The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-10-14

exist a. present between this kingdom ard the
governments Of France, Germany, China. &c
WIN indeed but ire Hawaiian Government,
itsslf: And why should residents here be made
- suffer because there ste 10 treaty ssipulations
in existence with their hyme countries W.
sfhru that the Hawaiian Government i M:
acting IN a spirit OF equity aud IN accordance
with the comfy u nations. when it eniorces 3
new tariff ten days after publication upon aIl
inporsations from countries With which 4. has
no treaty in force.
Without particuIarizing dates, We know that
the treaty with France was abrogated by this
government, because the government Of that
great country would not aecede to the abrosation
OF certain parts Of the treaty, which had become
inconvsnient to this government, and it fs too
much to expect that negotiations fer q new
treaty 9Iu be proposed by France. We ask,
therefore, whose is the fault that We arc without
q treaty with France to-day and ia it Just and
equitable that French inportstions should suffer
therefor?
Again, we remember that the free cities Of
Bremen and Hamburg were among the frat of
the governments Of Europe who completed trea-
ties with Hawaii. These treaties were abrogated
By the Hawaiian government in 1867, without
ostensible cause, unless az we mey charitably
suppose, with the intention Of making q treaty
in their place with the North German Confeder-
alton. In 1869, Mr.. de Varigny, the then Ha-
waiian Minister for Foreign Affairs and at tho
same time Minister Plmipotentisry and Envoy
Extraordinary of the King of Hawaii in Europe,
concluded a treaty 10 Berlin with the North
German Confederation, which treaty vas then
rptifiai by tho Kipr IF pruasia GA head Of the
Confederation, and 80 declared by him in hs
speech ct the opening of parliament. The Ha-
xaiian government, however, for reasons Of its
OVID which We are unable to explain, declined
to ratihy that treaty, and since then, so far as
We are aware, no farther regulations have been
opened in that direction. Is it now, let us ask,
for the government of the Empire of Germany
TO step forward and offer to negotiate a new
treaty, or is the Hawaiian government at fault
if there arc now no treaty stipulations between
the two countries?
We are not acquainted with the steps that
have unsuccessfully been taken by the Hawaiian
government for the negotiation of a treaty with
the Empire of China, and therefore cannot cay
how far the want of a treaty with that country
may be the fault of this government. We
may, however fall back upon the first principle
which international courtesy and the comfy Of
nations in our opinion indicates, which is to
treat the subjects of friendly nations on the
same footing as those of the most favored ma
tions; q principle that has, up to the present
time, been the rule here. ANY possible objec-
ton, or difficulty in applying this principle, could
have been overcome by decreeing that tho new
tariff should not go into operation until the ex-
piro tiOD of twolve m0pfha from the doto 0f lie
publication. Had this course been adopted, all
nations would have been treated alike, and no
just cause tor complaint would have arisen, for
all subjects Of other nations would have enjoyed
their rights as denizens of this country, and as
such entitled to equitable treatment by a pater-
nal government.
But how differently from this does the Ha-
waiiap government apparently intend to act, and
how seriously may be the pecuniary Losses caus-
ed by its action to q number of commercial
houses and private individuals. who are not 20
fortunate as to belong to a nation under treaty
engagements with this government! The new
tariff may possibly be enforced even on importa-
tions by the steamer now on the way from San
Francisco, if she should arrive after the 10th
instant, for after that date all importations of
goods except those from treaty powers will be
subject to it's provisions. Not only is it intended
to levy almost prohibitory duties on certain
goods, but it is proposed that they should be
levied without notice or previous warning,
whereby an opportunity might be afforded to
avoid Losses, or perhaps even bankruptcy, by the
importation of goods that have ceased to find a
market here, and that may have to be shipped to
other ports with a disastrous loss. What is to
l.. H. .-Ik -. - to~-o 80 ~ rAaHo aasA
to be now on the way from China and Germany,
the importation of which would not have been
thought of if the new tariff could have been
foreseen?
Tho motto on the Hawaiian coat CT arms is-
" The life of the land is established in doing
right Let therefore justice and equity be
awarded to residents who have made these
islands their home; and besides, let ia be care
full to cherish the good will of foreign govern
ments, to whom their subjects must look for pre-
lection whenever their interests and just claims
are disregsrded.
We HAVE adverted, elsewhere in to-day's
paper, to the injustice of attributing blame to
our planters for the disappointments prematurely
expressed in San Francisco at the operation of
the Treaty but it is an infinitely sadder duty to
allude to the disappointment and chagrin of our
own island community at the prospect of a result,
consisting only Of increased taxation and no gen.
eral diffusion of advantages from the Treaty.
That tho benefits of this measure should be con-
fined to o favored few is not at all the fault of
that few, but wholly and entirely due to the in
capacity CT the present Ministry to go guide
legislation as to distribute the burdens of taxa
ton equitably, to encourage capital, to inspire
confidence and to quicken the pulses of national