SPEECHES
OF HIS
MAJESTY KAMEHAMEHA IV.
TO THE
HAWAIIAN LEGISLATURE,
WITH HIS MAJESTY'S
REPLIES TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF FOREIGN NATIONS AND TO
PUBLIC BODIES; ALSO WITH SUNDRY PROCLAMATIONS AND
OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO HIS ADVENT TO
THE THRONE, Etc., WITH THE LAST PROCLAMATION
AND AN OBITUARY OF HIS
LATE MAJESTY
KING KAMEHAMEHA III.
PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS.
HONOLULU:
PRINTED AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS.
1861.
[Pg 3]
SPEECHES
OF HIS
MAJESTY KAMEHAMEHA IV.,
AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.
The last Public Proclamation made by His late Majesty King Kamehameha III.
PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, It has come to my knowledge from the highest official sources, that my Government has been recently threatened with overthrow by lawless violence; and whereas the representatives at my Court, of the United States, Great Britain and France, being cognizant of these threats, have offered me the prompt assistance of the Naval forces of their respective countries, I hereby publicly proclaim my acceptance of the aid thus proffered in support of my Sovereignty. My independence is more firmly established than ever before.Keoni Ana.
Palace, 8th December, 1854.
By the King and Kuhina Nui.
PROCLAMATION.
[Pg 4]Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to remove from this world our beloved Sovereign, His late Majesty, Kamehameha III.; and whereas, by the will of His late Majesty, and by the appointment and Proclamation of His Majesty and of the House of Nobles, His Royal Highness, Prince Liholiho, was declared to be His Majesty's Successor. Therefore, Public Proclamation is hereby made, that Prince Alexander Liholiho is KING of the Hawaiian Islands, under the style of Kamehameha IV. God preserve the King.
December 15th, 1854.
Chiefs:—I have become by the Will of God, your Father, as I have been your Child. You must help me, for I stand in need of help.
To you Ministers, and other high officers of State of Our late King, I return my sincere thanks for the expressions of condolence with which you have this morning comforted me. I request of you to continue your labors, in the several positions you have hitherto held, until when my grief shall have allowed me time for reflection, I make such new arrangements as shall seem proper.
I thank the Members of this Council, in general for their condolence, who will, also, I hope, assist me with their advice, as though they had been appointed by myself.
His Majesty's Address on the occasion of taking the Oath prescribed by the Constitution. Extr. from Polynesian, Jan. 13, 1855.To you Ministers, and other high officers of State of Our late King, I return my sincere thanks for the expressions of condolence with which you have this morning comforted me. I request of you to continue your labors, in the several positions you have hitherto held, until when my grief shall have allowed me time for reflection, I make such new arrangements as shall seem proper.
I thank the Members of this Council, in general for their condolence, who will, also, I hope, assist me with their advice, as though they had been appointed by myself.
I solemnly swear, in the presence of Almighty God, to maintain the Constitution of the Kingdom whole and inviolate, and to govern in conformity with that and the laws.
Immediately afterwards, His Highness the Kuhina Nui repeated the words "God preserve the King," which were re-echoed everywhere throughout the Church with loud cheers; His Majesty's Royal Standard and the National Ensign were hoisted and a royal salute fired from the fort.Afterwards it pleased the King to make a solemn and eloquent address, in native, to His subjects, which was received by them with great enthusiasm, a translation of which is as follows:
Give ear Hawaii o Keawe! Maui o Kama! Oahu o Kuihewa! Kauai o Mano!
[Pg 5]
In the providence of God, and by the will of his late Majesty Kamehameha III., this day read in your hearing, I have been called to the high and responsible position of the Chief Ruler of this nation. I am deeply sensible of the importance and sacredness of the great trust committed to my hands, and in the discharge of this trust, I shall abide by the Constitution and laws which I have just sworn to maintain and support. It is not my wish to entertain you on the present occasion with pleasant promises for the future; but I trust that the close of my career will show that I have not been raised to the head of this nation to oppress and curse it, but on the contrary to cheer and bless it, and that when I come to my end, I may, like the beloved Chief whose funeral we yesterday celebrated, pass from earth amid the bitter lamentation of my people.
The good, the generous, the kind hearted Kamehameha is now no more. Our great Chief has fallen! But though dead he still lives. He lives in the hearts of his people! He lives in the liberal, the just, and the beneficent measures which it was always his pleasure to adopt. His monuments rise to greet us on every side. They may be seen in the church, in the school house, and the hall of justice; in the security of our persons and property; in the peace, the law, the order and general prosperity that prevail throughout the islands. He was the friend of the Makaainana, the father of his people, and so long as a Hawaiian lives his memory will be cherished!
By the death of Kamehameha III., the chain that carried us back to the ancient days of Kamehameha I. has been broken. He was the last child of that great Chieftain, but how unlike the father from whom he sprung. Kamehameha I. was born for the age in which he lived, the age of war and of conquest. Nobly did he fulfill the destiny for which he was created, that of reducing the islands from a state of anarchy and constant warfare to one of peace and unity under the rule of one king. With the accession of Kamehameha II. to the throne the tabus were broken, the wild orgies of heathenism abolished, the idols thrown drown, and in their place was set up the worship of the only living and true God. His was the era of the introduction of Christianity and all its peaceful influences. He was born to commence the great moral revolution which began with his reign, and he performed his cycle. The age of Kamehameha III. was that of progress and of liberty—of schools and of civilization. He gave us a Constitution and fixed laws; he secured the people in the title to their lands, and removed the last chain of oppression. He gave them a voice in his councils and in the making of the laws by which they are governed. He was a great national benefactor, and has left the impress of his mild and amiable disposition on the age for which he was born.
To-day we begin a new era. Let it be one of increased civilization—one of decided progress, industry, temperance, morality, and all those virtues which mark a nation's advance. This is beyond doubt a critical period in the history of our country, but I see no reason to despair. We have seen the tomb close over our Sovereign, but it does not bury our hopes. If we are united as one individual in seeking the peace, the prosperity and independence of our country, we shall not be overthrown. The importance of this unity is what I most wish to impress upon your minds. Let us be one and we shall not fall!
