The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-06-04

time. But On there now, and ask II the sugar IN
terest has done any serious damage to the DISTRICT OF
Wailuku. L am about to read the testimony of MIR.
J. P. Green, who quit the service OF the American
Board, because they received subscriptions from
Shareholders, his conscience not allowing nm to
take the money that was raised by Shareholders.
Now listen to what this conscientious man says
Here the speaker read a glowing tribute from Mr..
Green to the beauties of the coolie system.1
This is the business which they wish to destroy.
They wish to make the planters poor, by taking
away the means of living of these islanders through
this they will become hungry and Disconnected, and
will seek to destroy this little Kingdom. And when
q member of this House says he will do all in his
power to establish Q Republican Government-[Mr
Lyons corrected the speakers tatement and denied
the language attributed to him rs false Well then,
to have Republican ideas and carry out those ideas.
And these are the means through which they wish to
work.
In relation to Mr.. Thomas opinion of the word
inalienable, this word is given to Hawanans for their
guidance, which Judge Thomas could not read If he
had them before him. 1 ask any gentleman, save
the gentleman from Kohala, if that forbids him
making contracts? No man has a right to sell his
liberty, but that is a fine sprung argument, from a
would-be philanthrophist. 1 ask, if any man hires
himself out for FIVE years, whether that is violating
the provisions of the Constitution? This law steps
in and says he shall not contract for a term of service
over five years. The Eastern States protect their
shipping ; but my friend on my left says that no man
has a right to ALLEVIATE his liberty for one or more
years, but in the same breath tells us he can contract
for n specified object as to serve on ship board. 1t
seems impossible to me if in Massachusetts a man is
unable to ship for a year, he cannot ship on board a
vessel. This shipping interest is protected by the
law of Massachusetts,, and I ask if the sugar interest
is not as important to US, as the shipping of Massa-
chusetts is to it. Some of my friends say they are
ashamed of the way in which our productive interests
are carried on. | am not any more ashamed to con-
tract with 200 coolies, than 1 was several years ago
ashamed to ship q lot of men on board a ship.
These men who are so ashamed of our labor system,
have nothing invested, and they throw IN our teeth
our interest in the agricultural interests in this
Kingdom, and they hatter themselves they have not
yet invested in this shameful enterprise of sugar
planting. [ suppose it would be better for us to take
the money we have made here and invest it in foreign
stocks. A man who has invested all his earnings in
this country, and taken large risks, has no right to
speak, according to these people but the poor are to
be chosen to office. And if the planter attempts to
speak he is branded as q rich and oppressive planter.
What have the planters distributed among this peo-
pie? A million and n half of supplies in goods.
A gentleman has said that Lahaina, once populous, is now
almost desolate from the effects of plantations. Isay Lahaina
d RS of the Whaling msI deet and what supported u Lahaina
was what was sold to the whaling fleet in Lahaina, which
was principally beer, liquors and women, but the fleet has left
there and rendezvoused in Honolulu and San Francisco.
a sugar mill in Lahaina. for which they have never received a
dollar. These gentlemen are called the rich planters who
would rob the poor natives Of their rights. Close out the
plantations and see if the whaling fleet will return and buy
Hawaiian means the right to live without molestation. The
argument of the Attorney General says a man has no right to
will do away with that opinion. 1t is the wish OF the Govern
nIent to foster all enterprises, and they Will welcome the
whaling fleet, but no law we may make here will force whalers
to the Nor hern Ocean, and send whalers to Lahaina. Now
start something else. Here the speaker quoted from the
North An.ericam RegiS", which endorsed the contract
were not abridged by a contract of labor. Our contracts are
definite in their nature, and the service to be performed is
definite in that nature because it designates the island, and the
kind of labor, and 1 do not base this question on the action of
Parsons Us. Trask, or Judge Thomas either: Our contracts
are not uncertain as to the place Of labor, or the compensation
has nothing whatever to do with us. thought would sug-
gest it Just for the sake of comparison. A good deal is said of
up, I do not know about that. l have the observation here of
Dir. TrOllope, who state that the success of the Colonies,
whose system is similar to ours, was unprecedented.
