The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-11-08

COMPARISONS says Mrs. Darlington, : are
odOrous.'' The Gazette, in commenting on a
breach of military discipline among the volunteer
militia Of New York, says that I" every one will
be struck with the similarity of the way in
which the mutineers were dealt with in New
York and Honolulu" Just so for we read a
little further down that
'sThe entire regiment was disarmed, and, after
some trouble, placed under guard of the Eighty
fourth Infantry and Third Cavalry, and for the first
time within our recollection a regiment of the Ma
tiOnal Guard was marched off the grounds armless
and prisoners, and imprisoned in the city and State
arsenals by order Of the brigade commander"
The similarity - between those proceedings
and our own War of the Barracks consti-
tutes the point to which the Gazette directs the
attention of every one. But we beg to suggest
that hereafter, when our neighbor really means
to be fa%cetious, he introduce the subject with the
words This is a COAX
The CORRESPONDENCE which we publish to-day
between the Agents Of Fire Insurance Companies
in this city and the Minister of the Interior, is
suggestive. 1t was handed to us for public in
formation, without comment, and it is but proper
that we should remark in the outset that any
criticisms we may make upon it are entirely
our own.
y model dispatch, under the circumstances
and in view of the known extremely conservative
attitude Of the Ministry, should not, we opine,
have extended beyond a dozen lines; wherein,
after n due reference to the " anxious solicitude :"
which the Ministers profess to have felt for the
past two or three months on the subject of an in
creased water supply, they might have gracefully
declined to assume the Z" grave responsibility -
of expanding any money in building a new reser-
vOir until the same shall be voted by the Legisla-
turc, and have concluded with the assurance of
their intention of bringing up the subject when
that body next meets-six months hence. Such
n Ministerial dispatch, declaring briefly the
policy determined on by government in regard to
the water supply, would have been a sufficient
answer to the memorial, Notwithstanding that
opinions might we'll differ as to the soundness of
that policy.
But this, the first : official dispatch - that has
appeared from the pen of the Minister of the In
terror, strikes one as by no means a happy speci-
men. 1t has the undiplomatic fault of diffuse-
ness and rambling verbosity, with little of the
dignity of the statesman, in that it argues and
expOstulates, and finally exhibits an unmistakable
disposition to sneer. The Minister very plainly
not to say NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to his CORE
spOndents in effect, that so far from there being
any reasonable ground for addressing him in
favor of a larger supply of water for the city, it
is their duty to . correctly > represent to their
head offices : : the facts the very reverse of
those set forth in their memorial, which will in
duce those head Offices, thus correctly informed,
not only to reduce the present rate of insurance,
but also to extend their risks on property which
they are now afraid to insure, After that,
whatever may be thought of His Excellency's
peculiarities of diplomatic style, all must con-
cede that in the art of delivering the snub direct,
he is without 4 peer. The long, lecturing letter
was unnecessary and uncalled for, but the oppor-
tunity could not be allowed to pass unimproved
to parade the - i~nsolence of Office in the faces
of n number of highly respectable and influential
merchants, who had presumed so far as to lay
before our painfully conservative Ministry their
endorsement of the public feeling on the question
of the water supply.
In his anxiety to make out his case and to
show that there never has been I short supply of
water for extinguishing fires, the Minister COM
mits the serious Observation-Disclosures through be-
ing misinformed-of stating as a fact that which
is VIGOROUSLY untrue. Referring to the recent
fire IN Emma street, he says that . water was
ready rs soon as the engines were ready for it."
An inquiry Of members of the Fire Department
or Of numerous bystanders ON that occasion
would have proved to the Minister'S satisfaction
that for q considerable time-at least fifteen min
utes-after the engines were in position and
ready for water, none came through the pipes,
and that the adjacent house was kept from ignit-
ing primarily with wafer obtained from a taro-
patch near by
In marked contrast to the il-advised diatribe
Of the Minister, the letters Of the associated
merchants are dignifcd and respectful in matter
and manner. and their regard for propriety deters
them from entering into the discussion apparently
sought to be provoked.
On the whole. we must conclude that while
the occurrence Of the correspondence furnished
an opportunity to create a sentiment of friendli-
ness in the community towards the Ministry, it
has unfortunately been perverted to a different
result, and has served to intensity and confirm
the doubts that were entertained Mt the first rs
to their fitness for the positions they hold.