THE FRENCH IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 378, 28 November 1849, Page 4

THE FRENCH IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

The following is the letter with which the BniTisii Consul accompanied his formal Piotest addressed to Admiral de Tromelin ; which has already appeared in our columns,

Honolulu, August 27, 1849. My dear Admiral,— Permit me to assure you in a friendly manner, that a sense of what I conceive an imperative duty, clearly pointed out in my insfructions, have alone compelled me to draw up the accompanying Protest, and that I sincerely hope and trust the result of the conference tomorrow, between you and the Hawaiian Commissioners, will enable me to lequest its withdrawal. You will, I feel persuaded, concur with me, that Our respective governments, deeply engaged as they are in amicable conceit to mainlain the peace of Europe, might be seriously inconvenienced by an error of judgment, or any acts of indiscietion, on the part of their Officers or Agents abroad, anil, therefore, that it is highly incumbent upon us in this distant part of the world, under every circumstance that might occur, to punue such a course as would be sure not to endanger the harmony of the relations between England and Franre. fei> Without wishing to enter into any unnecessary discussion upon the nature or merit of the demands made by you and Mr. Consul Dillon, upon the Hawaiian Government, or to say one word that might fend to disturb the cordial feeling which his, I am happy to say, existed between the French Admirals and Officers, who hare visited or resided on these lilauds, and myself, I beg leave to make a few brief observations with regard to the two principal points contended for by you and Monsieur Dillon, and not acceded to by the Hawaiian Government, namely the reduction to SO per cent, ad valorem of the duty upon brandies and spirituous liquors of French origin, and the adoption of the French language in business intercourse between French Citizens and the Hawaiian Departments, (Offices) I see nothing, my dear Admiral, to authorize such demands, in the Treaty of the 26th November, 1846, which was drawn up and agreed upon in concert, by the French and British Governments, and simultaneously negotiated here by their respective agents, Monsieur Perriti and myself ; and at the conference which took place on that occasion, it was clearly stated and understood, that in caie any doubts or seriou3 difficulties should arise respecting the true meaning ! and observance of the Treaty, the matter in dispute should be referred to Europe for deci-ion. The Treaty, as I understand it, clearly and exclusively empowers, the Hawaiian Government to place ns high a duty as they judge expedient upon spirituous liquors and wines, provided only, it does not amount to an absolute prohibition to the introduction of these articles. The duty of 5 dollars a gallon, which the Hawaiian Government did impose upon spirituous liquors, however injurious it may be in its effects upon public morals, and even to the Hawaiian revenue, proves to be far from a prohibition, and is perhaps the rate of duty which tends, more than any other would, to increase the cousump ton of French Brandies at Hono- I lulu, since, whilst in its effects it i-xcludes Whiskey and other infeiior spirituous liquors from the United j States and British Colonies, it has unfortunately rendered smuggling easy and profitable, an evil which ii, I lament to 9ay, rapidly extending and increasing. A few days after the ratification of the Treaty at Honolulu, M. Dudoit, then French Consul, protested formally against the duty of 5 dollars a gallon upon spirituous liquoJS, conceiving that that duty would prove to be tantamount to a prohibition ; and unless the French Government, through its proper organ, , have tent out special instructions to support that proteat, surely it is a strong negative proof that they were not disposed to concur in its expediency. With regard to transacting business with the Custom house, and other Hawaiian departments, in the French language, I have repson to believe that every unbiassed Foreign Merchant, of whatever nation he may be, who has resided on these Islands, will admit thac it would be quite impracticable, at all events for the present. The English Language has been, from the time of the diicovery of these Islands, the language in which busines with Foreigners has invariably been carried on ; the King, several of the Chiefs' and Governor!, and most of the youDg Chiefs, as well as a great many other natives, especially the rising and numerous generation of half castes, speak it with more or less fluency ; the first, and aftei wards a more formal code of laws were drawn up, and printed in the English language, and therefore for all these reasons the English language i was adopted by law, not to favour any particular Nation, but as a matter of public convenience, nay, of bbsolute necessity. Have not the Danes, and the Hamburgers, who have Treaties like our own with these Islands, an equal right with »he French to demand that, tlteir respective National languages, the Danish and German, shall be observed in their business intercourse with the Custom house and other Hawaiian Departments ? And if this were granted, how could the same privileges be refused to other Nations who might hereafter wish to form Treaties with the Hawaiian Government ? I need not say what would be the result. With regard to the other points in dispute, permit me to say, that they do not appear to me to offer any insurmountable obstacle towards an arrangement, and still less to afford sufficient cause for the serious measures adopted. On the other hand, I trust that the Hawaiian Government will at once see the propriety and expediency of making full and ample reparation for the somewhat contumelious manner, as I view it, in which they declined granting an audience at the Palace to the Com-mander-in-chief of the Naval Forces of the French Republic in the Pacific, and to the Consul and Repre- J sentatlve of the French Nation at these Islands ; and moreover, I hope that the Sandwich Islands' Authorities will see the sound policy and necessity of causing to be punished, without procrastination, such individuals, be they sons or scholars of Protestant Missionaries, or whosoever they maybe, who misconduct themselves in Roman Catholic Temples or places of Worship, and not allow the chance of conviction and chastisement of such offenders to depend upon a Native Judge. In conclusion I beg to add, that under the peculiar circumstances in which we are now placed, with which personal feeling and animosity have, I fear, been too much mixed up, I have considered it proper, indeed ray duty, thus to convey to you in a frank and friendly w,iy, my sincere opinion and sentiments with regard to the questions heiein adverted to ; and whatever may be the result of the actual unhappy state of affairs here, I beseech you to be persuaded, that I entertain for you, as I do, ths highest lespect and personal esteem, and Ibat I am with great truth, my dear Admiral, Your obidlent and faithful servant, (Signed) Wai, Miller. Rear Admiral <\e Tromelia.