The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-03-03

IN X over a printed copy of the
Proceedings in the House of Representa-
tives of the United States anent the Ha.
waiian Treaty, we came across Statements
made therein by Mr.. Belmont (who sub-
mits a minority report from the Committee
on Foreign Affairs) that would be simply
ridiculous did they not emenate from an
official source that entities them to a place.
and weight, in an official document.
Mr.. Belmont wishes to have the treaty.
aorogated; and one of the most powerful
arguments that he brings to bear on the
minds of his Representatives is, that sys-
tematlc and stupendous frauds have been
carried on. under tine treaty, in the matter
OF sugar importations from these Islands to
the Cuited States. Mr.: Brown, Special
Agent OF the Treasury Department. has.
according to the minority report, testified
as follows: "Mr. Brown intimated thai
the Hawaiian Government aud customs
ofncers, taided OF necessity by the American
Consul at Honolulu) have systematically
falsi1ed the invoices of sugar sent to this
country under the treaty.n Mr.. Brown
further declares himself to be "perfectly
well satisfied from examination while a
special agent of the Treasury Department,
and from a rather general inclination to
investigate matters, that sugars have been
imported from the Hawaiian Islands that
were not produced there" Mr.. Darrall,
"a member of the House of REPRESENTATIVES.
declares, in the evidence he gives that
there appears to have been q very re-
markable increase of production in
those islands, an increase Which zoe noaU to
De utterly impossible" (the italics are ours)
and that There can be no question but
that this treaty has been systematically
violated from the first by the Hawaiian
Governments Tint declaration-(as Mr..
Relmnnt says distinctly a~rraigns the Ha-
waiian Government"
We know very we'll that the Hawaiian
Government has invited Investigation on
all points connected with the working of
the treaty.. and that, In response to in
quiries made or General Comfy, late u. S.
Minister here by his government, that h
declared that, "no such fraud could have
been without the eonnivance
of all the Hawaiian and United States con
suls and officers of forum res
sitde $50 to speak, In addition to the prin-
cipals on both sides of the water"
Now we md this language construed by
Mr., M to mean that the above
named officials haze been joined together
in fraud and it Is a sad commentary on
the low estimate that is placed by many
upon the honor and integrity of officials in
the United States that such a statement
should be made in Congress, backed by the
sneer that Mr.. Belmont ndulges in when
he says that these people "vouch for their
own honestly
Mr.. Belmont says tina he is " at a loss to
understand how these gigantic frauds were
perpetrated.o
may be mistaken in supposing that they
ever were perpetrated-or else he is deter
mined to believe that they were, and that
it is his mission to expose and stop them.
In view of the fact hat these frauds, or
any other frauds in regard to the treaty,
were never perpetrated, nor attempted,
and that all who live on these Islands are
well aware that they could not be carried
on were the temptation ever SO strong
which 1T Is Motive think that all here,
irrespective of party, clan, or political
prejudices, should unite in proving the
truth to the world. 1t is not enough for us
to declare the preparation of these frauds
to be impossible, we must prove such to be
the case. In the proceedings from which
We have quoted, the Chairman of the Com
mittee who took Mr.. Browns testimony,
asked him the question Surprising
that illegal importation was stopped, how
would that affect your position as tnthe abb
rogation of his treaty %i To which Mr..
Brown replied: al the illegal importa-
ton of this sugar was stopped, and if all
sugar above No. 7 Dutch Standard were
made to pay duty, I would say that the
treaty was not hurting u.s."
Knowing as we do that the "illegal i'm
pOrtation" complained of does not and
never did tax place, it will not be a diff
cult matter for us to place before the proper
parties in the United States such proofs of
Messrs. Browns and Belmont's statements
being altogether in error, in this matter,
that they can no longer call for the abroga-
ton of the treaty on the ground that it's
provisions are fraudulently carried out.