The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-10

THE RECIPROCITY TREATY.

Everything that refers to the Reel
procity treaty is matter of interest to
all classes in this country. The New
York Tribune of the goth of March
published the text of the supplement
tary convention with the United
States as agreed upon, and the day
following it published Minister Car
ter's first draft and the correspon-
dence Of last year, under the head
ing, "Secret Documents Before the
Senate Following is the text of
the proposed supplementary conven-
ton:
ARTICLE 1.-The high contracting parties
agree that the time fixed for the duration of
the said convention shall be indefinitely ex-
tended for term of seven years from the
date@of the exchange of notifications hereof;
and, further, until the expiration Of twelve
months after either of the high contracting
parties shall give notice to the other of its
wish to terminate the sane, each of the high
contracting parties being at liberty to give
such notice to the other at the end of the
said term of seven years, or at any time
thereafter.
ARTICLE LITTLE present convention shall
be ratified and the notifications exchanged at
Washington as soon as possible.
In witness whereof the representative
plenipotentiaries have signed the present
convention in duplicate, and have hereunto
affixed their respective seals.
Done at the city Of Washington on the 9th
day Of December in the year of our Lord,
1884.
FREDERICK 7. FRELINGHUYsEN.
HENRY A. p. CARTER.
This instrument was sent to the
Senate by President Arthur on De-
cember 8, 1884, but no action was
taken upon it in consequence of the
strong opposition developed in the
United States against the reciprocity
policy of the outgoing Administra-
ton. The correspondence referred to
is important, as the Tribune remarks.
It begins with a message from Presi-
dent Arthur to the Senate, of date
June 8, 1884, transmitting for con-
sidelation and appropriate action ga
report of the Secretary of State COM
municating the proposal of the King
of Hawaii that the duration of the
existing Reciprocity treaty with the
United States be extended for q
further period of seven years. The
treaty having been heretofore under
consideration by your honorable
body, deem it fitting to consult the
Senate in the matter before directing
the negotiations to proceed" the
President added. In other words, he
desired to elicit an expression of
opinion upon the subject to guide the
Administrator.
Secretary Frelimghuysen's report
was dated june 5, 1884. In it he sug-
gested that the Senate, by resolution
or otherwise, if faYorably disposed,
should signify it's consent that the
proposed extension be negotiated.
He likewise, quoted the concluding
paragraph in tire majority report of
the Foreign Relations Committee of
january "a, 1884, to the effect that
the treaty with Hawaii should not
be termina ted by the act of the
United States. the report intimating
that it may be a duty toward the
people of both countries to give GER
tainty and permanence to the graft
tying prosperity which this treaty
has created"
It is to be inferred that favorable
opinion was conveyed to the Presi-
dent from the Senate, because we find
the negotiations, initiated by Minis
ter Carter, on April Is, 1884, were
taken up by the Secretary of State
and concluded, the supplementary
convention as agreed upon having
been sent to the Senate December 8,
1884, just six months after he invited
a guiding opinion from that body.
The Tribune comments upon these
documents, and considering its hos
tility to all Reciprocity treaties, its
remarks may be regarded as mild.