The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-06-24

o. TUESDAY last was issued by the Foreign
Office as a HaCaiian Gazette Extra, a Royal
Proclamation, setting forth that, whereas His
Majesty had, by the advice and approval of the
Legislature, entered into a Convention of
Reciprocity with the United States on the Both
day of January, 1875, (Which said treaty is
thereupon reproduced in fulD and the same
having been ratified and the notifications
exchanged at Washington, June Sd, 1875,
therefore proclamation is made that the same
shall 20 into effect as soon as intelligence is
received that the Government of the United
States has made the necessary provisions for
carrying it into operation.
This is another act in the astonishing comedy
Of errors with which our Foreign Office has
been entertaining the country anent the treaty.
First, early in the session, the Minister declared
that he should not and could not place the treaty
before the Assembly, as that body could legally
have nothing whatever TO do with it the said
Minister knowing at the time that the bill then
before the Congress Of the United States (and
which, after a delay Of three months, passed the
House of Representatives and went to the
Senate) begins in these words
" BE it enacted, &c. That whenever the President of the
United states shall receive satisfactory evidence that the
tBsalu II nc hdNalidu a ave paSstu laws u
their part to give full effect to the provisions of the
Convention between the United States aud His Majesty the
lion declaring that he has such evidence and thereupon,n
Of duty" &c.
In the face of this plain provision of law by
Congress, the text of which was in this city two
months ago, how are we to explain the positive
declaration of the Minister that the Assembly
could have nothing to do with the Treaty? But
on the 18th Of June, a month and a half having
elapsed since the commencement of a SO far
f~ruitless session, the Ministry, without any
explanation, proceed to eat their own words by
bringing in the act to carry the treaty into
effect. Without however waiting for the final
passage of that vitality necessary act, they
neryously and hastily issue a proclamation and
send it off by the mail of the Goth, announcing
that the treaty will 60 into effect as soon as
intelligence is received that the government of
the United States has made the necessary
proyisionsl Cui bono? Of what possible use
can this proclamation be to the authorities of the
United States-further than perhaps to signify
that % Barkis is willin'-seeing that they must
await another month at least the receipt of
- satisfactory evidence" that the Hawaiian
Legislature has passed the necessary laws ?
What q remarkable muddle our Scion of the
Foreign Office has made of it! The necessary
legislation might have been easily accomplished
six weeks ago, had it not been for the obstinacy
or something worse-of the Minister. Indeed,
when we remember the tone of his allusion to
the subject of reciprocity in his celebrated leader,
The Policy of the Administration" (Hat0ai!an
Gazette, February %, 1874, and subsequent
utterances, there may well seem reason to
question his hearty friendship for the measure.
This however is certain, that if those who are
holding sugar for the treaty to go into effect
shall be compelled to keep it in store a month OF
more after the Senate has passed the act above
referred to, they can have no one to blame but
the Minister of Foreign Relations.