THE KINO OF HAWAII AND THE ANNEXATION QUESTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2811, 26 September 1883, Page 3

THE KINO OF HAWAII AND THE ANNEXATION QUESTION.

The Hawaiian correspondent of the 2?ew A Zealand Herald writes from Honolulu od , September 2nd as follows : — It is not often that m the domestic politics i of this country anything happens which is of ) interest to Hew Zealand readers. On the * present occasion! however, I have an eicop--1 turn to this usual condition of things to

Record. Tho two ohiof matters of icterost to Una community which hovo tranapired lately oro likely to bo of a« much interest to British colonies m the Sou'li as they are to ue. One of them will. I believe, excite more attention m Australia and New Zealand than hero. First on the list is the projected visit of tho Kins of Hawuii to tbe colonies. King Kulakaua has always entertained a desiro to see what the Australian Colonioo are like, and many of the more distinguished of our visitors from the colonios have urged him to accomplish his desire, assuring him of a hearty welcome. Dr R. L. Jenkinf, of Sydney, who spent some lime hero lately with several of his family, is, I bdiove, reepontiblo for havirg determined His Majesty to tnuke tbe tour of Australasia his next excursion. Letters from that gentloman to ono of tho Ministers hero induced tho belief that an official reception of n cordial character would be given to the King if ho visited Sydney, and gome weeks ogn direct enquiries were made through the CoHßul-Qeneral at Sydney on this subject, resulting m tho nssuranco that a reception befitting his rank, and his prestige as a former guest of Empcrora, Kings, and Princes would await His Mojesly if he decided to mako this trip. It is, I believe, as cortain as anything can be m this sublunary world that King Kalobaua will pay you a virit during next, yenr. It is understood at present that ho cannot well leave the kingdom till after the opening of the session of our Legislature m April next, and Juno is the month spoken of. It is to be regretted that tho depth of your Boutl:crn wintor should bo chosen for such an excursion, and I hope, for his o<»n sake, our genial monarch will either mako his visit earlier, or delay a litllo longer. Tho ether ovent to which I have alluded is tbo issuing of a solemn protest by this Government against all further aggressions upon the Paciiio Islands by foreign Powers. Very liulo about this has boen made public here as yet, but I am m a position to know that this protest was last week resolved upon m Cabinet Council, the King presiding, and that copies of it wero forwarded to several of tho principal European Stateß by last mail steamer, and that it will be aent to nil G-jvernmeuts — American, European and Asiatic — that can be supposed to take any interest m the matter. 1 should hevo liked to append the text of this document to this letter, but cannot obtain it till about tbe timo it Bhould reach Downing street. I have had the opportunity of reading it, and can say that it is well worthy of consideration. It lays stress on tho results that have been achieved here through tho islands being guaranteed m their political independence by England, Franco and America, and claims for kindred peoples of Polynesia similar opportunities. It is certainly worth tho whila of colonists, who are just now so roady to run into expensive annexation schemes tho full consequence* of which they cannot possibly foresee with any clearness, to consider whether a joint undertjkiEg of all the great maritime powers of the world to rospect and protect tho independenco of all tho yet unannexed groups of Polynesia would not secura for them those advantages of unfettered commorco and scope for settlement .thich thoy icek to obtain by innoxation, whilst it would at tho pame time put nnd end at once to all thoso fears about unnexitions being made, by other countries than Kngland which have been put m tho forofront of their arguments m favor of annexation. If the great Powers combinod for his purpose, they might avoid nil jeulousy unong thcmcolves by n.uling (ho Hawaiian Sovernment theexeeulivo of tho joint proeetorate — tho Government of a kindred race, leutral m all tho questions that might ariso mong the Powers themselves, and yet deeply nterested m everything that concerns the 'aciGc Islanders from whenco we, like Fiji nd Queensland, derivo suppliej or labor, and o whom Hawaiian;, supported by Hawaiian ocietiee, havo gone forth as missionaries and ro carrying tho civilizing influences of reliion and education.