[Pg 6][Pg 5]
In the providence of God, and by the will of his late Majesty Kamehameha III., this day read in your hearing, I have been called to the high and responsible position of the Chief Ruler of this nation. I am deeply sensible of the importance and sacredness of the great trust committed to my hands, and in the discharge of this trust, I shall abide by the Constitution and laws which I have just sworn to maintain and support. It is not my wish to entertain you on the present occasion with pleasant promises for the future; but I trust that the close of my career will show that I have not been raised to the head of this nation to oppress and curse it, but on the contrary to cheer and bless it, and that when I come to my end, I may, like the beloved Chief whose funeral we yesterday celebrated, pass from earth amid the bitter lamentation of my people.
The good, the generous, the kind hearted Kamehameha is now no more. Our great Chief has fallen! But though dead he still lives. He lives in the hearts of his people! He lives in the liberal, the just, and the beneficent measures which it was always his pleasure to adopt. His monuments rise to greet us on every side. They may be seen in the church, in the school house, and the hall of justice; in the security of our persons and property; in the peace, the law, the order and general prosperity that prevail throughout the islands. He was the friend of the Makaainana, the father of his people, and so long as a Hawaiian lives his memory will be cherished!
By the death of Kamehameha III., the chain that carried us back to the ancient days of Kamehameha I. has been broken. He was the last child of that great Chieftain, but how unlike the father from whom he sprung. Kamehameha I. was born for the age in which he lived, the age of war and of conquest. Nobly did he fulfill the destiny for which he was created, that of reducing the islands from a state of anarchy and constant warfare to one of peace and unity under the rule of one king. With the accession of Kamehameha II. to the throne the tabus were broken, the wild orgies of heathenism abolished, the idols thrown drown, and in their place was set up the worship of the only living and true God. His was the era of the introduction of Christianity and all its peaceful influences. He was born to commence the great moral revolution which began with his reign, and he performed his cycle. The age of Kamehameha III. was that of progress and of liberty—of schools and of civilization. He gave us a Constitution and fixed laws; he secured the people in the title to their lands, and removed the last chain of oppression. He gave them a voice in his councils and in the making of the laws by which they are governed. He was a great national benefactor, and has left the impress of his mild and amiable disposition on the age for which he was born.
To-day we begin a new era. Let it be one of increased civilization—one of decided progress, industry, temperance, morality, and all those virtues which mark a nation's advance. This is beyond doubt a critical period in the history of our country, but I see no reason to despair. We have seen the tomb close over our Sovereign, but it does not bury our hopes. If we are united as one individual in seeking the peace, the prosperity and independence of our country, we shall not be overthrown. The importance of this unity is what I most wish to impress upon your minds. Let us be one and we shall not fall!
On my part I shall endeavor to give you a mild, and liberal government, but at the same time one sufficiently vigorous to maintain the laws, secure you in all your rights of persons and property, and not too feeble to withstand the assaults of faction. On your part I shall expect you to contribute your best endeavors to aid me in maintaining the Constitution, supporting the laws, and upholding our Independence.
It further pleased His Majesty, in accordance with a suggestion made to him, to make the following impromptu remarks, in English, to foreigners owing allegiance to him, and others residing in his dominions:
A few remarks addressed on this occasion, to you, the foreign portion of the assembly present, may not be inappropriate.
You have all been witnesses this day to the solemn oath I have taken in the presence of Almighty God and this assembly, to preserve inviolate the Constitution. This is no idle ceremony. The Constitution which I have sworn to maintain has its foundation laid in the deep and immutable principles of Liberty, Justice and Equality, and by these, and none other, I hope to be guided in the administration of my Government. As the ruler of this people, I shall endeavor, with the blessing of God, to seek the welfare of my subjects, and at the same time to consult their wishes. In these endeavors I shall expect the hearty co-operation of all classes—foreigners as well as natives.
His Majesty Kamehameha III., now no more, was preeminently the friend of the foreigner; and I am happy in knowing he enjoyed your confidence and affection. He opened his heart and hand with a royal liberality, and gave till he had little to bestow and you but little to ask. In this respect I cannot hope to equal him, but though I may fall far behind I shall follow in his footsteps.
To be kind and generous to the foreigner, to trust and confide in him, is no new thing in the history of our race. It is an inheritance transmitted to us by our forefathers. The founder of our dynasty was ever glad to receive assistance and advice from foreigners. His successor, not deviating from the policy of his father, listened not only to the voice of a missionary, and turned with his people to the light of Christianity, but against the wishes of the nation left his native land to seek for advice and permanent protection at a foreign Court. Although he never returned alive, his visit shows plainly what were his feelings towards the people of foreign countries. I cannot fail to heed the example of my ancestors. I therefore say to the foreigner that he is welcome. He is welcome to our shores—welcome so long as he comes with the laudable motive of promoting his own interests and at the same time respecting those of his neighbor. But if he comes here with no more exalted motive than that of building up his own interests at the expense of the native—to seek our confidence only to betray it—with no higher ambition than that of overthrowing our Government, and introducing anarchy, confusion and bloodshed—then is he most unwelcome!
[Pg 7]
The duties we owe to each other are reciprocal. For my part I shall use my best endeavors, in humble reliance on the Great Ruler of all, to give you a just, liberal and satisfactory Government. At the same time I shall expect you in return to assist me in sustaining the Peace, the Law, the Order and the Independence of my Kingdom.
The preceding is the address, as it was taken down at the time, by a practised stenographer.You have all been witnesses this day to the solemn oath I have taken in the presence of Almighty God and this assembly, to preserve inviolate the Constitution. This is no idle ceremony. The Constitution which I have sworn to maintain has its foundation laid in the deep and immutable principles of Liberty, Justice and Equality, and by these, and none other, I hope to be guided in the administration of my Government. As the ruler of this people, I shall endeavor, with the blessing of God, to seek the welfare of my subjects, and at the same time to consult their wishes. In these endeavors I shall expect the hearty co-operation of all classes—foreigners as well as natives.
His Majesty Kamehameha III., now no more, was preeminently the friend of the foreigner; and I am happy in knowing he enjoyed your confidence and affection. He opened his heart and hand with a royal liberality, and gave till he had little to bestow and you but little to ask. In this respect I cannot hope to equal him, but though I may fall far behind I shall follow in his footsteps.
