The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1877-03-21

get 1t passed We would thank your Excellencies
to write us to that effect and also to state in your
letter all the privileges etc., to be granted, that
that letter would stand in lieu of contract until the
latter instrument be duly executed upon the SUBJ
sidy being granted by the legislature.
We have the honor to remain, Gentlemen,
Your Excellencies' Obedient humble servants,
(Signed) H. HAcKFELD & Co,
Agents. P. NJ. S. S. Co.
His Ex. j. S. Walker, Minister of Finance lis
Ex. W. l.. Moehonua, Minister of Interior.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT. HoSoLuLU,
November IL, 1875.
Messrs II. HackfeId L Co.,
Agents, Pacific NJ. S. S. Co., Honolnu,
GESTLENES.-Your letter of the 2oth ult, addressed
to his Elk. the Minister Of Interior and myself has
had our careful consideration, and | beg to assure
you that His Msjesty's Government arc fully i'm
pressed of the Importance of the Pacific and Austria
lian line of steamships making Honolulu port Of
call.
And in view of the Pacific Mail Steamship Comp
any agreeing to let their ships touch at Honolulu
going and returning, for the purpose of receiving and
delivering the mails landing aud receiving freight
and passengers, His Majesty's Government will
agree to allow the said Pacific Mail Steamship Co.
the following privileges, benefits and exemptions,
namely:
lst The free of the wharf on the Esplanade
known as the steamwharf during the stay Of tbs
companys steamers in port free of charge.
Ind Exemption from all port charges, viz ton
Srd- The use of the water from the Government
pipes provided such water be wasted or used in
washing decks.
4th. That the Government will admit free of duty
Goals machinery and supplies required for the of
the SAID steam4iHe. and all vessels arriv ing laden
with Goals. machinery and supplies imported by said
steamne for its own .se shall be exempt from port
charges, the the steamers unless such vessel
be only partially so laden, in which they will be
exempt from such charges in the which such cargo
" aff fha c.chv
sells however will be charged wharfage after they
have discharged their cargo of Goals, machinery and
supplies If they remain at the wharf twenty four
hours after such discharge and all property of the
steamship line shall be exempt from taxation.
5th. That the Government will gran, the free use
oil one OF the stone warehouses the steamer wharf
for the storage of produce bonade to be shipped by
the said steamships, and the use of the tramways
for the loading aud unloading of said ships also a
lot of land for the of said ships for the storage of
Goals, machinery and supplies.
beg also to state what his Ex. the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and myself said verbally to your Mr.
Phuger and Mr hall that the Cabinet would recon-
noad to the next legislature the granting of cash
subsidy for the said steamship line of at least one
thousand dollars per month.
might also state to you that by request of his Er
the Minister Of Interior, the stone warehouse on the
steamers wharf aud their attachments have been
turned over to this department hence tho reason
have alone the honor Of addressing you,
am, Gentlemen your obedicnt servant,
(Signed) J. S WALKER,
Minister of Finance.
The letter of His Excellency the Minister of
Finance contains all the points which were to
form the contract, in deinitive manner. ex-
cept that relating to the subsidy which was
promised on the condition that the Legisla-
ture should make the necessary appropriation
for the purpose. Had His Maiesty's Govern
ment had at that time an appropriation at its
disposal, the contract would have been finally
concluded in October or November, 1875.
Under the circumstances, however, that could
not be done then. The promise of the Minis
ters to ask from the Legislature a subsidy
was made by them and accepted by the Com
pany in good faith. The appropriation was
granted IN due time, and without any new
conditions demanded by the Legislature, ex-
cept that the money should not be paid for any
past services, but only for future services to
be rendered by the P. NJ S. s. Co. The pass
ing of the item of S2O,O 900 for mail subsidy in
the Appropriation Bill, was accompanied by
the following resolution of the House:
" That in disbursing the sum of $4,000
placed in the Appropriation Bill for subsidy
" to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, no
part shall be used for any service already
performed by the steamships of the said
" Company, but said money shall be used only
" in payment Of service to be rendered after
" contract shall have been signed between this
Government and the said steamship Com
"pany."
This resolution has been interpreted by His
MaJesty's present Minister of Finance to mean
" that the Legislature had no intention to
subsidize the service as heretofore performed,
but contract which should stipulate for fur
ther advantages, such as making Honolulu a
terminal port, ETC."
The resolution certainly does not express
any such thing, and, it appears to us, cannot
bear such Interpretation. 1t refers only to
the time of commencement of, not to conditions
in the contract. These conditions had been
already agreed upon lii fact we have the
assurance of the late Minister of Foreign Af
fairs that the majority of the members of the
Legislature did not desire to subsidize line
which made Honolulu terminal port, but on
the contrary just such one as we now have
with the advantages which its large numbers
OF transient passengers confer upon the trade
of Honolulu, especially so far as IL is repre-
sented by the small native traders in fruit,
curiosities, etc.
Upon the prorogation of the Legislature in
October last, we were promised by the late
Cabinet speedy completion of the contract
in due form, and we were then told that the
Ministers wished only to add clause binding
the steamers bound for San Francisco to stay
In port at least eight hours during daylight
The Cabinet was then very busy with other
matters, and the completion of the formal con-
tract was deferred from time to time, and had
not been accomplished when the late Ministry
went out of Office; we had, however, its pro-
mise, that the subsidy should commence from
October, 1876, no matter at what subsequent
date the contract might be signed, in other
words, the contract should be held as existing
from the lst of October, 1876.
Such was the state of the case when the
present Ministry came into Office, who now