The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-12-07
TEE PACIFIC
Commercial OOcrtlser.
S4TURDAY !.
A TRANS-PACIFIC CABLE.

Francisco aud Asia, connecting with Honolulu.
Although the project is one Of vast magnitude in
point Of cost, our faith has never wavered in the
belief that the grand enterprise would in time
be accomplished.
The rapidly growing commerce and business
interests Of the world in this ocean and the coun-
tries bordering on 1t, demand ,elegraphic com
munication with Europe and America. by q less
roundabout route, and one less liable to inter-
ruption than the one which now exists via India.
San Francisco, the Queen City Of the North
Pacific, imperatively needs quick and %uninter-
rupted communication with the commercial
centres Of China and JaPan-and SO does New
York and Boston-and We may add, with the
rich, and rapidly growing magnificent Colonies
of Australia and New Zealand so that, after a
cable shall have been laid between the coasts of
America and Asia, another must certainly follow
to the British Colonies. This ocean, from the
American Coast to that of Japan. was sounded
in 1874, by the l.. 5. s.. Tuscdr0rd, Capt. Erben.
sent out by the American Government especially
for that purpose, with q view TO the future lay
ing Ct an electric cable and no serious obstacles
were found. At the time, this journal gave q
full account Of the voyage of the TusoarOra,
accompanied by an outline sketch Of the forma-
ton of the bottom of the ocean between these
Islands and Japan, and also between San Fran
cisco and the Islands. The same ship also made a
line Of soundings in 1874 between San Diego,
California, and New Zealand, via Honolulu, with
a like favorable result.
But. it may be asked, what inducements could
be held out which would warrant any company
that might lay a cable from San Francisco to
China or Japan to make Honolulu a way station?
There are many inducements. True, our trade
and commerce with the rest of the world, though
already large in proportion to the area and popu-
lation Of the Islands, is yet insignificant when
compared with the great business interests-On
either side Of us yet it must be remembered
that we have but just begun to expand in this
direction, and that only a few years must suffice
at our present rate of material progress to
double or even treble our productions and COM
merce. But there is another very important
consideration which must have great weight
whenever the trans-Pacifc cable is laid. These
Islands are centrally situated in the vast Pacific.
and easy Of access by ships from any point of the
compass. Once connected with San Francisco by
electric cable, Honolulu would become the rem
devious of the mercantile marine of all nations
voyaging in this ocean, from whence they could
communicate by telegraph with their owners.
Naval vessels cruising in the Pacific would as a
matter Of couse, in times of peace or war, receive
orders from their governments at Honolulu by
electric telegraph. Much valuable time, as well
as large expenditures of money, would be saved
to botn the mercantile marine and the naval ser
vice of Europe and America by making Honolulu
q way station of the trans-Pacifcc cable.
The Hawaiian Legislature of 1874 passed an
act . . For the encouragement and aid of any COM
pany now Incorporated or that may be hereafter
Incorporated, for the transmission of intelligence
by electricity This act, while it was sufi-
GENTLY liberal in the privileges granted for tele-
graphic purposes, was studiously formed to pre-
vent any monopoly, as expressed in the words
''any company now incorporated in any foreign
country, or that may hereafter be incorporated
in this Kingdom or any foreign country" AL
though there may be no probability of a second
company undertaking to lay a cable to these
Islands after a first has been laid, yet it is not to
be expected that any company of capitalists will
begin the work with the purpose Of including
these Islands unless they are guaranteed by this
government the exclusive right to land and work
electric cables for a specified term of years.
Early in 1873, Mr.. j. T. Waterhouse made
The voyage from New York to Liverpool in com-
pany with Mr.. Cyrus w. Field, the world-re-
nowned pioneer in ocean telegraphy, and that
gentleman expressed himself as very desirous of
making an arrangement with the Hawaiian
government for landing the proposed trans
Pacific cable at Honolulu. MIR. Field was then
on his way to London on business connected with
the proposed cable.
AT his instance Mr.. Waterhouse wrote to the
then Hawaiian Minister of Foreign Affairs, (Mr.
W. l.. Green) and the following correspondence
was the result
cHr. Gree", Ni"fstsrJor Foreign 4ga%s, {, e M; 5i5&}
SIR ON the LIST ult. had the pleasure to address Mr..
J. Il. Waterhouse, acting in your behalf, assuring you of
the desire of the Hawaiian Government to meet your
views with reference to your request for an exclusive
longer, and stating that 1 proposed to await the return Of
His Majesty before saying any thing more definite on the
His Majesty has now returned and is anxious to forward
the enterprise. and he requested me to state that although
he heard Of other parties in San Francisco who proposed
to lay a cable by way of the Sandwich Islands he has
concerned than in any other.
upon n Tsceiiving from .his government such a privilege
as you ask for, they receiving in return ouly such terms
and guarantees as you are probably quite prepared 10
offer. and we shall anxiously await more definite pro
tsty. the government and the Hawaiian people fully ap-
preriate the value Of telegraphic communication with the
in submarine cable enterprises, l have the honor to be,
Sir, your most obedient servant. WI GREEN
LNr. FfeTd 10 The Minister for Foreign -1g1irs.)
New YORK, Sd April, 1879.
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt Of
Your letter of the 9th ultimo, in which you kindly inform
me that His Majesty the King of Hawaii, after having
conferred with you. expressed his intention TO grant me
the exclusive right To land and work submarine cables
for y years. on receiving definite proposals from me.
1 communicated on this subject with Chief Justice
Allen in Washington in the month of January last. and
low beg to report the substance OF my proposition TO
him. viz:
The grant of an exclusive right to land and work cables
on the shores of the Hawaiian Kingdom for the term OF
% years.
Right to import. free of duty, any materials for the con-
struction, repair and use OF the line.
Priority in transmission to be given to messages OF the
Hawaiisn Government.
The line acrOss the Pacific via the Hawaiian Islands TO be
completed within ten years from the date of the exclu-
sive right.
VIII Won be so good aS to convey TO His Majesty the deep
sense / entertain OF his kind expression of confidence in
my ability to carry the undertaking to a successful ter
minatiOn.
l cannot take any active steps to raise the cspital re-
quired until the necessary legislation Is obtained; the
commencement Of the work Will therefore be dependent
rrnr H. +tnn III LII lnrSn hnfnrn L rDrniNn the rriri-