The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-23
Queen and Her Cabinet Con-
slider 1t in Secret Session.
NOT LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED.
Bounty on the Sugar of the Islands
Will Be Demanded.
Full Reciprocity Not Enough, and IL the
sugar Bounty IL Refused Hawaii
VIII Turn to Canada and Australia
and Forget Its Former Friends.

~SS"S "A SCJNN ndS fSstlttu Tic
following from its special correspondent in
hawaiian islands, dated Honolulu, March
new commercial treaty between the
United States and the Hawaiian govern
mcnt has been prepared, and a copy Of the
text has just been received here by the
queen from the HawaIian minister in
Washington City. On Monday the new
treaty was read and submitted at secret
conference held at the palace by the queen
and the cabinet ministers. The new treaty
calls for cancellation for the present of
the existing treaty between the two gov
ernments, and the substitution of new
document which permits of full and free
interchange of all the products, both
natural and manufactured, of the two
countries. The new treaty virtually means
free trade, absolutely, between the United
States and Hawaii.
1t is not known as yet just what action
will be taken by the queen and the govern
ment, but it is stated on the most reliable
authority that the influence Of the English
friends of the queen, as we'll as the resi-
dent British diplomats, will prevent her
from accepting the new treaty in its pres
ent form.
The document is said to be the same
which the Hawaiian minister to Washing
ington City brought from that city to San
Francisco during the visit Of his late
majesty to the Coast, and which was
agreed upon at meeting, held at the
palace hotel, Of the minister, the king
and Chamberlain McFariane. The treaty
had previously been submitted and ap-
proved by both President Harrison and
Secretary Blaine.
Minister Carter informed his majesty,
Kalakaua. that the president and Mr..
Blaine favored the new treaty, owing to
the Mckinley tariff bill, which deprived
the Hawaiian government of the advan-
tage enjoyed under the treaty that had
been in existence since 1876. His majesty
was in favor of the new treaty, but only on
condition that his country received the
same bounty for the producers of Hawaiian
sugar as that accorded to the producers of
American sugar. 1t will be remembered
that the kings views on the question of
sugar bounty were given in the San Fran
cisco papers some two months ago, when
his chamberlain, NJ cFarlane, was inter-
viewed upon the subject.
Without this bounty, the treaty would
naturally enough be one-sided affair, as
sugar, the only export OF the islands, is
already admitted free of duty into the
United States, while American goods are
protected by discriminating duty of 10
per cent. against all other goods imported
from foreign countries. The question will
be whether the commercial! and politicaI
control of the Hawaiian islands By the
United States is worth the cost of
the sugar bounty. Kalakaua contended
that unless the bounty was given his coun-
try, and the producers of Hawaiian sugar
placed on the same footing as the Amer
ican producers, which was their position
before the tariff on sugar was removed, he
would not agree to any continuance of
commercial reciprocity, but would make a
reciprocity treaty with Canada and Aus
tralia, which countries would afford the
Hawaiians the full benefit of protective
tariff on sugar.
At this writing it is believed the queen
will make show or pretense of carrying
out her brothers wishes in this regard,
but the probabilities are that she will find
some pretext for abrogating the treaty
with the United States and rcpudiating
the new proposition. 1t is almost con-
ceded that in the end the queen will turn
to Canada and Australia for an arrange
ment similar to the commercial treaty
heretofore existing between Hawaii and
the United States.