thing.
IL was not fair in this meetiag to charge
the HaWaiians with being hey race.
Section l420 OF the Civil Code was the
foundation Of the CoOhe system here. Il
makes it penal offenSe to deser. nom
contracted service. Ia free countries, such
a provision is only allowable in the mill.
tary service. and in service on ship-board.
We all Know the latter is despotisn
from necessity. We should be slow to shy
it was necessary in this country. and not
in others, Policy, even. would dictate
that our labor system should be more in
harmony with that Of the powerful neigh
boring nation with which We deal. The
present system makes distinction OF class,
and keeps out free and skilled labor.
Was opposed therefore to the resolution
Mr.. Bartlett spoke with great effect
upon this Resolution. The contract sys-
TEN was that which had been designated
the Coolie" system. and much unneces-
sary obloquy had been heaped upon it.
and much misapplieation Of terms had be-
fallen IT, Labor must be had. and there
is no danger Of getting too much popnla-
ton here. II all that may come do not
enter into the employment Of the planters,
they will become producers in some way I;
aud | do not see any wrong in making "a
contract with a man by which he agrees
to furnish ms his labor for my money. !
object to the phraseolOgy so much in
vogue among some persons, that man or
or woman was bought or sold, for such is
by no means the fact. What inducements
can we offer to emigrants from other eoun-
tries. other than assistance TO pay their
passages And that assistance must be
rendered under contract Of repayment
They have nothing to repay except their
labor. which we desire. and they CONTRACT
to pay that. They wish to better their
condition by getting away from their own
country, and are willing to contract for
what is, to them, remunentive price. |
confess that can not see the wrong. or
why il should be branded US obnoxious, or
loaded with opprObrium. This system is
wise, financially. and just, morally. 1t
should be carefully guarded. aud see no
better plan to effect this than a Public
Board, whose duty it is to see that the
contracts are carefully kept,-and who are
responsible, both in point Of fact, and in
their reputation. am opposed to the
assiguability of contracts-think that they
should not be made assignable at all.
The speaker intimated that at the
proper time in thu ennrss of tho d4A-,-,
he should go more extensively into that
question. We can give but a meagre ac-
count Of this gentleman's remarks, which
were very clear.
Mr. S. B. Dole spoke of the difficulty
of discussing the question together from
two standpoints. The Planters support
ing the measure as u matter of necessity
aud interest He objected from principle.
Said the Planters were consistent in in
sisting OF the assignment clause. because
without it, the contracts were unsafe and
impractical. He said the system is wrong.
because it necessitates bad principles and
bad laws in its support, such as the assign
ment clause, and article 1920 Of the Civil
Code, which gives a penal character to a
civil contract. He SAID that he opposed
the action Of the Planters. because he be-
lieved that it deviated from the principle
of ~the greatest good TO the greatest num-
ber.' He believed that all wrong done to
principle acted disastrously; and that the
conditions that this system render neces-
sary for ITS own success, are contrary to
the ideas and instincts of the age, and op-
posed to our own bill Of rights. That
these condtions-the law which gives a
penal character to the contracts. the inter
ference with the natural law of wages, and
the assignment clause-being wrong, no
necessity can make the system which rests
upon them, right.
The fifth resolution was passed by a
very large vote-6ve gentlemen dissenting.
The sixth resolution was passed by the
same vote, but was reconsidered at the
next day Of the meeting, when Mr.. Bart
lett proposed the following substitute
Resotsed, That we think It hest that the
Of Immigrants should be made i'm
mediaiely with the Board of Immigration.
as principals, and should not be assignabIe
in any case; that the Board have powers
70 appoint iaoorers 10 such persons as may
require them, bat that the Board 10 ali cases
be responsible to the laborers for the full Sc
rurlty Of all their rights and privileges under
their contracts.
After brief debate. in which J. o. Car