The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-06-03
REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS.

This report is both interesting
and important. Generally the con-
dition of foreign relations is such
and changes are so infrequent and
trivial that very little interest at
taches to the subject after the
assurance that our relations with
foreign nations continues friendly.
But the vital question of our treaty
relations with the United States IS
one which must continue to excite
feelings of the livliest interest until
our commercial prosperity has no.
thing whatever to do with that
country. At the present time We
depend almost wholly on the sugar
industry, an extremely unhealthy
condition, and now that industry is
threatened by the proposition in
the United States to abolish the
duties on sugar, which will be
equivalent to taking away about
two cents a pound from our staple
and wholly destroying the benefit
of the treaty. 1t is true that rice
and bananas are free of treaty. but
the former industry promises little
for any except the Chinese and the
demand for bananas is so very
limited that 1t can never take the
place of sugar. Under these cir
cumstanees any proposition to give
US free trade or commercial union
with our great neighbor is of vital
Importance, and whatever the re-
port had to present on the subject
would be looked at with eager in
terest. What is said is little enough
and we knew it all before. 1t is of
vast Importance, however. and no
reason could exist for retailing the
petty matter which has filled the
daily and weekly papers. In a
nutshell: The United States is will
ing to enter into negotiations with
us for commercial union, and to the
present time our representative in
Washington has not been autho-
rized to negotiate! The various
propositions, SIX in all, are set out
in full in the report. In brief,
complete reciprocity is proposed;
then articles free by treaty are to
stand, with respect to bounties, just
as the produce OF either country
stands. Finally, the United States
IS to guarantee Hawaii's indepen-
dence and autonomy, and we are
to enter into no foreign trea-
ties without the knowledge of the
United States. If the United States
should now take occasion to with
draw from its position of willing
ness 10 negotiate: it would not be
very long before some of our astute
politicians would be cursed and
would no doubt secretly curse
themselves for their amazing folly
in putting obstacles in the way of
the continued prosperity of the
country by trumped up arguments
and bugbears about Hawaii's inde-
pendence. Hawaii's independence
is all right and will continue ex-
actly as long as we maintain order
and constitutional government,
and no longer. The most impor-
tant treaties negotiated and rati-
fed have been parcels post con-
vention with the United States,
The full text of the treaty, which
was ratified January 20, 1889, to-
gether with the forms to be used,
accompany the report. There have
also been additional articles added
to the money order convention
whereby larger amounts can be
sent and at cheaper rate. A money
order convention has been conclud-
ed with Victoria, and by arrange
ment with the United States money
orders can now be sent to Great
Britain, Portugal, Germany, Nor