New-York tribune., 1875-01-15
WASHINGTON.
THE PROPOSED RECIPROCITY TREATY WITT
HAWAII.

| HAWAI-
ITS CONSERVATION EARNESTLY URGED BY MINIS
TER PIERcE-IMMrNENr DANGER OF OUR LOSING
| ALL CONTROL OVER THE SANDWICH ISLANDS
| NEW-ZEALAND SCHEME To CREATE GREAT
ISLAND DoMISToN-rHE PROPOSITION TO GAIN A
PORT NEAR HONOLULU DIscoURAGED-PRoBABIE
| PROVISIONS or THE PROPOSED TREATY.
| 10y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.l
| WASHINGTON, JAN 1.-THE Hon. Henry A.
! Pierce United States Minister Resident at Homo
/ lulu, made a strong argument before the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations, on Tuesday in favor
| OF areciprocity treaty between the United States
and the Hawaiian Islands, to which he is accred-
tied. He called attention to the facts that, by the
| recent action Of the British Government.
| another valuable group of islands, the
| Fiji. has surrendered it's original authority
| and become a colonia possession of the English
crown; that France has possession of Tahiti and
| the Marquesas and New-Caledonia; that Great
| Britain rules over New-Zealand aud New-Guiuea
! Although the New-Zealand Government is now seek
ing the acquisition of the Navigator Islands, he said
that the Hawaiian Archipelago is really the only
naming portion of all the thousand islands of
Polynesia of much commercial and political value.
But already scheme has been set on foot and is
powerfully supported by the chief officials Of New
Zealand, by which these ISLANDS also may soon be-
Pacific under British rule 80 that Mr.. Pierce thinks
the present is the most opporune time for the United
| States Government Ito enter into more intimate
| commercial and political treaty relations with
those islands He called attention to the statistics
| of commerce with the Hawaiian Kingdom, to the
very important military and strategical position
which it occupies Geographically in the North Pacific
Ocean, and said that the attention of Congress has
been repeatedly called to the Importance of gaining
a foothold upon their shores. Refuse the offered
treaty, he said, and necessity will drive the ISL
| anders to seek for more intimate commercial rela-
tions with the British Colonies Of Columbia, New
Zealand Fiji and Australia. which will result in the
Hawaiian Islands becoming also a colony of the
British Crown.
The danger of our thus losing all control over the
Hawaiian group, he said, is imminent and in proof
of his assertion produced article copied from
New-Zealand newspaper giving the outlines OF a
grand scheme" originally proposed by Mr. julius
Vogel aud for several years past the Premier of
| the NewZealand Government 1t proposes to form
q commercial company, under the auspices and
| assistance Of the Imperial and Colonial Govern
ments, to be endowed with a large capital and with
powers and objects similar in character to those
formerly possessed by the British East India Com
| pany Its purpose is to create through diplomacy
conquest. and other means great island dominion
composed of all the islands in the Polynesan region
excepting those islands already occupied by Eu-
ropean powers. The company about to be formed,
and Mr. Pierce assured the Committee that Mr. Vogel
in behalf of the New-Zealand Government has taken
steps to purchase the possessOry titles now held by
the Polynesan Land Company of San Francisco to
large tracts of land situated in the Samoan Navi
gators Islands with view to the ultimate acquis
ton of the whole group for British colony. and to
| ontio si, No
| Government or it's citizens may have in the same
direction
IL has also been suggested that the United
| States Government should avail itself of the
present occasion to secure tho cession OF q
port in the Hawaiian Islands. Under present
circumstances, Mr.. Pierce thinks the meas
ure is of doubtful expediency. Patient wait
ing will, he says, give US the whole group OF
Islands. A single port would be a snare and an
injury to real interests. In regard totno cesslon
of port King Kalakaua refuses to consent for two
reasons to giving Pearl Harbor to the United States
1t is eight miles west of Honolulu and its improve
ment would destroy the value of property in the
capital of the kingdom secondly, the act Of ces-
sion to the United States would complicate Ha.
waan political relations with Great Britain The
latter it is feared would Immediately seek the ac-
duisiton of the Port Of Hilo as counterpoi3e to
that acquired by the United States at Pearl River.
Mr. Pierce closed by urging, with the greatest
earnestness the consummatiOu Of the proposed
treaty.
!. is reported in diplometic circles here that the
Government of New Zealand has through Mr.. Vo-
gel its representative at the Hawaiian Islands,
offered to King Kalakauas Government
loan of from $l,O00,OOO to S3'Ooo'OOo
for long term of years, at the rate of five per cent
per annum. Mr.. Vogel also assured the Hawaiian
Government that the colonies of New-ZealaDd and
Australia will, in case commercial relations
are established between the Sandwich Islands and
these Colonies, at the proper time, admit Hawaiian
sugars free of duty The security required for this
loan is not stated but il is said this s matter OF
very little importance since the loan II taken, can
never be repaid. The Hawaiian Governments said to
hold this offer as secret, and Swill neither
accent nor reject it until the result of the
present negotiations with the United
States for q reciprocity treaty is known.
The offer was made. it is beliiyed,
in order to obtain lien upon the islands, prevent
closer political and commercial relations being
established between them and the United
States, and, finally, to make British colony
of them Tue propositions made to our
Government by the Hawaiian Commissioner
will, it is expected be presented
to the Senate at an early day in the form of treaty
If adopted, the treaty will admit free Of duty the
following articles:
All low grade sugars net above No ls. moasses, tai
low, coffee hides, skins, Metandor yrups of moasses
arrowroot palm, tropical fruits, raw cotton, seeds
plants trees castor OIL Sandal Koakow aud otner or
namental woods.
The total value of these articles imported into
the United States from the islands last year
amounted to 81, 10000 Under the present tariff,
coffee hides and skins are admitted free of duty.