Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-06


an official position which enabled him to
become very thoroughly acquainted win
their agricultu. al resources, commercial
advantages, and form of government,
fun nishes some information on these SUB
iects that is of special interest at THIS
time. His views are in accord with those
which have prevailed in the State De
part since the days Of Seward; and IL
must be remembered, therefore, that the
following facts and opinions are those or
a warm advocate of annexation. lie
SAYS that the Constitution of Hawaii pro-
vides that the succession to the monarchy
shall be in the female line in preference
to the male, and that the person with the
best title to the throne is now the late
Kings half sister. Princess Ruth. The
King is authorized to name as successor
any member of the royal family, and if
he fails to do this before his death, as was
the case with the late King, the Parlia-
ment elects a new monarch, but cannot
go outside the royal family In making a
selection.
The form of government is thoroughly
republican in spirit, the monarch being
little more than a fgure-head to repre-
sent the executive power. Form
erly the signature of the King was not
enough for the approval of laws passed
by the Parliament, but there was an Off
cial whose function was to revise the &C
ton of both the King and Parliament,
and who had to sign the laws after the
King to give them validity. The last per-
son who held this curious position was
the Kings sister, Victoria. At her death
the office was abolished The system of
government s very closely assimilated to
that of the United States. and the New
York code is adopted for civil procedure
in the courts. When General e. McCook
went out as our Minister, during Presi-
dent Johnson's Administration, most of
the Government offices were filled by
F.cnch and English residents, but during
McCook's stay the American influence be-
came predominant, and has since remain
ed so. About one-half the entire foreign
population are Americans, and fill many
important administrative and judicial po-
sitions. The native islanders, called Kan
akas, are an intelligent, quick-witted peo-
pie, and it is said they can all read and
write their own language. They are not
industrious, however, and, although pos
sessing fine physiques, they appear to be
deficient in vitality, so that the race is
steadily dying OUTS
The population of the islands, which
is supposed to have once exceeded 300, =
900, is now barely 10000, of whom about
10000 live in the town of Honolulu. The
total surface of the islands is 10000
square miles, but much Of it is bare, vol
canic rock, and the area susceptible of
cultivation does not exceed 10000 square
miles, and this would never support
dense agricultural population, because
the chief staples, sugar and coffee, can be
proftably cultivated only upon large
plantations. AS a strategic point for
naval purposes, and as commercial en-
trepot, the Importance of the islands can
not be exaggerated. Any second or
third-rate naval power obtaining posses
sion of them could dominate the COM
merce of the North Pacific. They lie
directly in the path Of nearly all the trans
Pacific trade. AS the commerce of the
North Pacific increases with the
settlement of the western coast OF Amer
of our relations with Japan, China,
and the Indies, a great city must,
it would appear, inevitably grow up in
the Hawaiian group, to serve as a supply
and coaling station for the merchant
marine Of all nations navigating the
Pacific Ocean, and as naval station of
the power which fortunately gets posses
sion of the islands. Until within few
years England and France have coveted
the islands, and probably nothing but
their SURPRISING importance to the United
States has SO long preserved their indie
pendence. During all the time that Mr.
Seward controlled our foreign policy, the
standing instructions to our Ministers at
Honolulu were to watch the doings of the
British and French Ministers, and to in
form them that any attempt on the part of
either of their Government to interfere
with the independence of the Hawaiian
Kingdom would be regarded by the United
States as cause of war OF late years
Great Britain has regarded it as definite
ly settled that we are to control the COM
merce of the Pacific in the future
Her citizens are largely interested in
our Pacific railroads, and her statesmen
are believed to look with favor upon the
growth of trade between Liverpool and
Japan and China by way Of San Fran
cisco and New York. 1t is not thought
that she could object to the islands being
brought under an American protectorate,
or even to their immediate annexation.
France is not in condition to object, if
she would, Germany, which is exhibit
ing remarkable vigor in the development
ing her naval armament, is said to fully
the value of the islands, and
to desire to possess them, but the rela,
tions Of the United States with this
power are at present of such a friend
ly nature that she could scarcely
be expected to stand in the
way of their acquisition by us, although
she would unquestionably object to any
rival European nation gaining foothold
there. AS to the views of the natives on
the question of annexation to the United
States, it is asserted that two thirds of
them have favored for the past ten years
any arrangement that would bring them
in closer relations with us. IN 1866
a treaty of commercial reciprocity was
negotiated with the Hawaiian Govern
ment by Minister McCook, and was
warmly supported by Senator Sumner,
who made an able speech in it's favor in
an executive session of the Senate. The
treaty failed by only two or three votes
to get the two thirds of the Senate neces-
sary for its&atifcation. If it had been
ratified there is little doubt that the islands
would before this have belonged to the
United States Washington Cor. New York
Tribune.
Biblical CuriOsities.