The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-03-10
To gs Edaor of ae Pacific Commercial Advertiser

To the Editor of The Pacific Commercial Advertiser i:
I noticed in the Gazette of the 18th February the
following extract of a letter from the Pacific Mail
Steamship Co. Should their decision (he
Hawaiian Government) be unfavorable to what is
Just and liberal to this Company We ,oiH i1smedi-
ately and forever drop The port Of Honoluat, and
carry out our English Colonial Mail contract,
running direct from San Francisco to Fiji"
There is no doubt that the people of the islands
derive pleasure from the regular and rapid inter
course, which the touching of the steamers at Ho-
nolulu, affords them, with Australia, New Zealand
and San francisco, and they would see them with
drawn with regret. The travelling public both
to and from the British Colonies of the Pacific end
il very agreeable to touch at this port, and not
unirequentIy do some of them stop over to visit
our Volcanoes and enjoy the grand scenery of
Mountain and Valley afforded by our green Isles.
1t is also an incidental peeuniary benefit, in the
money that is left by travellers by this route, but
there are few, if any of our respected residents,
who feel that this government would be justified
in substituting this line of steamers from its very
limited revenue. The incidental benefits accruing
to the line from the facilities which are furnished by
the government without charge, reach full $4,000
per Anpum. OF course if the steamers do not
touch here they receive no g~ratnity, but If the
500. 600, more or less, of freight and passage
which they earn by stopping at this port are any
object. then freedom of the port saves to the Com
uany the $50, 600, which would otherwise be paid
to the government for harbor dues 1t makes the
500, 900 clear earnings and equals a subsidy OF
this amount RENTED, $50 ,OOO, allowing, the
steamers to be subject to the same post charges as
are levied on other vessels. / have heard it said
that the late Ministry had Internationally promised
this subsidy to the Company, and that the Com
----.-.sAI--- -@N - rn~ah hararroa tho Qnha1dv
is refused, as because the government bad made a
promise which it afterwards declined to fulfill.
But 1 think no unconditional promise could have
been made, as it could not have been paid with
out q Legislative appropriation. and the Legisla-
ture refused to any appropriation except authoriz-
ing the Ministry to pay to the Company a limited
sum upon the completion Of a contract, on condi-
lions approved by the Ministry. I cannot think
that the Ministry made any such unconditional
promise, as they knew too well the scope of their
powers, to make q promise in their official charac-
ter which they could not fulfill. They no doubt
promised TO ask the Legislature for q subsidy,
which they did, and if the Company were willing
to have reasonable conditions Incorporated in the
contract no doubt one would have been executed.
II they were unwilling to- do so then 1t would fail,
and the government could not justly be charged
with breach of faith, but they would certainly be
open to the charge Of improvidence of the public
fund If they paid any subsidy without a reasonable
contract, obligatory on both parties. Ii must be
remembered that eorportions are wide-awake to
their own interests and no more impartial in their
judgments of themselves than governments and
individuals. Before starting the line to China,
the Company so encouraged this government, that
Honolulu would be taken in the route, as a re-
gular way port and coaIing station, that thousands
- m. o-n.rlaI f-1r, fha ~ 4 m tho
construction Of Wharves and other accommoda-
tons for the special use and benefit of the Com
pany's steamers. When the Company decided
upon another route, the only just and liberal"
amends made to the government, (as 1 have I'M
derstood) for all its expense and trouble, was a
courteous letter of regret that it had been found
necessary to change its programme, leaving Homo
lulu out of the route. 1 think it to be the opinion
of the greater number Of respectable and impair
tiGl men acquainted with the circumstances OF the
government, that there has been no lack of justice
or Iiberality towards the steamers of this or any
other Company touching at this port, and the
gratuities Afforded by the government are all that
Justice and liberality require-and that it is NOT
open to censure on any such ground.
The Legislature has. however, added a subsidy
conditioned upon the company entering into a
contract with obligations binding it to a reasonable
service. If they decline such obligations, they
can not expect the subsidy, nor can they justly
charge the government with either breach of
faith or want of liberality-
1t has been liberal according to its means, and
If the company refuses to bind itself to a reasona-
BILE service, Let the charge of injustice fall where
it belongs. and not upon the government which
has dealt literally throughout. P.