Nuhou, Volume I, Number 4, 25 November 1873 — OFFICIAL. [ARTICLE]

OFFICIAL.

We oopy the following Ministeriixi explanation 'nnā official corrcspon(3ence from tbe Gazdt*of īhe. 19tb .itjstant Kis Majesty's advisers liaving lieeoiiie satisfied xbat ā of Reciprocity with the līnited States ipon the basis df eession of the Pearl River Lagoon, wouM nofc receive the approval reqtiirecl by the Con*titutiou of the Kingdom to make it efFective s consi("jered xt proper to withdraw the proposition formally ioade through the Minister Resident of tbe United Btates r 'on the Tth of ju!y last, and thus -s&Vg,. the firoe and that might otherwise be eonsumed in u . negōtiation, should the United States " ment be disposed to m&ke such a treaty; and also- to put an end to suspense upon" that important subjeet s the following letter addressed to llis Excellency the Mimster Resident s was approv'ed 011 the 14th instant, and sent to him \Bome eight months have elapsed slnce the eession i f Fearl River līarbor, in connection with reciprojify s was first put)liely discussed 5 and over fpur months sinee a direet proposition to negotiate upon that basis, was communicated by authority; and whether or not the admihlstration at " r ashington is +a,vorably disposed towards the measure, 5s not yet ; oowh to His Majesty's Government, Maving had to withdraw so important a measuve, whioh they had recommended to His Majesty,—and regarding the beneficial effect of whieli, if put.fai.rly m execution, they had not changed their minds— the Ministers deemed it their duty to relieve llis Majesty of any embarrassment that their retention of office might eause him, and teudered their resigaations on the 14th instant, On the 15th, His Majesty having graciously ex}:>ressed hls undiminished confidence in his Ministers, and requested them all to withdraw their resignations s and to continue to discharge tlie duties of their *everal offices, his request was complied with, L>EPARTMENT OF FOUEIG* AiTAIKS, ) IHonolalu, Nov, 14th, 1873. j : —On the 7th of July last, I had the honoi* to :nform Your Ēscellency, by a note of that date, that I had been authorized by my Sovereign to negotiate with a duly empowered Representatlve of the Unlted Btates ? a Special Ti*eaty of Reciproeity t upon the basis of that signed at San Francisco, May 21st, 1867, and that I was also authorized to include in eueh a treaty a cession, for the purpose of a naval station s of the salt water lagoon known as Pearl, Kiver; and I further stated, that the treaty whieh xaight be agreed upon* would be sul»jēct to ratlfioa:ion by the Kmg, and the approval of the Legisla:'tve Assembly of the Tvingdom, aceording to the Constittttion, lJp to the present Ume» His Majesty's Government "s not aware of the vlews or intentions of your Gov- < rnment upon the subjeet rcferred to, and ean only )udge of its disposition by the Hberal views maniie§ted in past negotiations for reciprecity in eomraeree, but whieh liave not, been sus;ūned by the requislte majovity of the Scn tte. Wishing at aU times to aet with puf<At frankness with you» and with the great nahon and friendly gofernment whieh you represent, it is my duty to * tato that, the expresscd wishes of a large proportion ol the business community, as well as thelr own | views of the desirableness of the measure» iudueed | •Us Mcyesty's Government to make the propositioir in mv note referreu to. Sjnee the subuns- . *

sion of that note, it has become evifleut that fhe. general feeling in tlie eountry is so adverse to the measure, tliat eveu if the UniteJ States iihoaM ac-. quiesce in it, a treatj on the basis of a cession of ■ territory woulil not be ratified bv the tive Assembly. Under these circamstances, it lias ' pleased His Majesty the King to direct me to wiih-. draw that part of my note of 7th July» whiclt reī/ites to a cession of the Pearl Piver Lagoon and othrr ter- } ritory to the United States, fur a naval Btatlon» and ■ to request Mr. Minister, to advise yoar Govern-1 ment of the same, at the earliest date practlcable. , His Majesty's Government still entertaios thej opinion that a Special Treaty of Reciprocityj of a. similar character to that of May 21st f 1867, wouM; prove to be mutuauy advantageous to the T7nited' States and the. Hawaiian Kingdom, ! Renewing to you the assurances of mv high-con- ■ sideration and, respect, I have the houor to be, your j Excel]ency'g riiost obedient servant # Chas. R. Bjsiiop. 1 His Ex. Henr¥ -A. Peikok, i Minister {tcsident of the United Staie-s, [