The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-05-27


stop here, as the questions wh,ca were Put to me
have bee'' answered, bat a. Jie late Ministry are
repre- en.ed by the GGSeffs of the 24th lust,
amongst other deliuqaenrieS = TO have sunk in
peTs f1al preJadlce or vanity al attempt 10 cum
tinue TIE Reciprocity Treaty" must ask for a
iiite further space ia YOUR columns 10 reply 70
That charge a Tar rs my department was con-
cern-d. and u which tie subject immediately be-
longs, m5re especially as II tall discussion at this
time Of everything Connected with tie POLICY and
measures oi the late and OF the present Govern
nlent, aud the proper course 10 be pursued by
tins country with regard - the Rec procity
treaty and other relative matters, cannot be
otherwise than useful. What = personal preju-
dice or vanity can possibly have had to do with
the matter certainly requires explanation. But
alter all. the motive Is % little consequence to
the pubIc. the fact is what they are most coz
eernei about That | whn have my all. as we'll
H. tsat Ut NV whole family Connection. invested
- Ia speak. in tie Reciprocity treaty. should
have sunk all attempt TO cJntInue it, may
we'll seem astonishing. am aware however,
that statements TO the effect that | am opposed or
Indifferent TO the continuance of the Reciprocity
Treaty have been IndustriOusiy circulated during
the last few weeks, and evidently with ONE re-
suit. although NOT perhaps WIKI the particular
result intended.
A circumstance which occurred in the House
shortly before the Ministry resigned helped to
lend turtle. cIlnr To these statements and which
| am glad 10 have an opportunity of explaining.
The Hon. j. MOtt Smith sent over to me by the
Messenger "a draft of a resolution and hoped |
would favor it. I'M. resolution alter a long pre-
amble whereas and - whereas the Reel
procity Treaty is a very nice thing, which nobody
either inside the House or out OF it for a moment
doubts, at last came TO the point thus
Now therefore. Resolved That His Majesty's
Government be and is hereby authorized 10 use
all reasonable means ut negotiation IN order 20
promote the continuance By the United States of
the present Treaty OF Reciprocity. offering, should
any necessity therefor arise, such notifications as
may tend to Obviate any inequalities which may
exist, and tend tD render the continuance accept
able 20 both of the high contracting parties.
After reading 1t over carefully, L returned II
with II short note as follows g." don I think
much IF yrur resolution. and am al opinion that
it should not be brought forward. must decline
to Commit myself at presen' r. any particular
course with regard to il.
In discussing the %propriety of this resolution
{ afterwards. with diGercnt gentlemen, endeavOred
TO show that in the first place it Amounted to
nothing, for while protesting tn authorize the
l Government TO do certain things, il actually gave
them not a whIt more authority than they pos
sessed without the resolution, and any Minister
Y that was worth anything would take upon hIm-
{ self the responsibility OF entering into the pro-
n posed negotiations if he found it advisable. Any
F., essentially new terms in the treaty would have To
y be approved by the Legislature OF the Kingdom
IA be'ore il could become law under any Crcum-
stances. If the restitution be looked upon as ar
: indication of the course that the Government
ought 10 pursue, II Dau. IL any ELECT at all, u Dlu
D one Tor as IA means OF having the Reciprocity
Treaty continued it seemed bad pnlicy to begin by
c offering gratuitOus concessions. and such a resO'
. luton passed by the Assembly, copied into the
g papers and sent to the United States Govern
II ment by its vigilant and respected Representative
c here would be virtually making a public offer o
gratuitous concessions before we were asked to dc
n SO. That the continuance of the Reciprocity
Treaty, now depended far more than ever upon
general principles, and not upon a new bargain
,rifh rho ITnitaI SfafnS GpyprnDonnt N n this M
that item or clause.
In these views | was supported by a gentleman
e recently from the United States, and who Is per-
e haps more largely interested in the question thar
any of US, and whose general views have always
been characterised by remarkable shrewdnesS
q and who, | may here observe, seems well able Il
give valuable assistance in navigating this littlt
ship of state through the approaching reciprocity
storm. | only regret that he has not been II
n this Kingdom quite long enough yet to 50 know
50 all the ropes" My colleague, Mr.. Walker, en-
tertained precisely the same views with regard t.
&c this resolution that | did, whilst MIR. Armstrong
10 who seemed at first somewhat inclined to favor It
admitted Ultimately that il was so much waste
" paper. These views were also shared by on
& Envoy at Washington. with whom | of cours
e have correspouded on the subject, and he speci
cally autioned me against making the very pro
a posal which | found was mainly meant by tn
W proposers of the resolution. The resolution thcI
l. dropped out OF sight, wI,.r 1t ought to remain
p But then, don t you see. II somebody Ough
he to be sent to Wasnin2t n. " ere he would be il
OF a position to teach che NrH York sugar .refiner
o. that they don't understand their own business
no to instruct til pu ipl- At tho Southern State
st where tueir true interest tie. - shaw the dele
Id gates of the Republican Convention IN Oregon th
error of their ways, and generally To wind tn
lp fifty millions of people at the Great Republl
re round his finger.
er NV shrewd friend from S an Francisco. however
es always advised me not 10 fuss, bat to be ready 1
n strike when the proper time came. Such
to policy, however might not SUIT ImpatIer
he gentlem n who have axes 10 grind. don
We know bur what have here At uck upon a goo
e. IA tnenry 10 account for my beius charged wit
having " sunk all attempt 10 continue the Re
IL ciprocity Treaty. as the somewhat unIntellIgIbI
go one of g personal prejudice or vanity.
he Again [ think it very likely that the report Z
id my being opposed to the Reciprocity Treaty ha
C arisen in. part because | do not believe, an
never did believe, that the old proposal to ced
ly Pearl River Lagoon TO the United States Tor
oil Reciprocity Treaty was a sound enc. In the hr'
ng place it is we'll known that the mass of the Ia
he tive population is opposed to it. and in the ne1
Of place nobody knows that the United States O.
N. vernnent wants it, or ever did want it, or woul
1t, even take it if offered to them. Everybody b.
'st lieves on the contrary, that all the United State
o. wants is that no other power should have 1t, [
ty have any controlling influence on the Islands, an
iY that is just what we all want. But these view
ell which it is well known have always held, al
quite enough when an excited red hot Reciprocit
re- party goes to work To form a new Ministry
ed have it rumored that | was opposed or indIhereI
Az to the continuance of the Treaty, and il the seuur
o. to the resignation oil the late Ministry, h;
ey = shaken credit and values, - as the Grzeue sal
he it has, that result has been mainly brougi
II about by the lnjudIcious asd uver-hasty az
he ton OF that very party, who. iorsaking II
Straightforward course and true principle, mac
Mt overtureS To a man in whom thay had no col
wv fdence to take IA high position in the GsVerntnel
he OF the country on condition that he served the
As= ends by means Of his supposed contrOl OF Il
ny Representatives of the people in the Legislati'
ID Assembly.
" That gentleman however then saw that Il
'P' game was in his own hands. for being the Il
knowledg ed leader Of the native inhabitants,
ng was natural that His Majesty. When any chanl
N. Of Ministry became necessary, should desire
call to his councils one who was the choice