THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6813, 18 September 1883, Page 5

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

VISIT OF KING EAL.4.KAUA TO AUSTRALASIA. HAWAIIAN CLAIMS IN THE PACIFIC [from our own correspondent.] Honolulu, September 2. It is not often that in the domestic politics, of this country anything happens which is of interest to New Zealand' readers. On the present occasion, however, I have an exception to this usual condition of things to record. The two chief iaatters of. interest to this community which have transpired lately are likely to be of as much interest, to British colonists in the South as they are to ns. One of them will, I believe, excite more attention in Australia and New Zealand than here.

First on the list is the projected visit ' of the King of Hawaii to the colonies. King Kalakaua has. always entertained a desire to see what the Australian Colonies are like, and many of the more distinguished of our visitors from the colonies have urged him to. Accom- ■ plish his desire, assuring ..him of a heartywelcome. Dr. R. L. Jeukinß, of Sydney, who spent some time here lately with several of his family, is, I responsible for having determined His Majesty to make the tourof Australasia his next excursion. Letters from that geutlemaa to one of the Jiinistetfs hers induced the belief that an official reception of a cordial character would be given to the King if he visited Sydney, atid some weeks ago ditect inquiries, were made through the Consul-General at Sydney on this subject, resultiug in the assurance that a reception befitting his rank,, and his prestige as a former guest of Emperors, Kings, and Princes . would await His Majesty if he decided to make this trip. It is, I believe, as. certain as anything can be in this sublunary world that King Kalakaua will pay you a visit during next year. It is understood at present that he cauuot well leave the kingdom till after the opening of the session of our Legislature in April next, and June is the mouth snoken of. It is tu be regretted that the depth of your Southern winter should be chosen for sach an excursion, and I hope, for his own sake, our genial monarch will either make his visit earlier, or delay a little longer. The other event to which I have alluded is the issuing of a. solemn prptesr by this Government against all 1 nether aggressions upon the Pacific Islands by foreign Powers. Very little about this has been made public here as yet, but I am in a position to know that this protest was last week resolved upon in Cabinet Council, the King presiding, and that copies of it were forwarded to several of the principal European States by last mail Bteamer, and that it will be seut to all Governments— American, European, and Asiatic—*that can be supposed to take any interest in the matter. I should have liked tp append the text of this document to this letter, but cannot obtain it till about the time it should reach Downing-street. I have had the opportunity of readiug it, and can say that it is well worthy of consideration. . It lays stress on the results that have been achieved here through the Islands being guaranteed in their political independence by England, France, and America, and claims for kindred peoples of Polynesia similar opportunities. It is certainly worth the While of colonists, who aie just now so ready to run into expensive annexation schemes the fall con- , sequences of which they cannot possibly foresee with any clearness, to consider whether a joint undertaking of all the great maritime powers of the world to respect and protect the independence of all the yet unanqexed groups of Polynesia would not secure for them those advantages of unfettered commerce and scope : for settlement which tbey seek to obtain by annexation, whilst it would at the same time put and end at once to all those fears about annexations being made by other countries than England which have been put in the forefront of their arguments, in favour of annexation. If the great Powers combined for this purpose they might avoid all jealousy among themselves by making the ilawaiian Government the executive of the joint protectorate—the Government of a kindred race, neutral in all the questions that might arise among the Powers themselves, and yet deeply interested in everything that concerns the Pacific Islanders from whence we, like Fiji and Queensland, derive supplies pf labour, and to whpm Hawaiians, supported by Hawaiian societies, have gone forth as missionaries and are carrying the civilizing influences of religion and education,