THE UNITED STATES AND THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 780, 5 October 1853, Page 3

THE UNITED STATES AND THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

[From the "Alta California,’’ May 20] The Foreign relations of the Sandwich Islands for the past year, to the period of the convoking of the Hawaiian Legislature, it may he very readily apprehended, have not been remarkable for variety or an astounding series of events. Notwithstanding, the Minister of Foreign Relations in his last Report to the Hawaiian Legislature contrives to fill a dozen folios or more with closely printed matter, which with severe and inflexible resolution we have read to the last line ; our triumph may he compared with that of the “man who read The Monicans.” Mr. Wyllie has most ably filled his post, if he has not ingeniously filled the sheets of the aforesaid pamphlet Report. He has made more shadow with less substance—a louder Report with less powder, than any man or Minister of his age! But we will spare the feelings of the Foreign Minister on the subject of the length and dryness of his report, and to compensate for the valuable time lavished upon its perusal we will make free with certain portions concerning the Relations of the Hawaiian Kingdom with the neighbouring decromatic dominions of Uncle Sam,

It will lie remembered by most of our readers tint over one year ago, a proposal was made b} r the Hawaiian Government to the United States for special reciprocity in the admission of our flour, fish, coal, lumber, staves and heading, for the syrup, sugar of syrup, molasses and ccff.e, produced on the Islands, and it will also be remembered that the proposition met with no attention from our Government. The Minister, in alluding to the subject, declares his conviction of the justice of the arrangement proposed, and rc-asserts the propriety of the King’s Government insisting on the policy. He says: “ I made known to the Commissioner, that while perfectly aware of the difficulties besetting the question in the United States, I considered it a duty to the king to attempt such a special reciprocity, because, ‘So long as Hawaiian sugar can only be received in California and Oregon on payment of 80 per cent, duty, while American sugar is admitted duty free, the difference is virtually a premium to annexation, which is contrary to the declared policy of the United States.’ I added, ‘I believed that among the planters and merchants generally, the best feeling prevails toward the king, hut it is not a desirable state of things, that their fortunes on these islands should not be in harmony with the gerpetuity of this kingdom as an independent tate.’ And I concluded with the request to the Commissioner, ‘ You will he pleased to add to the United States Government that, under the treaties Denmark, Great Britain, France and Hamburg, the same privileges would have to he extended by the king to those governments, provided the same special considerations were granted by them.’ “ I have not changed my opinion in regard to the policy of removing that latent danger to the King’s sovereignty, or of so conducting the march of his government, in all respects, as that the selfish interests of all who live under his rule should come jn, in aid of the loyal feeling towards his Majesty which has ever been and still is so remarkable.” After this Mr. Wyllie sketches the foreign postal arrangements, effected through the medium of England and the United States during the past year, and then passes on to relate a case touching the interests of American citizens in the Sandwich Islands. An American subject resident at Lahaina was arrested, fined one thousand dollars and confined in the public jail under a charge of smuggling liquors. He had previously to his arrest, received a pledge from the District Attorney of that place and he petitioned the authorities for relief. Although acknowledging the justness of his petition the commissioners and courts were powerless under a defective law, and it was only when his petition had been before the King several months that relief was granted in the shape of a remittal of the fine. This and similar hardships suffered under the defective laws of the Islands by foreigners are frequently the subjects of complaints. Says the Minister on this head :

Although under the laws of the United States it is made the express duty of their Consuls at all times to endeavour to deter the subjects of the United States from smuggling, as well as from every other infraction of the local laws, yet if the process of confiscation of vessels under the American flag, and of fines on American citizens, should go on as they have unhappily done since the meeting of the last Legislature, it cannot fail to breed much discontent, and may perhaps cool those sympathies for us of the United States Government and people, to which, as a nation, we owe so much.” The Report closes with a two-column extract from Wheaton’s Inter-National Law. We have hastily adverted to all that concerns the past year’s relations of the Sandwich Islands with our Goveremcnt preparatory to something which it may be appropriate to write on another occasion regarding the future relations between our country and particularly this coast ami the little Kingdom of Hawaii.