The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-03-14

a writer over the signature ID Q refers o. the
Act Of January, 1865, which orders that Exche-
queI bonds be issued for the liquidation Of the
mortgages upon the Royal Domain, and further
orders the Crown Commissioners to set apart one
fourth u the annual revenue Of the Crown lands
and pay the same into the Government Treasury
for the payment Of first, the interest, and secondly
the principal Of the said bonds, until they should
be discharged, and advises that the said Act be
repealed. If ''Q.r had looked a little further.
be would have found that in the subsequent SEES
sion Of the Legislature, the foregoing provisions
were repealed, the payment Of the said Exche-
qucr bonds b the amount Of So, 300, by which
the mortgages were cztInguished, assumed by the
Government. and the Crown Commissioners re-
lieyed from all liabilities to pay said bonds. Thus
hc would have saved the public and himself loss
Of time in considering an unbeatable matter.
His suggestion, however, to sell the Crown
lands to actual settlers, is certainly worthy Of
serious consideration.
II NAY rE characterized as unfortunate, that
circumstance have apparently led to the neces-
sity that the first official act Of the new Ministry
should be a revival Of the department. Of war
that the one measure for which the late admins
tration got universal as well as special credit
the abandonment Of any attempt to keep up n
regular military fOrcc-should be the very meas
ure that the new administration, Immediately on
assuming the reins of power, think proper 10
reverse. We say it is unfortunate that the ne
cessity should appear to have arisen, for there
can be no question but that the move il a gener-
ally unpopular one. The reason for this is patent
enough, and is found in the experience Of the
past. Remembering, first, the heavy cost Of a
military establishment which the country is less
able to bear now than at any previous period,
neither can we forget that which we have thor
Oughly learned as to the unrclIability of native
soldiers. The wretched serio-comic episode of the
barracks is a spot in Hawaiian military expert
ence that cannot be easily wiped out, nor should
we ignore its permanent mischievous effect on the
native mind. We further call to mind the sort
of man the native soon became who enlisted in
the Household Troops - how he was trans
formed very rapidly from an unsophisticated
country boy to a demoralized, whisky-drinking
adept in all the vices and and
crimes of the capital, up to thievery and high
way robbery, eliminating IN Il combination to
mutiny that defed the authority of the Goyasaf=-
ment. And in fact, serious doubts are enter
tanned by persons Of good judgment, who are
familiar with the native character, as to whether
any other result than that we have indicated can
be expected to follow the maintenance Of a reg
ular military establishment in a town like Homo
lulu, where by necessity the soldiers are in daily
81 ha--lz aa>s~at sr.L the populoee- These
are in brief some only of the reasons why the
Ministerial action in re-establishing the regular
military service has not met with the annroYal of
the general public.
So far, the quasi organ of the Ministry-the
GG@eitc-has not uttered a single word of apol-
ogy, justification or ordinary comment even upon
the rather important measure of the re-establish-
ment of the military as a prominent element in
our system Of Government. Considering the
well-known public sentiment upon the subject,
and which has been growing and intensifying for
n good many years, it may be justly assumed
that some such explanation or justification was
to be expected at the hands of the Ministry
through their quasi organ. The readiness e%vinced
to talk freely if not perhaps clearly on the
- policy of the administration y should certainly
warrant the public in expecting some apology or
defense Of the apparently elaborate military
establishment that was fOreshadowed in the
- Articles Of War; ETC., which appeared a fort
night since. We are, however, left to form our
own conjectures as to the reasons which underlie
this military movement, and upon which the
administration is to defend the heavy expenditure
Of the public money that it must necessitate.
The only possible grounds upon which it can
be claimed that this Government needs to main
tain a regular military force, however small, are
two-the preservation of internal order, and a
proper guard for the person of the Sovereign.
The unfortunate disturbance of the 10Th of Feb
ruary, will doubtless be referred TO in support of
the theory that we need a regular %sOldiery, prop
erly differed and disciplined, to prevent popular
outbreaks in the future, and that the mere fact
of the existence of such q force, implying strength
in the Government, will effectually operate to
maintain order in any political excitements that
may hereafter arise. The objections that have
been made to our military establishment in the
past, and which have been so palpable and just,
it will probably be contended were owing to
generally inexperienced management and great
slackness IN disciplinc-crrors which may be
entirely avoided now by commencing properly,
and carrying out, vigilantly and to the letter, the
rules and regulations of military discipline.
This. we may conjecture, would in some degree
be the line of argument adopted by the sup
porters of a standing military force, were it
indeed thought due to public opinion to make
any argument on the subject.
The important question of cost however, must be
met in the approaching session of the Legislature.