The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-09-09

silly, il derived by people 10 other countries
mainly from what 10 printed 10 the Honolulu
Dewspaper5. and by these statements thus pub
Iistei our country. our government, AID the
condition or our s9sirs generally is Judged.
That We are wholly dependent on the good
Judgment and gooi viii of foreign nations for
our independence aud very existence was fully
demonstrated BY the heart paipitasion that for
eighteen months awaited the passage of the
treaty-the decision rs II whether we were
"to be or not to be-"
For more than four months the RonoluIn
papers have recorded the daily doings of the
Legislature. and We have certainly no reason to
boast Of the wisdom displayed. But os the
Appropriation Bill Is somewhat similar to g
resume Of the wisdom and progress Of a country,
INSTEAD of cause Cor bossting, W. have reason
to hide our heads IN shame. For instance. let
US see if il will appear that the Hawaiian nation
By the increase of the foreign population and
decrease Of the native race has advanced in
civilization, good order and morality, or, on the
other hand, that we are retrograding towards
n condition OF barbar;sm, anarchy and violence.
IL which no mans purse is safe in his pocket,
and no mans house or estate is safe from attack
or robbery? Every foreign reader, looking at
our Appropriation Bill, must inevitably con-
clude that the Hawaiian nation is g going to
the bad, = so far as civilization is concerned.
When our government was first established
say thirty years ago-it followed in most
important respects the example of older gov
ernments. For the safety Of life and property,
laws were enacted, a Judiciary provided to
administrator those laws and police established
for their execution, and a few retsiners Of the
King acted as a loyal and voluntary body-guard
on occasions. Not to go too far back-under
the reign of Kamehameha ", a popular prince
in the prime of manhood, "every inch n King
with q Minister who was fond Of display
a regular uniformed soldiery was established
and maintained at a biennial expense Of S40,-
600; the appropriation for the judiciary was
$o4,4OO, and that for the police force was
$4l ,280-the sum total appropriated for these
three departments amounting 10 $l45 $50.
In those days the population of the country
was about thirty thousand more than it numbers
to-day, 80 that the life, property and safety of
the people were protected by the government
at an expense of about 81! cents per capita,
counting every man, woman and child. All
who lived in the days of King Liholiho will
pleasantly bring to remembrance how safe and
peaceful was his reign, even in the times when
the annual visit of the whaling feet brought
its thousands of sailors TO Sc recruit in this
city and how the reports that went abroad
of our progress in civilization and self gov
ernment made Hawaii pei one of the most
interesting studies in the history of nations.
And how is it now? What can be thought
IS Eba probIa,n nrooa0fa1 uyIap x-,kb q aI:oIkI-
increased foreign element and a continued
decrease in the native population, We exhibit
a budget appropriating for tho Judiciary
$101 ,672; for police SIT ,45O; and for a stand
ing army $40, 6S4?-in all, for these three
departments, presumably for the protection
of life and property, the sum Of S249, BOZ.
Only S104 ,022 more to keep a population of
so 1000 from disturbing " the peace and dignity
Of the realm" than was required fourteen
years ago with of population of about $4,000.
A singular commentary upon the increase of
the foreign and the decrease Of the native
element in our population Moreover, in 1862,
the indebtedness of the country was but small,
while to-day the interest on the public debt
would suffice to keep our standing army.
Formerly the appropriation of $40 900 bien-
uIdIty tHO W." NOpoASn4CuO "ASHS WIN AistNC
regret be conceded to q beloved young prince
and to q Minister to whom the country felt
grateful for long and valued services. No one
was injured by the qualification of q penchant
for fuss and feathers, while the King and his
Minister were satisfied and the public amused.
But now, with a debt as much as the country
can bear, and more than it is likely ever to
repay while the call for needed public i'm
provements fer the development of resources
is unheeded by the government-it is proposed
to expend fro dollars and fifty cents per capita
of our population for protection" Is not
this an outrage upon the fame and good name
of a ~law-abiding people who number only
$4,000 souls?
In the eyes of the world, in view of the
amount we expend for self-protection, we must
appear to be q turbulent, unruly, seditions
and half-eivilized people; for what else can
they think when they read that we have a
standing army, at an expense of $40, 1884,
Meantime they may not be aware that the
uses of our army aFe-to look at in times of
peace and repose; to be mistrusted and to
disappear from sight whenever a row occurs.