The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-07-09
Speech of the Hon. W. N. Armstrong,
Royal HawatiR1 Commissioners ef Imums
gra'Iea,o" the occasion Sfa PabIic DtnssF
at Hong Kong.

His Excellency. w. N. ARMsTRoHa. then rose
and proposed Z health of the Governor. He
said:-Your ty and gentlemen, / am abont
to propose the health Of His Excellency the
Governor, but before doing so, permit me 10 shy
a word. His Majesty has said that no stands
for the first time ON the soil of a British Colony.
| must qualify the statement il he will permit
me. In 1S43 the British commander Of a sloop-
of-war demanded, and received, the cession Of
the Hawaiian Kingdom 10 the Government Of
Great Britain, and the Islands became British
soil, over which hoated the British flag. His
Majesty then stood, while a child, on British
soil; shortly afterwards, however, in obedience
to the order of the Admiral commanding the
squadron, the Hawaiian flag was raised by the
same commander, and the British flag hauled
down. | mention this incident TO show you
that at one time His Majesty lived on English
soil, but more especially to show You that the
conduct of a high British officer was dictated
by n sense Of justice and right loud cheers).
Allow me TO say that the colonial system OF
Great Britain deeply concerns the Hawaiian
Kingdom. If you leave this Colony, and navi-
gate dne eastward, you touch these islands on
the way to the Great Republic OF North America.
Starting again from this Colony, IL you move
towards the many Republics and nations Of
South America, yOu will touch these islands on
the way. Moving from the Australian cont.
nent towards the Great 1tepublic Of North
America, these islands are directly in the line
of navigation. Thus the geographical position
of these islands becomes supremacy important
to the commerce of the Pacific. and the colonial
system of England becomes IA matter OF the
highest concern to the Hawaiian Kingdom, and
we, in whose hands is the administration OF the
government of that Kingdom, watch with deep
interest the colonial policy Of England. His
EXcellency the Governor is not unknown 10 us.
From q considerable acquaintance with the
Parliamentary history of Great Britain, and
with the colonial history besides, his name has
long been familiar TO me. Speaking from this
knowledge 1 am free TO say that SO far as ths
external relations Of this Colony are concerned,
his policy has been wise and Just. This Is q
matter which concerns the Hawaiian Kingdom,
and | do not fear that its interests would suffer
at his hands, il he were allowed TO carry out his
own views. The poet, in one Of his dreams,
saw a beautiful picture, with a broad, oval
frame Of massive gold. As he looked in his
dream, the picture grew, and as il grew the
frame always increased, with a corresponding
size, until it became a vast, glittering border OF
shining gold, and so / would see the colonial
system of Great Britain, as it exists in the Pa
cifc Ocean, a system Of regulations held and
bordered by a framework Of sound policy, and
as that system grows, and spreads, / would like
to see that framework increase, and broaden
into a magnificent and wise policy which will
always benefit England, and the world.-Hong
Kong Daily Press.