To be kind and generous to the foreigner, to trust and confide in him, is no new thing in the history of our race. It is an inheritance transmitted to us by our forefathers. The founder of our dynasty was ever glad to receive assistance and advice from foreigners. His successor, not deviating from the policy of his father, listened not only to the voice of a missionary, and turned with his people to the light of Christianity, but against the wishes of the nation left his native land to seek for advice and permanent protection at a foreign Court. Although he never returned alive, his visit shows plainly what were his feelings towards the people of foreign countries. I cannot fail to heed the example of my ancestors. I therefore say to the foreigner that he is welcome. He is welcome to our shores—welcome so long as he comes with the laudable motive of promoting his own interests and at the same time respecting those of his neighbor. But if he comes here with no more exalted motive than that of building up his own interests at the expense of the native—to seek our confidence only to betray it—with no higher ambition than that of overthrowing our Government, and introducing anarchy, confusion and bloodshed—then is he most unwelcome!
[Pg 7]
The duties we owe to each other are reciprocal. For my part I shall use my best endeavors, in humble reliance on the Great Ruler of all, to give you a just, liberal and satisfactory Government. At the same time I shall expect you in return to assist me in sustaining the Peace, the Law, the Order and the Independence of my Kingdom.
His Majesty afterwards, from the portico of the church, addressed, in native, a crowd of several thousand, who had not been able to find room in the church, and who had congregated in front thereof, outside the military. The crowd listened in breathless silence, and when the King concluded, cheered His Majesty most rapturously.
The whole solemn proceedings were conducted with admirable order, and His Majesty throughout appeared calm, collected and dignified.
Extract from the Polynesian of January 6, 1855.
OBITUARY.
[UNDER SPECIAL AUTHORITY.]
His late Majesty, Kauikeouli Kaleiopapa Kuakamanolani, Mahinalani, Kalaninuiwaiakua, Keaweawealaokalani, whose royal style was Kamehameha III., was born on the 17th March, 1813, in Keauhou, District of Kona, Hawaii. His father was the renowned king and conqueror, Kamehameha I. His mother was Keopuolani, daughter of Kiwaloa, son of Kalaiopuu, of Kau, Hawaii. On the day before her death, while conversing with the celebrated chief Kalaimoku, respecting her children, she said, "I wish that my two children Kauikeouli, and Nahienaena (her daughter), should know God and serve him, and be instructed in Christianity. I wish you to take care of these my two children,—see that they walk in the right way, counsel them, let them not associate with bad companions." But after her death, the chief who had the immediate charge of the young Prince's person was Kaikeoewa. When he retired to Lanai, Kaahumanu placed the Prince under the immediate charge of Boki. The earliest education which the infant Prince received, was at Kailua, from the Rev. A. Thurston, and Thomas Hopu, a native who had been educated in the United States. In Honolulu the Prince became the pupil of the Rev. Hiram Bingham.The young Prince had the misfortune to lose his father Kamehameha, on the 8th of May, 1819, and his mother Keopuolani, on the 16th[Pg 8] of September, 1823. Towards the end of that year King Kamehameha II. (Liholiho), embarked for England, where he died in 1824. The royal remains were conveyed back to the islands in the British frigate "Blonde," commanded by Lord Byron, in 1825. Soon afterwards, say in May, 1825, the reign of Kamehameha III. commenced, but under the political guidance of a supreme ruler, or "Kuhina Nui," till March, 1833, when he declared to the chiefs his wish to take into his own hands the lands for which his father had toiled, the powers of life and death, and the undivided sovereignty,—and confirmed Kinau (Kaahumanu II.) as his "Kuhina Nui." He then took into his own hands the reins of sovereign power, in the twentieth year of his age. How he has exercised that power, during the twenty-one years that intervened between its assumption and the 15th December last, when Death released him of all royal and other earthly cares, it will be the duty of his future biographer to show. His memory is, and must ever be, dear to his subjects, for the free constitutions which he voluntarily granted to them in 1840 and in 1852; for his support of religion and patronage of education; for his conferring upon them, and upon foreigners, the right to hold lands in fee simple, and for his willing abandonment of all the arbitrary powers and right of universal seignorial land-lordship, which he had inherited. There is scarcely in history, ancient or modern, any king to whom so many public reforms and benefits can be ascribed, as the achievements of only twenty-one years of his reign. Yet what king has had to contend with so many difficulties, arising from ignorance, prejudice, scanty revenue, inexperience and ineptitude, as his late Majesty King Kamehameha III.? It was only in 1844 that His Majesty had the assistance of a responsible legal counsellor, and of a Secretary of State; only in 1845 that a proper separation of the departments of government was attempted, and a cabinet formed. The political principles then established by His Majesty were the following, viz:
"That monarchy in the Sandwich Islands is indispensable to the preservation of the King, the chiefs and the natives. That it is the duty of the Ministers, in all their measures, to have a single eye to the preservation of the King, the chiefs and the natives.
"That the existence of the King, chiefs and the natives, can only be preserved by having a government efficient for the administration of enlightened justice, both to natives and the subjects of foreign powers residing in the islands, and that chiefly through missionary efforts the natives have made such progress in education and knowledge, as to justify the belief that by further training, they may be rendered capable of conducting efficiently the affairs of government; but that they are not at present so far advanced.
[Pg 9]"That the existence of the King, chiefs and the natives, can only be preserved by having a government efficient for the administration of enlightened justice, both to natives and the subjects of foreign powers residing in the islands, and that chiefly through missionary efforts the natives have made such progress in education and knowledge, as to justify the belief that by further training, they may be rendered capable of conducting efficiently the affairs of government; but that they are not at present so far advanced.
"That the best means of bringing them to that desired state, are the careful study of proper books, and the practical knowledge of business, to be acquired by ascending through the different gradations of office, under foreign ministers.
"That such foreign ministers hold their commissions only by the grace of the King, and agree to surrender them at the will of His Majesty in favor of native subjects, whenever they become properly qualified.
"That the King being recognized as Sovereign by Great Britain, France, the United States and Belgium, has to maintain his position and rank as such, and that all his ministers and officers are to assist him in doing so, by deporting themselves towards him with that respect and consideration to which all sovereigns are entitled; and to discharge their duties so as to do honor to his appointment and credit to themselves.
