The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-01-06
A Review of Reciprocity.

Mr.. EDITOR After the success of our Reel
procity Treaty, it is interesting at this time to re-
view its history ; its inception, progress, and ulti-
mate favorable Issue. And your correspondent
having had some eognizauce Of matters pertaining
to this measure. having also SOM leisure for the
employment of the pen in this quiet decayed little
town and being led to a consideration of the
subj ect of our late negotiation by the recent re-
marks of Chief Justice Allen, in reply to a COM
mittee of the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce,
begs to present through the columns of the
ADVERTISER. a few additional particulars in rela-
ton to the history of reciprocity from his point Of
view.
The late Robert Cricaton Wyllie, appears to be
prominently the originator and first promoter OF
q treaty of reciprocity with the United States of
America. In l84S when Minister of Foreign Re-
iations of His late Majesty K~amehameha III he
submitted to Mr.. Ten Eyck, American commissioner
in these islands the draft of a treaty, ia the sixth
article of which he proposed a reciprocity of COM
mercial intercourse between this Kingdom and the
Great Republic. Mr. Wyllie subsequently, pre-
sented his views upon this important Hawaiian
question before a Hawaiian Legislature in 1852.
And at this early day, in the history of the
measure, be urged its negotiation, with great
clearness of view of its merits. L derived this
impression from q perusal OF the report of his re-
marks before the Legislature and also from a
perusal of his correspondence with MIR. Luther
Severance. commissioner of the United States, and
his representations of the justice and desirability
of the measure to foreign powers, especially in a
despatch dated July II. 1852, to the Minister of
Foreign Relations of His Majesty the King OF
Denmark,
In this communication the Minister of His Ha-
waiian Majesty took pains to satisfy the Minister
of the Danish King, that in the contemplated
negotiation of a treaty of commercial reciprocity
with the United States, there was no design to
discriminate in the proposed measure against the
rights or privileges granted to Danish subjects in
the Hawaiian Kingdom, according to the provi-
sions of the seventh article OF the treaty with DenT
mark, which says:
mo Danish productions, or any other goods
on board of, or imported in Danish ships, that can
be imported by other foreign ships, shall be pro-
hibited, nor pay more than those duties levied on
goods of the most favored nation" However, the
Hawaiian Minister'S argument at this time rather
proved the necessities of this country and his
zeal in behalf of its agricultural and commercial
interests, than the business OF his position in re-
spect to the Danish treaty. He advocated q treaty
of reciprocity with America on the ground of
the needs of this country, owing to its peculiar
position and condition. and urged upon the
Danish government a kind consideration OF those
treaty obligation of this country, which appeared
to stand in the way of reciprocity with America,
and he used this language along with other points
advanced in his despatch to the Danish Minister:
o account Of the high rate of interest for
money, and the deficiency of labor, the sugar from
Java and Manila caa be laid down cheaper in
Oregon aud California, than the similar products
Of this Kingdom. With a view to obviate these
disadvantages, the King passed the order in
Council, (Feb. 1882, offering to the United States
q GPCSAhL . Ah SANNAL SRS(-o
This order was brought forward and declared
mainly through the inspiration of Mr.. Wyllie.
Therefore we see that long before 1855, the
starting point of Chief Justice Allen in his re-
view of the history of reciprocity negotiations, We
had the subject brought forward and discussed in
this country with an earnestness and intelligence
to which no additional force has been added by
any subsequent discussion.
When the 6rst attempt was made TO negotiate q
special treaty of reciprocity with the United States
in 1855, the great Hawaiian Minister, whose fame
l desire to yindicate, was almost the sole promoter
Of the mission con6ded to Judge Lee. Wyllie
moved its consideration in the Hawaiian Legisla-
ture, he presented and urged it in the Privy CounS
Gil, he discussed it most fully and earnestly with
the American Commissioners Severance and Gregg,
as shown in his dispatches of 29th May 1852, and
9Th March 1854 and in his position as Foreign
Minister he furnished Commissioner Lee with his
instructions, which were full and exhaustive in
their bearing upon the agricultural and CONNER
cial interests of this country. He commended the
measure as one of mutual advantage to the two
countries speaking thus in his report to the Ha-
waiian Legislature of 1855 THE entire ex-
emption from duties will be mutual the
benefit that will result to Hawaiian planters will
fall chiefly upon those who are citizens of the
United States and the natural increase in our
exports that may be expected under such an act,
will proportionally augment the OF
foreign goods, in the importation OF which, the
United States have by far the largest share"
Mr.. Wyllis made great efforts to promote the