The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-01-28
THE PACIFIC
GOmmrrtlai A0Ocrtl5cr .
JANUARY Is. 1852.
SATURDAY
THE RECIPROCITY TREATY.
CORRESPONDENCE BErwEl,: TIE CHlNBEE CT
CoNNEEcE AND TIL PREMIER.
Hoso1uLu, Il. /. January 1Ith. 1.s2.

SIR: At a meeting Of the Chamber Of Commerce
Of Honolulu, held this day. We the undersigned
were appointed q committee 10 address your Excel
lency, and 20 call your attention 10 the attacks
which have been made by the san Francisco
Chronicle. and other uewspape.s in the United
States upon the labor system Of this country.
which a Is characterized as "slavery, OF .'peouage.'
upon our planters, charging them with cruelty and
oppression towards their employees; and upon our
merchants who are charged with violation OF the
terms Of the Reciprocity Treaty, III that they ship
to the United States as Hawaiian products. sugar
and rice grown or manufactured III other countries.
In addition 10 these attacks many false statements
have been made, which are dOubtlessly intended to
create a prejudice against this country and mjure
its chief industries.
We are directed 10 respectfully request His
Majesty's Government to instruct the Hawaiian
Minister Resident at Washington to inform the
Secretary of State Of the United States, that If his
Government attach any value whatever to the said
attacks and statements, His Majesty's Government
Will gladly see an investigation held, either by the
United States officials now resident here,or through
others specially appointed for that purpose, and
the members of the Chamber of Commerce pledge
themselves TO give every facility to such investiga-
tlOn, III order that II may be thorough and conclu-
sIve, and 10 exercise their influence with all plant
ers to the sam end.
We are furthermore authorized by the Chamber
Of IN to deny alphabetically that there is
any system OF slavery" or "peOnage" In this
country. or that plantation labOrers, or others are,
or can be abused without being able 10 obtain full
and speedy redress. and also to deny that there
has been any violation of the terms of the Reel
procity Treaty.
Your Exceliencv is so intimately acquainted with
the employers of labor, with the merchants, and
with the laws and their practical working, that
you must be fully alive to the injustice of the
charges to which we have briefly referred, and
which have been so unfounded, extravagant and
malicious, that the planters and merchants have
hardly considered 1t necessary to contradict them,
and only the fear that continued silence might be
misunderstood, has led the Chamber of Commerce
To address this letter TO your Excellency. We have
the honor to remain your Excellency's most obedi-
ent servants.
(Signed.) CHAs. Il. BISHOP.
SAMUEL n. CASTLE,
F.. NJ. SwANsEY for
IHEO. II. DAVIES.
To His Excellency William l.. Green, H. H.. NJ.
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Copy
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
HONOLULU, January 18th, 1882.
Mess,s. {. X. Bishop, S. ". castle and r. II. Daries,
Committee Of the Chamber Of Commerce.
GENTLEMEN Il have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt OF your communication dated the 18th
instant, conveying the views of the Chamber of
Commerce., as to the means which may be adopted
with reference to the attacks which have been
made by the San Francisco Chronicle and other
newspapers upon the labor system of this country.
and upon the planters of these Islands, charging
them with cruelty and oppression towards their
employers; and upon our merchants who are
charged with violation of the terms of the Reel
proclty Treaty, In that they ship To the United
States as Hawaiian products, sugar and rice grown
or manufactured III other countries.
The injustice and extravaganza of these charges
Is so notorious here that His MajestyiS Govern
Ineut nave felt somewhat as the planters and mer-
chants do, that 1t was hardly necessary to contra
dict them still In other countries, 1t will no doubt
be advisable to refute them, and His Majesty's
Envoy extraordinary and Minister PlenipOtentiary
IN Washington, has already replied to several of
the statements when they appeared IN publications
which had any character for responsibility.
His Majesty's Government will grant every
facility for the investigation on the spot of any of
these charges, and will so instruct its Representa-
tive at Washington, although 1t cannot of course
officially recognize any foreign official investiga
ton. into matters which mainly concern our own
laws and their proper administration.
With respect to the last and perhaps most i'm
pOrtant charge, from at least an international
point OF view, namely that our merchants had
violated the terms OF the reciprocity Treaty with
the United States, this Government had already
taken some action before the last steamer left for
San Francisco, as you Will observe by the enclosed
copies OF a note which j addressed to His Excel
lency j. NJ. Comfy, the United States Minister Resi-
dent, dated the l4th ulto., and the reply of His
EIcellency dated 18th same. You will observe
that His Excellency's reply is very full and must
be conclusive to every unprejudiced mind that no
breach of the Reciprocity Treaty in the manner
suggested Is possible, whilst we all know as a mat
ter of fact that no fraudulent shipments whatever
Of foreign rice or sugar from these Islands to the
United States are made.
Copies of this correspondence were handed to
His Excellency II. A. p. Garter, His Majesty,s
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenlpOtentl-
airy TO His Majesty the King of Portugal, and he
was instructed to remain a short time III Washing
ton. 3nd make such use of the corresI ondence,
combined with his personal assurances, as would
be most likely to accomplish the desired object of
refuting the grossly erroneous statements which
~ btth IubIahth-
/ can hardly doubt that he will succeed III doing
so. His Majesty's Government will however CON
tinue TO furnish its Representatives III Washing
ton with such information, suggestions and in
structions is may appear best calculated to remove
the bad impression these erroneous statements are
likely to produce in foreign countries, and in
doing so will continue to look for assistance from
the Merchants and Planters of the Islands as
represented by the Chamber of Commerce.
i have the honor to remain, gentlemen
Your most obedient, humble servant,
w. ]. GREEN,
Minister ~ Foreign 1HdirS.
Copy
No. -. DEPARTMENT OF FoREIGS AFFAIRS.
HONOLULU, December. 18th, 1881 !