The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-06-05
THE HAWAIIAN TREATY.

The following is the text Of the re-
marks Of Tobias Gibson, Esq. OF New
Orleans, before the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations, in opposition to
the passage Of the Hawaiian treaty now
pending before the Senate.
Mr. hartman and Gentlemen 81 the COMMITTEES
on Foreign Relations;
| have the honor IT, present tn you for your
consideration the following memorial placed IN
our hands by a Joint meeting II the Chamber of
Commerce of New Orleans and the merchants
and planters Of New Orleans and Louisiana
with instructions to urge upon your committee
the Importance to Louisiana in her sugar and
rice interests, especially of retaining the duty
upon those commodities ma II now IL under ex-
listing laws.
facts and data ~ we hope and think will tend to
| effect the mo lilcation desired by our constiu.
eney. The fnet cannot be unknown to yen that
At present nll the industries u Louis ana are
much paralyzed by causee which 1t has been out
u tho y wer either Of the people or state
| the richest and most rrodueive lands
| have been thrown out aud remain uncultivaied
| by reason ~ the cfeyasses IN the levecs ~ the
Mississippi river and its tributaries. and though
| the Government and generous public all over
| the nation literally minstered to our wants the
kind Offices only setyed to =, ,reyent starvation
| " our agriculture. We give the committee tho
assurance that though much dishear'ened by
| repeat i dsaster, and consequent distress and
| depression. our people have earnestly aud with
an almnst surerhuman energy set t. work to
repair the injury oe"asioned by The Hoods, and
| " protected by the strong and kindly hand " the
| Government may hope in q few Years to regnln
heir former prYsnerity. lh's protection our
| III fostering tbs interests If Louisiana Won
necessarily care for the interests Of al those
States Of the Mississippi Valley SO. intimately
connected with aud dependent upon the prosper
jty of the city of Naw Orleans. tho great centre If
| trade ard depot If delivery in the southwest II
Z there That very a'Ee nr"rnr''on Of n" rra
| inst in proportion as the demand is increased
fnr Western produce. such ne wheat. corn -four.
meal, hemp, iron. horses and mules in that
ratio does Il add IT, the prosperity IF the Western
| producer. Our ability to purchase must depend
| upon the staples Of our section large portion
| of Louisiana can only produce sugar aud rico
| "a commodities nf exchange. And the expense
| tn produce these attclea Ia such that unless pro
tatnd by the tariff laws against The importation
| IL like ones from foreign countries who're slave
labor still exists, ct the Chinese IL brought into
| competition with cur home labor, our fields
must be abandoned. We know from eSpe,ienne
that to put our sugar In tho market the cost IN :
| der the mns rigid rules IT economy ie So great
that 1t leaves but q small margin Tor the pro,
| Queer aud the lnhorer. Take IN the tariH and
| nermjt sugar to como into cur country free If
duty and our competition with the production
Of slave or cheap eoolio labor VIII he tp stop the
| cultivation Of the exotic sugar cane in Louis
lana.
Already with only twelve thousand nnres In
sugar culture ~ the Hawaiian lsa ds, recent
| inportatirns through New York IT, New Orleans
| IT Sandwich Island syrup show that even with
the present duties uron them they have been
~ 4 IA conppta with ia successfully. Relieve
them If the duty aud NJ once tho cultivation will
| he extended go as to produce crop larger than
th1t Of our own country aud uahered into our
| midst with all the advantages II government
| encouragement aud assistance. they will sur
pass our industry. which the convention pre-
| poses t. discourage aud establish bonus
| against I rrpand aS u pait ut my remarks tni
| your consideration the annual report ~ sugar
| and rice crnps ~ tho Prize current for lar, aud
tsis In louisiana showing that for that year
| 4 4 l1 a hI+ta tp
| pounds sugar aud 2lsa ei harrnla moaesps. and
ipo aus barrels clean rice. Against these ilguiea
| stand those ~ the amount Ut sugar crop ~ the
Hawaiian Islands. imported " 900 pounds
surat 81 hfs gallons mnlasseR hnd 4l,AGl pounds
meladn. This is tho case under the provisions
| IT tho treaty which II is intended Ia Surniant 10y
tho one now before you for consideration. Give
tie islanla now the benefit " the impetus which
this treaty provides, mud YOU tnetens" HE acre
age ten fold. or oven more, ana inYit" tho entire
| increased crnp into Our ports white me hnmn
annsumrtiou win hr, not trem sugar raised IN
tho Hawaiian Islands but derived from tho other
islands IN tho 4 ciiin Ocean. i may he urged ~
IN objection ~ our propagation. That tho treatt
with HE Majesty, the King Of the Hawaiian
islands does not authorize the introduction ni
thesc articles duty FREQ, and that hy no ronsttue-
ton of the treatv can any such deduction ho
made. But ~ point 81 iaot. We whole tenden.N
upnU man representing the state If California
IN the House If Representatives Mr. in'tr,lll
says IL his srpoch II the House. There must he
a common cement in this mater IF rerirrn"iy to
be followed hy similar trentins with Mexico,
Cuba Canada anl other countries This Is the
fret stop in tho right direction" This prerodont
estahliahod and Louisiana would ~ few years
assume the aspect ana tho condition of vast
| uuinhahitahlo wilderness. In the name and be
half IF tho people of that State. aud in hehHf ~
tncir every interest offer respectfully our
| remnnstrancr against tho special legislation ui
| tho CarnA coast aud the Hawaiian Islands into
| prnsrprity IA the expense and ny We conceive
destruction Of The Gulf aud Atlantic states IN
their most important intnreata
| All nf which " respectfully submitted.
TOBIAS GIBSON. Chairman,