The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-17

IL. q. FOU.
LUM SING.
CHANG CHUCK.
LAU CHuCK. 4
CHUN MISC.
NouNG CHEE.
President Dole acknowledged the petit
ton and stated that it would be cheer
fully presented to the Councils, where it
would receive due consideration; and,
further, if the nature of the petition re-
quired its examination by the Constitu-
tional Convention, it would also be
passed to the consideration of that body.
The petition is quite lengthy and is
signed by about 800 Chinese resi-
dents OF Honolulu, over 100 of whom
claim to be bona fide citizens OF this
country by right of either birth or mar
riage with native women and long resi-
dence here. The following is the text of
the petition presented:
To THE President AND THE EXECUTIVE
AND ADVISORY COUNCILS OF THE Pro
vIsIoNAL GOVERNMENT OF THE HA-
wAIIAN ISLANDS:
We, the undersigned, most respect
fully request your permission to present
to Your Excellences and the Honorable
Councillors the following statement and
petition, and ask OF you to give it most
careful consideration.
While the right OF petition is denied
by you to no one, we are, in this in
stance, constrained to address you di-
rectly instead of through the customary
diplomatic channels, inasmuch as our
commercial agents possess, in the alb
sence of treaty between China and
Hawaii, insufficient diplomatic author
ity to call your attention to the matters
we most respectfully desire to present to
you.
We wish to be fair and frank, and
prefer in the first place to invite your
assistance in the interests OF the adopted
country OF many OF us, rather than to
communicate with His ENceiency His
Imperial Majesty's Representative at
Washington before so doing.
We are also induced to take this in
formal manner of approaching you, as a
result OF the recent elections conclus-
lively show that Constitutional Con-
vention will shortly be held to remodel
the Constitution and the form OF the
| Hawaiian Government.
We also fully appreciate the fact that
until a definite form of government is
established for the Hawaiian Islands, it
will be impracticGble for the President
of the Provisional Government to enter
into direct diplomatic correspondence
with the Imperial Chinese Govern
ment.
We feel assured that your honorable
Councils will not controvert the state
ment that the Chinese possess very large
and important vested interests in this
country, and that they may justly claim
to be considered among the heaviest
payers of taxes, duties and other contri.
buttons in comparison with the people
of all other nations. 1t is not deemed
advisable to cucumber this petition
with statistics to prove this assertion.
1t is known to you that the Chimes,
merchants and planters have always
been firm supporters of the constitu
tional governments of Hawaii. Oul
societies have endeavored, and are en-
deavoring, to support our sick and poo
and to send out of the country the crimi
nails and Migrants without cost to thu
Government. If the Government viii
only strengthen our hands so that W,
can appeal to our Minister at Washing
ton, and through him to the Imperial au
thorities we can and will do mucl
, more.
While we are thoroughly conversan
with the fact that no treaty exist
between Hawaii and China, we are ais
fully aware that, in the, past, negotia
tons for a treaty have been under cor
sideration by the Representative Minii
tiers of both countries and have failed.
: tits our opinion that ii, when the col
stitutional convention meets, it will NJ
regard the Chinese residing i'll the Hs
waiian Islands as a prescribed race, BIT
v will accord them the privileges due
n them by their influence, standing an
= wealth, that treaty OF reciprocal benef
g to Hawaii and China might result.
a We, who have made these Islands OF
e home for many years, have increased ii
n value OF your lands from nominal price
r to high ones, say, from s. to $3.50 a
|. acre, thus increasing the revenue OF I'll
country, have intermarried with Hi
waiians, who have given us cbildre
born in this land, educated in your ow
J. schools and intermarried with your ow
5 race.
p Many of us have become naturaliz,
'e citizens of this country and have by o,
+" efforts brought to you considerable tra'
IL and commerce. 1t has been alike ben
er fetal to you as to us. Therefore '
III think that we are entitled to son
greater respect from the Governme
than has hitherto been politically d
corded TO us. We do not think that \
ed should be regarded in the same light
IL our fellow countrymen in the Unit
he States OF America. We have be
Ial associated with you so long commercial
financially and socially, have learn