The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-01-31
The Hawaiian Treaty in Congress.
Associated Press dispatch from Washington

An Associated Press dispatch from Washington
is as follows:
The joint resolution now pending before the
Ways and Means Committee OF the House of Repre-
sentatives, providing for a termination of the Haw-
allan reciprocity treaty. is a copy of the measure
introduced into the last Congress by Gibson, of
Louisiana. 1t proposes to direct the President to
give notice on the part OF This Government to term
mate the treaty, . in accordance with the terms of
the treaty" These terms are contained in the
Fifth Article, as follows This convention shall
remain in force seven years from the date at which
it may come into operation and. further, until the
expiration of twelve months after either of the
high contracting parties shall give notice to the
other Of its wish TO terminate the same each of
the high contracting parties being at liberty to give
such notice to the other at the end of said term OF
seyen years, or at any lime thereafter. The con-
vention was signed January 10. 1875. and the act
Of Congress to carry it into effect was approved
August the Is, 1876, and on the 9th OF September.
1876, President Grant. by proclamation, declared
the treaty to be in operation. 1t thus appears
that the treaty has nearly five more assured years
to run, and that by its terms no notice of intention
to terminate can be given by either government
before the 10th OF September, 1888. 1t is also evil
dent that the re-introduction OF this measure at
this time is nothing more than a display of zeal for
the sugar interests of Louisiana, etc. several years
in advance of any possibility of effective action on
the subject. and it is therefore likely that the pres
ent Congress will not be in any hurry to take up
the subject for consideration.
The San Francisco Merchant. in commenting on
the above says that it - is such an evident piece of
political ~claptrap 10 the House Committee Of Ways
and Means, to propose that the President shall
give notice of the intention on the part Of the Uni
ted States to terminate the Hawaiian treaty five
years hence, that Louisianiaus must be fools if they
are gulled by it. The notice itself is not the notice
required by the treaty. for that must be given
after. not during, the term of the original treaty.
The Merchant further comments on the Tres = as
follows:
The prosperity which has fallen upon the Haw-
allan Islands is that which follows a fertillzing
rain on a parched country. The United States at
the instance of California made a treaty of reci-
procity with the little kingdom, and her people
spraug into activity and her plains were clothed
with profitable plantations, as if by the wave of
a magician's wand. The Island trade now secured
to us shows, perhaps. but little among our plenty,
except to those Immediately concerned. but our
trade with her is making her rich. The hope of
Hamilton Fish. the Secretary of State, who negoti-
ated the treaty on behalf Of this country. has been
realized. We have by this statesmanlike policy
shown all our neighbOrs on this continent, and es-
pecially our Spanish-speaking sister republics,
that by similar treaties we can make each and all
Of them as prosperous as are the Islands. and yet
leave them to work out their own political destiny,
free aud untraureiled in their own way and after
their own desires. The object Of the Hawaiian
treaty was broader and greater than to secure the
commerce OF a little group OF islands IN the mid
Pacific Ocean. 1t was a new departure In national
uolicy, it was an experiment in colony building {;
an Improvement on the old traditions which sought
by conquest. or by emigration to countries sparse
ly settled by an inferior race, TO build up commun-
Ties that would have to give their commerce to
their master. the parent county, because it dictated
their political government. The new and better
the American way.-leaves its colonies (for in this
sense the Hawaiian Islands have become an Amer
lean colony free to rule themselve, as they will.
All we say Is: Give us your trade and admit
ting the manufactures of orr soil free, and we will
admit the products of your soil free. We are 49,
900, 900, and before the new sugar and coffee plan
tctions which you will make. after such a treaty
has been ratified, will have begun to bear fruit,
we shall have 80, OO0, 900 population. We care not,
then, how fast you increase your production our
will grow as rapidly. II is true, our
people will be benefited, and our manufactures
will prosper as they never did before, because
they will have a large, growing and exclusive
market. But your countries will also grow rich,
because they will have a ready market and good
prices, close at hand, for all the special products
Of your tropical soils" Such treaties, made between
the United States and the Central American and
Mexican republics, would be naturally profitable,
and one of the advantages that would arise from
such a pleasant intercourse would be a mutual and
growing feeling Of esteem and confidence"