The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-03-31
THE
Observation-Disclosures .
MARCH Bis

THE MKT election Of representatives Of the
people in the Legislative Assembly Of this King.
dom will take place, as is generally known, in
the month Of February of the coming year, 1873.
Although the period in question is still ~compaf
atively remote, nevertheless certain conditions
connected with the present Legislative Assembly
induce us to make some remarks on the subject.
These remarks are the more necessary now, az
time is important in view Of the changes which
we propose to suggest in the elective branch Of
the Legislative Assembly. Without at present
commenting upon the merit or demerit of the
native members of the Elective Body of our
Legislative ASSEMBLY, we feel called upon to ex-
press an opinion on the serious inconvenience
which arises from the paucity of foreigners in
our Elective Legislature. Owing to a deplorable
apathy prevalent among many Of our foreign pop
~ulation, with reference to electioneering move
ments, it has resulted that our present Elective
Legislature is composed, with but very few e-
ceptions, Of natives exclusively. Again, We
repeat, that we by no means desire to make it
appear by these remarks that the natives of this
country may not eventually become as fully quail
fled as foreigners to discharge the important
duties of Legislators; this We believe it to be
OUl1 DluAlO lubh4lC " Will DuJG hbtLG v
eigners occupy so weighty a position in this coun-
try, whose best interests, monetary, CONNER
cial, and industrial, moral, social, and religious,
arc so largely represented by the foreign element
Of population-we certainly feel bound to deplore
the almost total absence of foreigners from the
elected Representatives of the people in the Leg
islative Assembly. Among the Mobiles, who are
nominees of the CROWN, the proportion between ma
tives and foreigners is pretty fairly maintained.
But, in the elective body of the Legislature, the
preponderance of the native element is an in
congruity, which calls for emendation at our
next elections in February 1878. If the foreign
population Of this Kingdom could be reused into
something like a patriotic interest in the forma-
ton Of the elective Legislature of the country
and the motives are manifold which should
awaken such a patriotic feeling-we doubt not
that. by a timely provision such a state of the
polls in each of the electoral districts at the
forthcoming elections, might be secured, as
would ensure the return of at least two foreign
ers in each of the islands OF Oahu, Maui, Hawaii
and Kauai. THE Introduction of eight for
eigners into the Elective Legislature would be
an inealculable benefit to the country, as even
the natives themselves must plainly comprehends
| With every consideration for native talent, abill-
ty, and capacity for legislatorial duties, it must
be clear to the native members themselves that
there are numerous questions constantly being
brought forward as subjects for the deliberations
of their body, upon which the opinions of en-
lightened foreigners are of paramountimportance,
with Il view to the full understanding and elu-
cidation Of the same. Indeed We may say posi-
lively that no question whatever can be intro
duced into the Legislative Assembly whereupon
the decision of foreigners of enlightenment is not
calculated to add perspicacity to the debate. We
should be very sorry to think that the intelligent
native population of this country, could ever
make SO deplorable a mistake as to desire to
see the seats of the Elective Legislators of the
Kingdom exclusively filed by natives themselves.
We believe that the circumstance of the present
preponderance of the native Elective Legislators,
is the result, as we observed above, Of apathy
and want of national spirit on the part of the
foreigners in this country. Hence it is, that We
felt bound to call the attention of our foreign
population to this important question, even at
this distance of time from the forthcoming cleo
tions. We doubt not that eight or ten foreigners
could then be returned, if the foreign population of
these Islands only bestirred themselves ever SO
little in the matter.
Remembering the very considerable amount of
capital invested and likely to seek investment
here by foreigners; and the grave questions of
immigration; labor and public Improvements that
are sure to come up for discussion and decision
at the next session of the Legislature; we feel
confident that all classes of our population will
appreciate the business and expediency of our
remarks on this question.