Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-17
AN ISLAND Kfea.


His royal and acauisitive Highness,
Kalakaua, OF the Hawaiian Kingdom, is
an odd sort Of fish. His royalty sits upon
him like an ill.fitting garment. To ordi-
nary people he appears to be very dimin.
utive specimen of manhood. His ideas of
the relations of a ruler to his people are,
to put it mildly, strange, and to for
"eigner," ludicrous. Recently the RECORD
UNIONS Honolulu correspondent recited
some details of the Kings peculiarities,
and we are informed of still others that
would justify placing in his mouth the
declaration Shakespeare attributes to Rich.
ard IL:
We are enforced to farm roy realm,
The revenue whereof shall furnish Us
For our affairs in hand"
One of his coolly.refreshing schemes was
to have the Legislature promote loan of
100000. This he expected to float
upon an English market at twenty cents
on the dollar, and thus he would receive
the sum of $1,000. 00O This he was to be
allowed to dispose of as he pleased in loans
to his subjects on their unsecured /. O. US
promissory notes, etc., etc. While the
kanakas went wild over the prospect, as
they expected to make their " marks" and
get all the coin they needed, the Cabinet
was forced to kill the scheme outright, as
it was too breezy, even for that body.
Probably some of our would-be political
financiers on this side the water, having
less conscience. might have managed to
help Kalakaua through with bis scheme
had he but appealed to them.
Another incident is related of the King.
He went into local Court to enforce his
claim to large estate, and he based it on
the allegation that his own grandfather
was father to a deceased Kanaka who had
owned the estate, although the mother was
married to another, and the child was born
during her coverture. He attempted to
prove that his paternal relative had given
parts of his clothing to the woman in
token Of his recognition of the child, but
the Court held that, as the child was born
in wedlock, the Kings testimony had not
been sufficient to overcome the presump.
ton of the legitimacy OF the decedent, and
SO the King lost that plum.
| But further glimpse of the acquisitive.
ness of this king" may be had,
illustrating wildly the fact that his is
royalty unlearned, and honor untaught, !"
and that came not to him by inheritance or
as natural gift. Last month the Princess
Moitea of Tahiti, wife of d. Atwater,
United States Consul at Tahiti, visited
Honolulu, en- route to British Columbia.
She was the guest of the King and his fam.
lily, and the royal host resolved to entertain
her handsomely. As the old palace is torn
down and the new one incomplete, he or.
dered sumptuous feast spread at the
leading hotel. When the bill for the ban.
guet came in, the King fatty refused to
| pay it, saying that as the entertainment
was given in honor of the Princess, her
husband was the proper one to foot the
cost When presented to Atwater he de.
olared he was but an invited guest, with
the many others, but if it was the custom
of the country he would pay it and say no
more. At this point the bill was sent by
the landlord to the Kings chamberlain,
with the request that it be paid without
any more bother, and he paid it.
Recently Kalakaua, on the eve of visit
to Hawaii, was called upon by some young
! planters from the northern end of the
island, who expressed their delight at the
entertainment furnished them by the royal
band on previous occasion. "Well,"
said Kalakaua, "Tll bring the band with
"me." When he arrived in their district
he was received in princely style, and was
enrolled an honorary member of the dis
trict club. No expense was spared in MAX
ing his stay enjoyable. Imagine the dis.
gust of those young men on receiving
bill for several hundred dollars for royal
"band service" They paid it.
But this amusing specimen of royalty
has other methods of raising the wind in
addition to the income allowed him in ap.
propriations and the crown lands returns.
One may be noticed in concluding. It
consists of the sale of orders. That of
Kalakaua l. he established in 1875. Ac.
companying the badge is a pamphlet of
statutes he has decreed for the government
OF the "order." These recite that the
order is established for tine recompense
"of distinguished merit, and services rem.
"dered to the State or to ourselves or our
SUCCESSORS" The fees, on receipt of
commission and insignia by any gentleman
residing within the kingdom. are, grand
cross, $50; grand officer. Sl25; compan-
ion, $50. There is a fine of $50 for non.
attendance at councils. Another article
commands how the decoration of com.
manders shall be worn, exactly how it
shall hang from his neck or rest upon his
breast, while the King reserves the right
to designate and change the fashion of the
collar.
1t is not surprising that Kalakaua lie un-
loved, in fact thoroughly disliked at home,
and that recently he was boldly caricatured
in public procession in the city of Hon.
olulu.
CALIFORNIA FRUITS ABROAD.