TThe speaker then read the duties of the Attorney General
1t is not a little wonderful that a professcd lawyer and phil
anthropist should study this matter up for some time back,
and venture it upon the Assembly. The law was made before
the Attorney General was a minister, hut now his office is a
ministerial one, and the Attorney General was one who could
be called upon by oppressed lahorers or any poor Hawaiian to
obtain their rights without charge.
great deal of stress has been laid upon individual cases which
they can present; also the case presented a few days ago by
the member from Honolulu, which it is reported was signed by
several judges. There are some who go from one place TO an
or wr1re 10 nrSTsfEafrfs- l. r H1 raves fsbsHIR~,ld 81, iea ne rty-
rid OF his contract for over three years. deny these state
ments, ard say it is but a fair sample of the way in which this
SIDE II the House is treated and these measures are concealed
General o5 ihprisnnnent midi conirocts in 1bich ba staiei
that it was putting criminal cases into private hands this
shows you the carelessness and unfairness in which this debate
when it is expressly stated that IN employer must 20 before a
magistrate and take oath as t. the deserton Of this man. And
who but the Attorney General is to carry these matters to the
Supreme Court, if need be. 1t would be unreasonable for me
TO state Gas does the member from hohaaO that this was I'M
true, but l think my friend is certainly mistaken, as L have
every reason to believe he is.
1t has been sad that the law has been miscOnstrued by the
lower Courts. But the injured ones have an appeal to the
highest Court in the kingdom, with the best legal talent to be
had to defend their cause. without charge. l must apologize
for taking up so much of the time of the Committee, hut | speak
but once for all, on the question so far as it has gone. My
friend the Attorney General says if we indefinitely postpone
the bill, we get rid Of it once for all. l would ask him by
what rule of political debate he draws that conclusion? If we
abolish the law, cannot see how we are going to amend it.
some say II W e don't ike the law bring forward a better one.
But l don't see why we are to amend when we say the law is
good enough. l say it is for the would be reiormers TO bring
forward amendments, ana SHOW where inc law can De aileided'
Another statemest equally brilliant has been made. That is:
Ill we wait 10 refer this 10 the Courts, law suits will increase
ahd multiply" Ihe law Is now over twenty years OLD, yet we
have not seen so many law suits, and yet the watch dogs from
the tower have not seen the oppression brought upon the peo-
PIE III within ue past year. III ms ever thrown up lhat .
advocate this law, because of our landed es atcs we can say
that equal motives govern the opposing party. Several petit
lions nave come IN To amend THIS law but none TO abroeate II.
l say are we to do away with This law because some celebrity
in a foreign country has some fauciful idea that a man has not
II right o contract lr labor we are not u o. governed
by Massachusetts or Great Britain. In England and Wales
there were over 100000 persons living under public charity last
november. our crop Is 10 IKE me crop OF haSsachusctts,
except rocks Prince acknowledgement rocks our crops
are eighteen months in maturing, and our labOrer gets larger
wages and more steady employment through these crops than
can any where else
In closing l cannot but commend the manly expression Of
MIR. Ilanaike from Lahaina in which he stated he had served
under a contract and performed his part OF the contract, faith
fully and that the contract system was no oppression, except
ing to scoundrels. lhr: Harris cIted instances OF gehtielhehs
coming from England to mercantile employment under
a contract l am glad to see lands that could have been bought
Tor l25 and 20 cents an acre commanding many doilaIs' ana
owners growing rich and enjoying the luxuries OF life, and
seems astonishing that these Representative come forward
and call them slaves. Consider well your action on the bill,
rs it effects an interest that has increased our prosperity, built
our wharves, and caused sailing steamship lines to ply between
ths and other countries. lhey can bring the planters 10 pow
if they wish but when the Plantations fall the whole coun-
try falls with them and the philanIhropistS' employment Is
too, Tor there IL no oppression, where a ii Us utter desos.uo
and poverty. The speaker concluded by appealing to the patriot
ism OF the Representative and asking them not to be ashamed
their country or change its laws, because some woull-be
philanthropists think them unconstitutional and that they
ought TO be abrOgated.
0necO TNnInOrrsn r0IRG