"That it is the duty of the ministry to discourage all republican tendencies and specious attempts to degrade the King to the rank of a mere superior chief, as calculated to undermine his influence and authority, and place the islands in subjection to white men.
"That the subjection of the islands to white men, would lead to the extinction of the native race.
"That the ministers ought to promote the numerical increase of the natives, and their happiness, and wealth, by encouraging religion, education, the arts and sciences.
"That the co-operation of Christian missionaries should be admitted towards these objects, but that they shall not interfere in the purely political concerns of the King's Government.
"That equal rights and privileges should be allowed to all foreign nations.
"That the revenue necessary to support the King's Government, religion, schools, and to reward public services, should be raised without such oppressive taxes as would oppress the natives, and shackle their industry.
"That the faith of all treaties, conventions, contracts, engagements, and even promises, should be religiously observed.
"That a constitution and code of laws be provided, adapted to the genius of the nation, to the climate and soil, and to the wealth, the manners, and the customs, and the numbers of the people."
These principles, so far as they could be applied to the good of his people, were faithfully adhered to by the late King, as will be seen by his recommendations to the Legislature, embodied in his speeches for the last nine years, which have been published together. The annual reports of his Ministers, and of his Chancellor and Chief Justice, best show whether those principles have been mere profession, or have had an operative effect, in promoting that progress which, for the last decade of his late Majesty's reign, has unquestionably surpassed that of any other nation during the same period of time. All the reforms effected have been achieved without the creation of a national debt, and without one violent convulsion. The inference is irresistible,[Pg 10] that monarchs may spring from the Hawaiian race, capable of well performing all the duties of constitutional sovereignty, and of fulfilling all the requirements of the government of an enlightened, independent nation, both in its internal and foreign relations."That such foreign ministers hold their commissions only by the grace of the King, and agree to surrender them at the will of His Majesty in favor of native subjects, whenever they become properly qualified.
"That the King being recognized as Sovereign by Great Britain, France, the United States and Belgium, has to maintain his position and rank as such, and that all his ministers and officers are to assist him in doing so, by deporting themselves towards him with that respect and consideration to which all sovereigns are entitled; and to discharge their duties so as to do honor to his appointment and credit to themselves.
"That it is the duty of the ministry to discourage all republican tendencies and specious attempts to degrade the King to the rank of a mere superior chief, as calculated to undermine his influence and authority, and place the islands in subjection to white men.
"That the subjection of the islands to white men, would lead to the extinction of the native race.
"That the ministers ought to promote the numerical increase of the natives, and their happiness, and wealth, by encouraging religion, education, the arts and sciences.
"That the co-operation of Christian missionaries should be admitted towards these objects, but that they shall not interfere in the purely political concerns of the King's Government.
"That equal rights and privileges should be allowed to all foreign nations.
"That the revenue necessary to support the King's Government, religion, schools, and to reward public services, should be raised without such oppressive taxes as would oppress the natives, and shackle their industry.
"That the faith of all treaties, conventions, contracts, engagements, and even promises, should be religiously observed.
"That a constitution and code of laws be provided, adapted to the genius of the nation, to the climate and soil, and to the wealth, the manners, and the customs, and the numbers of the people."
Revolutionary violence, therefore, has no excuse except in the selfish rapacity which prompts it. It cannot plead the example of any country bordering on the Pacific, where life and property are more secure than they have been here, under the reign of the late King; where foreigners enjoy greater privileges, and where, like this Kingdom, foreign commerce (excepting spirituous liquors) pays a contribution to the State of only 5 per cent. ad valorem.
In private life, the late King was mild, kind, affable, generous and forgiving. He was never more happy than when free from the cares and trappings of state. He could enjoy himself sociably with his friends, who were much attached to him. Having associated much, while a boy, with foreigners, he continued to the last to be fond of their company. Without his personal influence, the law to allow them to hold lands in fee simple could never have been enacted; neither could conflicting claims to land have been settled and registered by that most useful institution, the Board of Land Commissioners. It is hardly possible to conceive any King more generally beloved than was his late Majesty; more universally obeyed, or more completely sovereign in the essential respect of independent sovereignty, that of governing his subjects free from any influence or control coming from beyond the limits of his own jurisdiction.
The sister of the late King, the Princess Nahienaena, died on the 30th December, 1836.
On the 4th of February, 1837, the late King was married to Kalama, daughter of Naihekukui, who has survived his Majesty, and is now the Queen Dowager. The King had by her two children, Keaweaweula and Keaweaweula 2d, who died in their infancy.
Being childless, the late King adopted as his son and heir Alexander Liholiho, who was born on the 9th of February, 1834, and who now happily reigns as King Kamehameha IV. [Pg 11]
Replies made by His Majesty to the Congratulations of the Representatives and Consuls of Foreign Nations and the Commanders of Foreign Ships of War in port.
It pleased His Majesty to make the following replies:
To the Diplomatic Corps:
Gentlemen:—You cannot desire your remarks to be more gratifying than I feel them to be. In reply, I thank you, and hope that the amicable feelings which have hitherto existed between the several countries you represent and my own, may never be impaired. For my part I shall lose no opportunity to improve and strengthen them. Gentlemen, I thank you.
To the Consular Corps:
Gentlemen:—Your remarks are also very gratifying to me. The geographical position of my islands is indeed such as to point out plainly enough our policy—to make our ports what Providence destined them to be; places of safety, refuge and refreshment for the ships and merchants of all countries. Nothing more bespeaks the prosperity of a people than the extent of its intercourse with foreign countries. My utmost exertions shall be given to foster that intercourse between the countries, whose commercial interests here are placed in your hands, and my islands. This I shall do the more heartily from a pleasant remembrance of the harmony of our relations heretofore.
To the officers of men-of-war:
Gentlemen:—The feelings expressed by you on this occasion afford me sincere pleasure. The ports of my islands will always be open to receive the vessels and ships of war of the three nations which you represent—the three greatest maritime powers of the earth—the three greatest supporters of the independence of my kingdom.
