Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-01-14
MATTERS OF history

UuniIINU vi utUlVnI
(From Tuesdays First EdltionJ
There was a large attendance at tho
annual meeting of the Hawaiian His
torioal Society in 'he Y. NJ. G. A. hall
last night The old board of officers
was elected to serve during the ensu
ing year. They are as follows:
President, Or. n. n. Emerson: first
vice president Governor Dole: second
vice president. J. s. Emerson: third
vice president. W. F. Allen. correspon.
ding secretary. Prof. w. d. Alexander;
frecordinE secretary. Judge W. +.
Frear; treasurer and librarian. Miss
NJ. A. Burbank.
Prof w. ID. Alexander read an I'M.
published portion OF the diary of Mrs.
Laura Fish Judd, wife OF the late DR..
Judd, relative to the proposition of Ia.
mehameha III to sell his crown to the
highest bidders among the nations
Tine paper was substantially as fol.
lows:
"Kamehamcha III set his heart on
disposing of the Islands. He wanted
TO sell his crown TO the highest bidder
in the world. no matter who offered.
When he sent his commission to
| France he furnished Dr. Judd with
power to make the best bargain lbs.
sible for the disposal of the group
She saw with her own eyes the docu
ments which the king had drawn up,
and she felt that the strongest proof OF
| the kings trust In Or. Judd was in this
strange proceeding. Mrs. Judd says
that she was very glad DR.. judd had
no occasion to make use of the docu.
ments In the manner intended. She
added that under the administration OF
| President Pierce the Hawaiian King.
dom was looked upon with Mvor and
THE road to Washington was very
short. shorter than II would ever be
again."
The following were His Majesty's
reasons for selling the Islands: %
| His subjects we're decreasing In mum.
bers. (2) The superior civilization
was bringing in foreigners who would
coon displace the natives. (3) He did
not desire a repetition of such treat.
ment as he had received from Lord
George Paulet. Queen Pomare having
lost her possessions to world power,
the king felt that he would meet the
same fate, and that he escaped such a
fate was only through the good Offices
Of the United States. (4) The foreign
element was increasing and became
| more difficult to control, and the gov.
eminent would eventually be control.
I'd by foreigners.
The king expected liberal terms at
his auction sale, AMI the monetary re-
/ endorsement expected was to be suiii'
Client to recompense the Young prin.
cess and other members of the royal
| families for their loss of titles. on.
abling them. however. to travel and
| obtain educations abroad and to place
them beyond want. The king became
so importunate that he wanted DR.
Judd to charter a certain schooner and
go to Panama and thus across tC
| Washington as soon as possible, t.
commence blrtering the Islands. Mrs
Judd remarks that It was not strange
that the young prince. heir apparent 10
the throne, was opposed to the meas
ure. The document needed the sigma
lures of the young Princes. His Maj
| esty was determined upon obtaining
their signatures, when he suddenly be
came i'll and died soon after. At the
request Of his successor, Kamehameha
! ". the document held by DIR. Judd was
nullifed, and reciprocity negotiations
were entered into in 1855, which, how
ever, did not materialize until about
twenty-five years later.
Prof. Alexander read a copy Of a let
ter from Barnum w. Peel. under date
of September is. 1885. to Mr.. Wood
at Lahaina, relating to the treaty OF
reciprocity referred to, which he
brought from New York to Honolulu
This treaty was approved by the king
but Congress failed TO ratify II.
l.. A. Thurston stated that he had a
copy of the diary of United States Min
lister Gregg which speaks of the reel.
procity treaty. He obtained this from
Mr.. Gregg's son while he was in Salt
Lake City not long ago. This Is to be
read at the next meeting Of the society.
The last paper OF the evening was
read by DR., n. ID. Emerson and related
TO an incident In the life of Kameha.
meha which had been hitherto un.
known. He obtained II from an old
native living now in Honolulu, who
heard II from a soldier In Kamehame'
has army. The facts were as follow i:
After Kamehameha had slain Kiwa.
lao, he went around to Waipio, Hilo.
On his return to Laupahoehoe In a
double war canoe he encountered a
large fishing canoe. In which were five
men. Kamehameha. with the acknowl.
edged purpose Of robbery endeavored
to intercept the fishermen. The lat
ter padded quickly to the shore and
were on to the inland by the time. Ka'
mehameha landed. He refused to per
nit his men to follow, but went single
\