The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-10-13

in his opinion, has been greatly benefited by
the Reciprocity Treaty.
Another gentleman, whose evidence before the
Commission was both important and interesting,
was MIR. William Henry Dimond, in the cleri-
cal confidential employment of the firm OF
Messrs. Williams, Blanchard & Co., the we'll
known commercial house of that city. Mr..
Dimond explained that he had the privilege of
the Girls ROmanus, being Hawaiian born, and
for twenty years q resident of his native Islands.
Consequently his opinion claimed more especial
consideration. This gentleman also alluded to
the good chance of the United States in securing
the Reciprocity Treaty with the Hawaiian
Islands, before the Australian Colonies could
get hold of their trade. However naturally
selfish the opinion of both those gentlemen may
sound, there is no doubt that both are quite
right in their conclusions with reference to the
lucky chance of the Americans being the first
in the market, in this matter of the foreign trade
Of Hawaii nei. 1t is also easy to understand, from
these remarks, why the British government has
felt SO touchy on the subject of the old Treaty,
as that government probably thought that the
trade of these Islands was sufficiently secured
for Australia and Great Britain generally by the
British commercial Treaty with kamehameha
III, and may now feel disposed to think that the
United States have stolen a march upon Great Bri-
tain in getting an exclusive hold of the Hawaiian
trade by means of this already so highly ad-
vantageous Treaty. Mr.. Henry B. Williams
also alluded to the lucky chance of the United
States government having secured the exclusive
trade of the Hawaiian Islands through the Reel
-.oo:k. U.o.k- L. l. ii -uo. ~HI.ol L..
the Australian Colonies, and would, if effected,
have carried all the Hawaiian trade in their
direction. Mr.. Claus Spreckels, President of
the California Sugar Refinery, made a singular
remark, with which we must totally dissent.
He said: 1.-The Islands are practically an
American Colony" Now, in point of fact this
is not the case the Hawaiian Islands are an
independent Kingdom, under their own native
King. and constitutional government, and have
not the most remote political resemblance to an
" American Colony" as Mr.. Spreckels unwit-
tingly put forth. When Great Britain feels
touchy about this very Reciprocity Treaty with
the United States, there can be no good whatever
for this country in any attempt to make it APP
pear in the commercial world that this is : prac-
tically American ground, when nothing of the
sort exists or is likely to happen. That the
politicians of the United States understand full
well, however inconsiderately Mr.. Spreckels may
remark on the subject. Mr.. Charles IIolbrook,
of the firm of Holbrook, Merrill & Co., and Major
Morris also bore testimony before the Commission
to the successful workings of the Reciprocity
Treaty, as regards the United States trade with
the Hawaiian Kingdom. Captain WI Taylor, of
of the Risdon Iron Works, spoke of his firm as the
builders of our new Hawaiian steamer for which
they may thank the Reciprocity Treaty, we have
no doubt. This gentleman also testified to the hap
Ply results of the Treaty upon the m o. both
countries, and said that = it has given a stimulus
to our (American) trade
As we observed at the outset of our remarks,
it must really be highly gratifying to the Hawa-
iian commercial public, as we'll as to the origina-
tors and diplomatists engaged In the promo
ton and contraction of the Reciprocity Treaty,
to find that opinion of those enlightened gentle
pressed before an official commission for that pur-
pose, and representing apparently the common
sentiment of the great mercantile community of
the North Pacific coast, is so enthusiastically
favorable to our presnt commercial relations
with the people of the United States,-which
should convince any other generous power bow
selfish and unfair it would be to envy the Hawa-
iians their present exceptional advantages in
respect to their nascent trade with a friendly
~neighbor and protector.