Address made by His Majesty to His Ministers and High Officers of State on receiving their Portfolios.[Pg 12]
Gentlemen:—On calling you to the high posts you respectively fill, I propose to make a few remarks, with the request that you will bear them constantly in mind. First, let me impress upon you the importance of unity of purpose and action, for I consider it impossible for the business of government to be effectively carried out, unless there exist a great unanimity of feeling among its officers. I have chosen you, because, I thought that being actuated by one common policy, your deliberations would be free from suspicious reserve, and your actions all tend to one end. In a Cabinet divided into factions, differing on fundamental points of policy, I could place no confidence; and should I find mine thus divided, I should feel it my duty to reorganize it. I am determined that my Government, if any power vested in me can attain that object, shall be respected for its honesty and efficiency. Unsupported by these two pillars, no kingdom is safe. I desire every part of the machinery of government to move in unison; to subserve the great purposes for which it was intended; and to be conducted with the strictest economy. Though young, with the help of God, I shall endeavor to be firm and faithful in the execution of the high trust devolved upon me, and never let my feelings, as a man, overcome my duties as a King. From all my counsellors I desire frank and faithful advice, and those who advise me honestly, have nothing to fear; while those who may abuse my confidence and advise me more from personal interests than regard for the public good, have nothing to hope.
One word in regard to the nominations for office which according to law it becomes your duty to make, and I have done. Let your subordinates be recommended by at least these qualifications—honesty, temperance, industry and adaptation to the places they are to fill; and let them be men in whom you see good grounds for placing confidence.
May success crown your efforts and after years approve my judgment in calling you to office.
His Majesty's Speech in English and Hawaiian at the Opening of the Legislature, April 7, 1855.May success crown your efforts and after years approve my judgment in calling you to office.
Nobles and Representatives:—It has pleased the Almighty to gather to his forefathers my beloved Predecessor. This bereavement has been to me the source of the deepest sorrow; but my grief has been assuaged by the sympathy of this whole nation, in whom I see innumerable and ever-gathering proofs of the love and gratitude they bore their departed Chief.
You meet this day in conformity with the Constitution he gave you. Had his suggestions, on the many occasions he addressed you from the place I now occupy, been matured by your deliberations, and carried into effect, there would, perhaps, be little for me to recommend, or for you to perform. The measures he initiated reflect lustre upon his name, and if by any endeavor of mine those measures shall be perfected, I shall consider it indeed an honor.
In the exercise of my prerogative, I have availed myself of an Act passed during your last session, and since approved by me, by virtue of which I have separated the offices of Kuhina Nui and Minister of the Interior. To the former post I have called her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria Kamamalu. The Ministry of the Interior remains in the same hands as heretofore, as do the other portfolios of my Government; for, young and newly come to this responsible position, I have gladly availed myself of the wisdom and experience of the counsellors of our deceased King.
[Pg 13]You meet this day in conformity with the Constitution he gave you. Had his suggestions, on the many occasions he addressed you from the place I now occupy, been matured by your deliberations, and carried into effect, there would, perhaps, be little for me to recommend, or for you to perform. The measures he initiated reflect lustre upon his name, and if by any endeavor of mine those measures shall be perfected, I shall consider it indeed an honor.
In the exercise of my prerogative, I have availed myself of an Act passed during your last session, and since approved by me, by virtue of which I have separated the offices of Kuhina Nui and Minister of the Interior. To the former post I have called her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria Kamamalu. The Ministry of the Interior remains in the same hands as heretofore, as do the other portfolios of my Government; for, young and newly come to this responsible position, I have gladly availed myself of the wisdom and experience of the counsellors of our deceased King.
I have instructed the high officers of my government to lay before you reports of their several departments.
For a history of the Judiciary Department during the last year, and for certain changes proposed in our laws, I would refer you to the report of my Chancellor. His recommendations, especially those suggesting remedies for the great evils which are so speedily destroying our race, meet my most hearty approval, and are worthy of your serious consideration.
I trust you will be able to devise such wise and salutary measures as shall effectually check licentiousness and intemperance.
The doors of Justice are open to all, and so far as I am informed, its administration in the higher courts has been prompt, efficient and satisfactory. Of the inferior magistrates, there has been some complaint, no doubt in many instances with reason; but the character of district justices has greatly improved within the past few years, and it is to be hoped it will continue to improve. Weak as we are, and imperfect as our Government may be, it will not be doubted, I think, that there is no country in which there is more entire security for life, liberty, person and property.
His Royal Highness, Prince Kamehameha, on whom has devolved the chief military command, will exhibit to you in his report, which is embodied in that of the Secretary at War, the plans he has in contemplation to render efficient the important service intrusted to his care. I have to request that you will give this subject the grave attention it deserves. His late Majesty urged the matter upon you frequently, but the appropriations have hitherto been insufficient for any permanent or efficient organization of that important department. I indulge a strong hope that you will remedy this deficiency, and place the Department of War upon a firm and better footing.
Deeply imbued with a sense of the responsibility that rests upon my Government, not only to foster, but to lead the way in all that tends to the general good, I would invite your earnest attention to the recommendations that will be laid before you by my Minister of the Interior, and particularly to that portion of his report relating to the proposed improvements in the harbor of Honolulu. The facilities that would be afforded in the loading and unloading of vessels, native as well as foreign; the extra inducements that these new accommodations would hold out to those parties who contemplate making this port a place where ocean steamers may seek refreshments, and take in coal and water; the general impetus that would be given to trade by providing, at the water's edge, a site for the erection of warehouses; and the hundred other conveniences proper to a maritime city;—all these considerations prove to my mind the propriety of proceeding energetically with a work so national in its character that no part of the islands can fail to share in many of its advantages. To your wisdom it belongs to consider in what way the funds necessary to effect this great improvement may be best procured.
[Pg 14]
It is gratifying to me, on commencing my reign, to be able to inform you, that my relations with all the great Powers, between whom and myself exist treaties of amity, are of the most satisfactory nature. I have received from all of them, assurances that leave no room to doubt that my rights and sovereignty will be respected. My policy, as regards all foreign nations, being that of peace, impartiality and neutrality, in the spirit of the Proclamation by the late King, of the 16th May last, and of the Resolutions of the Privy Council of the 15th June and 17th July, I have given to the President of the United States, at his request, my solemn adhesion to the rule, and to the principles establishing the rights of neutrals during war, contained in the Convention between his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, and the United States, concluded in Washington on the 22d July last.
I have exchanged my ratification for that, by my great and good friend, His Majesty Oscar, King of Sweden and Norway, of the treaty concluded at my Court on the 1st day of July, 1852.
