The Hawaiian gazette., 1880-08-18
Iron the S. p. Post, July end
Chinn and Hawnii.

1t may not be generally known that the at
tempt to establish Chinese steamship line,
under Hawaiian subsidy, cane very near
being successful. The bill before the Hawaii.
an Legislature would certainly have been car
ried, if the American side Of the case had not
been presented by Mr.. 0akford, of this city,
who very fortunately happened to be visiting
the islands at the time, and enjoyed the conf
dence of the Kanaka representatives. The
project was 70 subsidize, for term of years.
direct line of steamers between China al d
the islands, said steamers to be owned and
sailed by Cinnamon, under the Chinese flag.
The course of trade would have been from
Hongkong, or some Chinese port, to Honolulu,
carrying passengers and cargo; thence to San
Francisco, and return 10 China. This scheme
would have been ruinous to our growing trade
with the islands because it would have thrown
the bulk of freight into the hands of the
Chinese company. Moreover, it would have
been ruinous to our direct China trade, as any
business man will perceive at glance; and
it would have practically transferred all re-
sulting advantages of the reciprocity treaty
with the insular kingdom into the hands of
the Chinese. But there is another point in
which this scheme would have been very in
jurioos to California, and certainly would have
led to International complications on the
Chinese question. If this commercial project
had been carried ont, the Chinese government
could assent TO everything our treaty commits
sion might demand or suggest, and yet COLI
tinue unlimited coolie emigration to the Paci-
ic slope. Nothing would be easier than to
establish an emigration depot at the islands,
which the Chinese could make self-sustaining,
ind there land the coolies intended for San
Francisco. They could be brought along each
alternate voyage and would appear truthfully
on the ships manifest, as passengers from
Honolulu. In this way any passenger treaty
with China could be evaded, and We have no
doubt whatever that such was the intention of
the promoters of this scheme. Upon the pre-
sentation of arguments setting forth the reci-
procal duty of Hawaii under its treaty with
the United States, the Kanaka legislature IN
animously rejected the measure, although its
promoters had tull assurance at the outset
that it would be enacted. Hawaii cannot now
be used, as contemplated by the Chinese, as
an outlying post Of the empire for the invasion
of America, and the credit of this is due to
the intelligent action and perseverance of
private citizen of this country, as already
stated. 1t would be well, however, if our
State Department put itself in communication
with the Hawaiian government and came to
au understanding on this Chinese question for
future action. The Hawaiian group of islands
should be colonized by Americans and de-
veloped by American capital. This process
is now silently, but surely, at work but it
may be interrupted and ultimately stopped al
together if the Chinese acquire the CONNER
cial supremacy there, for which they are con-
tending. The Hawaiian Government has been
authorized by law this session to continue for
two years its subsidy of $4,000 annually to
the Pacific Mail Company.