The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-12-17
Review of the Report of His Ex. W. N.
Armstrong on immigration.

ISLE REPORT IN SUPPLEMENT or To-DAYI
\ PARAMOUNT question for the Hawaiian
Kingdom is Immigration:-of families for
re-pOpulation, and Of laborers for planta-
tions. This subject has engrossed the at
tention Of the Hawaiian Government and
People for many years. On the occasion of
the departure of His Majesty the King on a
tour round the world, it was announced
that the chief object of the royal travel was
to- promote immigration to the Hawaiian
Archipelago, and in order to ensure a sue
cessful issue to the royal purpose, the At
tOrney General Of the Kingdom was APP
pointed a RoyalC Commissioner of Immigra-
ton; and on him was furthermore con-
ferred the title of " Minister of State" in
order TO facilitate in an official way his OBJ
servation and negotiation.
The Hawaiian public, who were inter
ested in the question Of introduction of the
new people into the Kingdom, entertained
great hopes in respect to the result of this
Commission. Every one felt that there
would be a superior opportunity afforded to
a man who had any ability, and the faculty
Of close observation. He would travel in
company with a King, cordially and royalty
received everywhere. He would visit per-
sOnally several countries to which public
attention had been directed, as sources OF
immigration in the capitals and courts
Of which, all sources of correct information
would be opened to him; and the most
friendly disposition would be manifested to
farther his observation. All this took place
in behalf OF our Commissioner; and after a
most interesting and distinguished tour of
travel Of min months duration, the Hawa-
iian public, interested in the matter, had
reason to expect a very full and very ex-
haustive report from the Commissioner in
respect to all the capabilities and possibili-
ties Of OF our sources of supply of recruits
of new people.
But what have we? What has been pre-
scented to satisfy this great expectation ?
We have a report from the Commissioner (;
the whole gist Of which is an assurance
that the Hawaiian Kingdom must not en-
terrain any hopes of recruits of laborers, or
of new people from any of the pOpulous
countries Japan, Malaysia, India; or
even of Europe, visited during this ex-
tended tour but that its chief; if not its
only hope Of labor and ~re-population is in
certain small Islands in the Atlantic Ocean,
which the COMMISSIONS did not visit
The Commissioner reviews the several
countries he did visit, and summariIy dis
poses of their lain to our consideration
A. sources Of immigration.
THE EAST INDIANS:
The great HindOo hive Of humanity, with
its vast and varied population of two hun
dred and fifty millions of human beings;-
recruits from non whom have re-popu-
lated and promoted the prosperity of the
Islands Of Mauritius. Bourbon, Trinidad,
,,y1 IL. urrnfrr 90 Crrfar. l.. -4- ill
altOgether,-saying: EAST Indians are
dmmigrants2
And upon what grounds does the Com
missioner base his very positive conclu-
sion? One is,-that certain countries, the
protected Malay States" in COMPARE
tive near vicinity to Hindustan, do not de-
sire the Indian cOOlie,-the planters of
these countries having very generally
avowed their opposition to their employ
ment," and have given expression to the
opinion that Zone Chinaman is equal to
three Coolies" Yet in the face Of this
positive statement of the Commits
sioner, who was in Singapore early in
May last, we nave before US q petition
dated the following July, Of forty-five plan
tiers Of JOhore, one Of the protected Malay
States adjoining Singapore which the Com
missioner visited, setting forth very EN-
phatically, not only the desirability. but
the necessity OF obtaining Indian laborers
to promote their several enterprises. (This
petition. signed by Chinese proprietors, as
well as Europeans, was published in last
Saturdays issue Of the ADVERTISED. Far
thermOre, in this connection, the Commits
sioner says: cit was in part in behalf of
this Sovereign (the Maharajah of Johore)
that the Governor of Singapore made APP
plicatiOn to Colonial office for indian
Coolies ana psed." And in response
to this state -+saYe before Us, a
the Big
lalslt