I have ordered my Minister of Foreign Relations to inform you of all treaties with foreign nations negotiated under the late reign, of the progressive steps by which the sovereignty and independence of this Kingdom have become so generally acknowledged, and of the transactions generally of the Department under his charge.
I have committed an important mission to the Honorable William L. Lee, Chancellor of the Kingdom and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and have accredited him as my Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, from which mission I anticipate important results for the benefit of you all, which will be made known to you hereafter. In the meanwhile, I recommend you to vote such a sum as, in your wisdom, you may deem adequate for the expenses of that mission.
My Minister of Finance will submit, for your considerations, certain important measures relating to the National finances; and you cannot fail to be impressed with the necessity of devising some means of enlarging them. Without more extended means we must remain in the position of having the will, without the power, to stimulate agriculture and commerce, and to provide generally for the physical, mental and moral improvement of the nation. As a preparatory step towards increasing the sources of revenue, we must increase the revenue to be drawn from such sources as already exist. But, restricted as we are, by treaty, from exercising a right common to all free communities, we are unable to impose discriminating duties on foreign imports, which, whilst supplying the Treasury with additional means, would enhance the price of articles of luxury only. To regain the right of which we have, for the present, divested ourselves, it may be necessary that you reconsider the act by which the duty on spirituous liquors is now regulated. The Minister of Finance laid this subject before you last year in a clear and able manner, and his views have been confirmed by the experience of another year. Whether it would be wise to assist the revenue by a tax on property, is for you to determine.
To foster education and widen every channel that leads to knowledge, is one of our most imperative duties. It will be for you to determine what obstacles, if any, exist, to the general enlightenment of my people. On this subject there will be submitted for your consideration, certain proposed changes in the Department of Public Instruction. It is of the highest importance, in my opinion, that education in the English language should become more general, for it is my firm conviction that unless my subjects become educated in this tongue, their hope of intellectual progress, and of meeting the foreigners on terms of equality, is a vain one.
[Pg 15]
It is a melancholy fact that agriculture, as now practiced, is not a business of so prosperous and lucrative a nature as to induce men of means to engage in it; and capital is absolutely necessary to the successful production of our great staples, sugar, coffee and tobacco. I beg you, therefore, to consider whether there exist any restrictions, the removal of which would give new life to this important source of national prosperity, and tend to create a juster balance between our imports and exports. I need hardly mention the obligation that weighs upon you, to open wide our ports to commerce. Without commerce our agricultural produce might moulder in our warehouses; roads, and interisland communication almost cease to exist; the making of wharves become a work of supererogation, and the opening and closing of stores an idle ceremony. As the legislators of a young commercial nation, we should be liberal in our measures, and far-sighted in our views.
A subject of deeper importance, in my opinion, than any I have hitherto mentioned, is that of the decrease of our population. It is a subject, in comparison with which all others sink into insignificance; for, our first and great duty is that of self-preservation. Our acts are in vain unless we can stay the wasting hand that is destroying our people. I feel a heavy, and special responsibility resting upon me in this matter; but it is one in which you all must share; nor shall we be acquitted by man, or our Maker, of a neglect of duty, if we fail to act speedily and effectually in the cause of those who are every day dying before our eyes.
I think this decrease in our numbers may be stayed; and happy should I be if, during the first year of my reign, such laws should be passed as to effect this result. I would commend to your special consideration the subject of establishing public Hospitals; and it might, at first, perhaps, be wise to confine these hospitals to diseases of one class; and that the most fatal with which our population is afflicted.
Intimately connected with this subject is that of preventing the introduction of fatal diseases and epidemics from abroad. Visited as we are by vessels from all parts of the world, this is no easy matter; but I trust your wisdom will devise some simple and practical remedy.
It affords me unfeigned pleasure to be able to state that, according to the returns from most of the districts, the births during the past year have exceeded the deaths.
It is to be regretted that the Chinese coolie emigrants, to whom has been given a trial of sufficient length for testing their fitness to supply our want of labor and population, have not realized the hopes of those who incurred the expense of their introduction. They are not so kind and tractable as it was anticipated they would be; and they seem to have no affinities, attractions or tendencies to blend with this, or any other race. In view of this failure it becomes a question of some moment whether a class of persons more nearly assimilated with the Hawaiian race, could not be induced to settle on our shores. It does not seem improbable that a portion of the inhabitants of other Polynesian groups might be disposed to come here, were suitable efforts made to lead them to such a step. In a few days they would speak our language with ease; they would be acclimated almost before they left the ships that conveyed them hither; and they might bring with them their wives, whose fecundity is said to be much greater than that of Hawaiian females. Such immigrants, besides supplying the present demand for labor, would pave the way for a future population of native born Hawaiians, between whom, and those of aboriginal parents, no distinguishable difference would exist.
[Pg 16]
May the issue of your deliberations be crowned with those successful results which the will of the Almighty only can bestow.
His Majesty's Speech and Proclamation on the occasion of Dissolving the Legislature.For a history of the Judiciary Department during the last year, and for certain changes proposed in our laws, I would refer you to the report of my Chancellor. His recommendations, especially those suggesting remedies for the great evils which are so speedily destroying our race, meet my most hearty approval, and are worthy of your serious consideration.
I trust you will be able to devise such wise and salutary measures as shall effectually check licentiousness and intemperance.
The doors of Justice are open to all, and so far as I am informed, its administration in the higher courts has been prompt, efficient and satisfactory. Of the inferior magistrates, there has been some complaint, no doubt in many instances with reason; but the character of district justices has greatly improved within the past few years, and it is to be hoped it will continue to improve. Weak as we are, and imperfect as our Government may be, it will not be doubted, I think, that there is no country in which there is more entire security for life, liberty, person and property.
His Royal Highness, Prince Kamehameha, on whom has devolved the chief military command, will exhibit to you in his report, which is embodied in that of the Secretary at War, the plans he has in contemplation to render efficient the important service intrusted to his care. I have to request that you will give this subject the grave attention it deserves. His late Majesty urged the matter upon you frequently, but the appropriations have hitherto been insufficient for any permanent or efficient organization of that important department. I indulge a strong hope that you will remedy this deficiency, and place the Department of War upon a firm and better footing.
