Year: 1859

We notice that the last Legislative assem-
bly, of Hawaii have agreed to an amendment
to the present Constitution of the Sandwich
Islands, which makes such change in that
instrument as to fix pror erty qualification
to the office of Legislator, of a character
greatly affect the destiny Of the country,
should it finally be adopted. The proposed
amendment is as follows:


"No person shall he eligible for Repre-
sentative of the people, who is insane or an
idiot, or who shall at any time have been
convicted of any infamous crime, or unless he
be a male subject or denizen of the kingdom.
who shall have arrived at the full age of
twenty-h years. who shall know how to
read and write, who shall understand ac-
counts, and who shall have resided in the
kingdom for at least one year Immediately
preceding his election, and w6O shall otc', real
estate lgithin the Kingdom, UHtHcHAt6eTed, Of
the raiue of at least one thousand Doiiars
or teho shall hare an annual income Of at least
One thousand Dollars"


The Hawaiian Legislature of 1860 will
either confirm or reject this amendment. 1t
is likely, however, that they will confirm it,
nasmuch as it has received the approval of
King Kammehameia; unless indeed his
hitherto great popularity has been diminish
ed by his killing of Nelison,-for it seems to
be generally conceded that the young Secre-
tary will die.


Should this change in the Constitution be
made, the legislative control of the Hawaiian
group must pass into the hands of foreigners
for large majority of the owners of real
estate within the Kingdom of the value of
one thousand dollars, or of property afford
ing an annual income of one thousand dol
lars, are foreign residents True, the success
mehameha family or its descendants lineal
or collateral, but the power of the Crown is
considerably limited by the Constitution and
cannot trespass upon the province of the
legislature.


Why Kammehameha should consent to a
policy so we'll calculated to exclude the ma
tive element from the Councils of the King
dom, we cannot see, unless he has come to
the deliberate determination that it is better
for the country to be under white rule. 1t
may be that he supposes property qualif
cation of the character proposed will stimu-
late the natives to further exertion in the ac-
quirement of property, in order to arrive at
political promotion. 1t may have this effect.
but, while the result is being compassed
slowly and by degrees, as it must, the FOREIGN
owners of property will have already taken
possession of the Government and given a
permanent shape to its policy.


We do not know that such an event would
be at all disastrous to the general interests of
humanity. good many American resi-
dents are in the Islands, and it might be that
they could finally legislate the annexation of
the group to the United States-a measure
which would perhaps meet with no great
opposition from the Crown itself generation
or two hence, when the American blood oi
the present wife of King Kammehameha shall
have succeeded to the throne At any rate
the Islands might consent to legislate them


selves under the protection of the United
= States Government.


The value Of these Islands to the Unior
their richness of soil. their salubrity of eli
mate, their location in the future great patl


way of Eastern commerce, have been sniff


ciently dwelt upon before to need no itera


tion now. If we can have them under tn
: wing of our mighty North American Repub
lie, We shall soon show the world what W,
can do with them.