Deeply imbued with a sense of the responsibility that rests upon my Government, not only to foster, but to lead the way in all that tends to the general good, I would invite your earnest attention to the recommendations that will be laid before you by my Minister of the Interior, and particularly to that portion of his report relating to the proposed improvements in the harbor of Honolulu. The facilities that would be afforded in the loading and unloading of vessels, native as well as foreign; the extra inducements that these new accommodations would hold out to those parties who contemplate making this port a place where ocean steamers may seek refreshments, and take in coal and water; the general impetus that would be given to trade by providing, at the water's edge, a site for the erection of warehouses; and the hundred other conveniences proper to a maritime city;—all these considerations prove to my mind the propriety of proceeding energetically with a work so national in its character that no part of the islands can fail to share in many of its advantages. To your wisdom it belongs to consider in what way the funds necessary to effect this great improvement may be best procured.
[Pg 14]
It is gratifying to me, on commencing my reign, to be able to inform you, that my relations with all the great Powers, between whom and myself exist treaties of amity, are of the most satisfactory nature. I have received from all of them, assurances that leave no room to doubt that my rights and sovereignty will be respected. My policy, as regards all foreign nations, being that of peace, impartiality and neutrality, in the spirit of the Proclamation by the late King, of the 16th May last, and of the Resolutions of the Privy Council of the 15th June and 17th July, I have given to the President of the United States, at his request, my solemn adhesion to the rule, and to the principles establishing the rights of neutrals during war, contained in the Convention between his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, and the United States, concluded in Washington on the 22d July last.
I have exchanged my ratification for that, by my great and good friend, His Majesty Oscar, King of Sweden and Norway, of the treaty concluded at my Court on the 1st day of July, 1852.
I have ordered my Minister of Foreign Relations to inform you of all treaties with foreign nations negotiated under the late reign, of the progressive steps by which the sovereignty and independence of this Kingdom have become so generally acknowledged, and of the transactions generally of the Department under his charge.
I have committed an important mission to the Honorable William L. Lee, Chancellor of the Kingdom and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and have accredited him as my Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, from which mission I anticipate important results for the benefit of you all, which will be made known to you hereafter. In the meanwhile, I recommend you to vote such a sum as, in your wisdom, you may deem adequate for the expenses of that mission.
My Minister of Finance will submit, for your considerations, certain important measures relating to the National finances; and you cannot fail to be impressed with the necessity of devising some means of enlarging them. Without more extended means we must remain in the position of having the will, without the power, to stimulate agriculture and commerce, and to provide generally for the physical, mental and moral improvement of the nation. As a preparatory step towards increasing the sources of revenue, we must increase the revenue to be drawn from such sources as already exist. But, restricted as we are, by treaty, from exercising a right common to all free communities, we are unable to impose discriminating duties on foreign imports, which, whilst supplying the Treasury with additional means, would enhance the price of articles of luxury only. To regain the right of which we have, for the present, divested ourselves, it may be necessary that you reconsider the act by which the duty on spirituous liquors is now regulated. The Minister of Finance laid this subject before you last year in a clear and able manner, and his views have been confirmed by the experience of another year. Whether it would be wise to assist the revenue by a tax on property, is for you to determine.
To foster education and widen every channel that leads to knowledge, is one of our most imperative duties. It will be for you to determine what obstacles, if any, exist, to the general enlightenment of my people. On this subject there will be submitted for your consideration, certain proposed changes in the Department of Public Instruction. It is of the highest importance, in my opinion, that education in the English language should become more general, for it is my firm conviction that unless my subjects become educated in this tongue, their hope of intellectual progress, and of meeting the foreigners on terms of equality, is a vain one.
[Pg 15]
It is a melancholy fact that agriculture, as now practiced, is not a business of so prosperous and lucrative a nature as to induce men of means to engage in it; and capital is absolutely necessary to the successful production of our great staples, sugar, coffee and tobacco. I beg you, therefore, to consider whether there exist any restrictions, the removal of which would give new life to this important source of national prosperity, and tend to create a juster balance between our imports and exports. I need hardly mention the obligation that weighs upon you, to open wide our ports to commerce. Without commerce our agricultural produce might moulder in our warehouses; roads, and interisland communication almost cease to exist; the making of wharves become a work of supererogation, and the opening and closing of stores an idle ceremony. As the legislators of a young commercial nation, we should be liberal in our measures, and far-sighted in our views.
A subject of deeper importance, in my opinion, than any I have hitherto mentioned, is that of the decrease of our population. It is a subject, in comparison with which all others sink into insignificance; for, our first and great duty is that of self-preservation. Our acts are in vain unless we can stay the wasting hand that is destroying our people. I feel a heavy, and special responsibility resting upon me in this matter; but it is one in which you all must share; nor shall we be acquitted by man, or our Maker, of a neglect of duty, if we fail to act speedily and effectually in the cause of those who are every day dying before our eyes.
I think this decrease in our numbers may be stayed; and happy should I be if, during the first year of my reign, such laws should be passed as to effect this result. I would commend to your special consideration the subject of establishing public Hospitals; and it might, at first, perhaps, be wise to confine these hospitals to diseases of one class; and that the most fatal with which our population is afflicted.
Intimately connected with this subject is that of preventing the introduction of fatal diseases and epidemics from abroad. Visited as we are by vessels from all parts of the world, this is no easy matter; but I trust your wisdom will devise some simple and practical remedy.
It affords me unfeigned pleasure to be able to state that, according to the returns from most of the districts, the births during the past year have exceeded the deaths.
It is to be regretted that the Chinese coolie emigrants, to whom has been given a trial of sufficient length for testing their fitness to supply our want of labor and population, have not realized the hopes of those who incurred the expense of their introduction. They are not so kind and tractable as it was anticipated they would be; and they seem to have no affinities, attractions or tendencies to blend with this, or any other race. In view of this failure it becomes a question of some moment whether a class of persons more nearly assimilated with the Hawaiian race, could not be induced to settle on our shores. It does not seem improbable that a portion of the inhabitants of other Polynesian groups might be disposed to come here, were suitable efforts made to lead them to such a step. In a few days they would speak our language with ease; they would be acclimated almost before they left the ships that conveyed them hither; and they might bring with them their wives, whose fecundity is said to be much greater than that of Hawaiian females. Such immigrants, besides supplying the present demand for labor, would pave the way for a future population of native born Hawaiians, between whom, and those of aboriginal parents, no distinguishable difference would exist.
[Pg 16]
May the issue of your deliberations be crowned with those successful results which the will of the Almighty only can bestow.
Nobles and Representatives:—The Legislative Session of 1855 is now about to close.
For some of your acts I thank you in common with the meanest of my subjects, for they embrace the interests of all.
Newly admitted elements of action have operated upon you, and given to certain of your measures a vitality that authorizes me to hope much for the future.
For the relief you have given to the estate of my Predecessor, for the feeling of respect and love evinced by you in assuming with alacrity, the expenses of his obsequies; and for the loyalty you have shown towards me, and my family, I thank you.
Mixed with many circumstances that will always make the session of 1855 pleasant to reflect upon, there is one that must overshadow it forever in the minds of us all. The death of His Excellency, A. Paki, has stamped this year, and, indeed, removed a pillar of the State. From your own feelings on the loss of that High Chief and staunch Hawaiian, you may judge of mine. May the Almighty have us in his keeping, and bless, and perpetuate the Hawaiian Nation.
Nobles and Representatives, I regret that you have not been able to agree upon the details of the Appropriation Bill.
Therefore, in the exercise of my constitutional prerogative in such a case, I feel it my duty to dissolve you, and you are hereby dissolved.
For some of your acts I thank you in common with the meanest of my subjects, for they embrace the interests of all.
Newly admitted elements of action have operated upon you, and given to certain of your measures a vitality that authorizes me to hope much for the future.
For the relief you have given to the estate of my Predecessor, for the feeling of respect and love evinced by you in assuming with alacrity, the expenses of his obsequies; and for the loyalty you have shown towards me, and my family, I thank you.
Mixed with many circumstances that will always make the session of 1855 pleasant to reflect upon, there is one that must overshadow it forever in the minds of us all. The death of His Excellency, A. Paki, has stamped this year, and, indeed, removed a pillar of the State. From your own feelings on the loss of that High Chief and staunch Hawaiian, you may judge of mine. May the Almighty have us in his keeping, and bless, and perpetuate the Hawaiian Nation.
Nobles and Representatives, I regret that you have not been able to agree upon the details of the Appropriation Bill.
Therefore, in the exercise of my constitutional prerogative in such a case, I feel it my duty to dissolve you, and you are hereby dissolved.
PROCLAMATION.
To all Our Loyal Subjects, Greeting:We hereby Proclaim that We have this day dissolved the Legislature of Our Kingdom, by virtue of the power vested in Us by the Constitution. The exigency contemplated by that sacred instrument has arisen, by the disagreement of the two Houses on the Bill of Supplies, which are necessary to carry on Our Government; and furthermore, the House of Representatives framed an Appropriation Bill exceeding Our Revenues, as estimated by Our Minister of Finance, to the extent of about $200,000, which Bill We could not sanction.
There seemed no prospect of agreement, inasmuch as the House of Nobles had made repeated efforts at conciliation with the House of Representatives, without success, and finally, the House of Repre[Pg 17]sentatives refused to confer with the House of Nobles respecting the said Appropriation Bill in its last stages, and We deemed it Our duty to exercise Our constitutional prerogative of dissolving the Legislature, and therefore there are no Representatives of the people in the Kingdom.
Therefore, We further proclaim Our Will and Pleasure, that Our Loyal subjects, in all Our Islands, proceed immediately to elect new Representatives, according to law, on the 10th day of July next. And We convoke the Representatives who may be so elected, to meet in Parliament in Our City of Honolulu, on Monday, the 30th day of July, of this year, for the special and only purpose of voting the Supplies necessary to the administration of Our Government, without oppressing Our faithful Subjects with unreasonable taxes.
Done in Our Palace of Honolulu, this sixteenth day of June,
1855, and the first year of Our reign.
Victoria K. Kamamalu.
Nobles and Representatives:—By virtue of the power which the Constitution declares to be vested in me, I have convoked you to this Extraordinary Session of the Legislature. Neither the late dissolution, nor, of course, this Session, would have occurred under any but extraordinary circumstances. The only public business of emergency left unfinished at the close of the late Session, was the passage of the Appropriation Bill—the most important measure of every Session. It is solely to pass the Bill I mention that you are now brought together. I trust that whilst your memories are so freshly charged with the circumstances that prevented unanimity between your two Houses in regard to the Bill of Supplies, upon which you were deliberating when lately I dissolved you, there will be a desire on the part of all to restrict the amount appropriated for the current year within the probable limits of the year's receipts. It is useless to make appropriations for appearance sake, knowing that they will not, because they cannot, be acted on. My desire therefore is, that you will reject at once, in your deliberations, every item that is not of immediate necessity, since the means at your disposal will barely suffice for those outlays that are indispensable. By acting on this suggestion you will save time and render less likely the recurrence of differences on questions not of public interest.
Nobles and Representatives, I hope the Session now opened will be a very short one, and that you will all cordially unite in appropriating our small means to the best advantage for the general good.
[Pg 18]Nobles and Representatives, I hope the Session now opened will be a very short one, and that you will all cordially unite in appropriating our small means to the best advantage for the general good.
Messages from His Majesty to the House of Nobles and House of Representatives, Proroguing the Extraordinary Session.
Nobles:—The Extraordinary Session to which I convoked you having terminated with the completion of the special business which I recommended to my Parliament, I now thank you for concurring with the Honorable Representatives of My People, in voting the supplies indispensable to the administration of My Government.
I now free you from further attendance, and prorogue you till the Session of next year.
Honorable Representatives of My People:—Having concluded the special business for which I convoked you to an Extraordinary Session, it only remains for me to thank you for the regard you have shown to the safety and welfare of my Kingdom in voting the supplies necessary to carry on the business of My Government, and to free you from further attendance in Parliament.
I therefore prorogue you.
I now free you from further attendance, and prorogue you till the Session of next year.
Honorable Representatives of My People:—Having concluded the special business for which I convoked you to an Extraordinary Session, it only remains for me to thank you for the regard you have shown to the safety and welfare of my Kingdom in voting the supplies necessary to carry on the business of My Government, and to free you from further attendance in Parliament.
I therefore prorogue you.
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