Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 408, 11 March 1892 — THE PROPERTY OF THE PEOPLE. [ARTICLE]

THE PROPERTY OF THE PEOPLE.

Tho "Hawaiian Annual' 1 inform6 us tiiat " the term 'Crown Lan<bs' ĪB ny»}vlir«l to th«»si' !andp received 1»y KiiiiK'liaiii"Ma 111. March H. for hiinsfir\ ' irs and Btiooessors li>irvt r, ;ik )i> privato .■propt»rtr," That " ut-the ilealh of Kameha- . i»i«'lia 111 it was■■ ileci«h*cl by the | >upro!iH' t'ou't, that imder the | al"«ve :nrutioiH'<l inetrumeivt executo<l bv 111. reserv« J ing the ( rown Luiklh, and un<ler I the contirj*iatory Aot of J,une 7. ; 184H, the inheritance is iimitēd to | the mccew>rs to tho throne. M That

•' afterwardp an Act w«8 pa<ssed .lanuarv 3, 18(15. to relieve tbe Koyal Poinaiii from encunvbranceB and to rondor the me mahenable." ' Thie Act provided for redemplion of the mortjirat?eB on the estate. and enacted that the remaming landß are to be * hencefoith inalienable and shall «lepcen<l to the heirs and suocee»ors of !he Hawaiian Crown forever/ and that it Khall not be lawful }»oreafter t:> lease Jands 6>r any torm ol ye(irt» not to thirtv. v

The origin ot tn»> Orown Lands, a? we perc**ive. is the work of a native chieftain. exeout«*d fortveight years ugo. At that tiuie the native were noi as weil inforwed as» they are now, an<? llione wliitest»mt resided here, then, curried favor wiUi the native chief. nr«d had vcry little to sav.

The native Hawaiian , « i:inds were t seized upon wiih nnpunity hy this| ehief (a inan of coneiderab!e ghrewd» | negs, a:ui iibove the aver;ij?•! of hie j country;nan ). and his white | cohorfs, Tiine« ?ire now changedJ Kear iv a peneration hns pasped; j Hawaii nei i* more intellijfent, cosrn<»politiin ideas rffcve a finncr foot hc!d. >till r«ot«vitiiBtartding all these"changes for the better, tbe sanie rdd iaw, foisted upon the| uation il a [»eriod when tbev wore; easily to he dluped esißt to-day. i The present : uler. a chieftaine9s, j derives an vearly īneome, it issaid, | in the neighborhood of fri mi' these Crown Land«. lcannotcomprchend. considerkng Uis present knowle»lgc, how it i*t po«Bib'e for ti»c Haw iiian to stand such a eoi'dition of affairs. To all appearānces the native has | no riguts in his own countr>, even | the revenue from hīe own prop« rty.; lands whieh were given him, is un-, justly diverted frotn its properehan-1 nel. aud it enjoyed bv one who has, neitner the sbadow of a mursl or legai elaini U» the Barne. • Are the Hawaiian j)eople poing | to l>e bound bv such jaws» ?* Art* • they going to r.llow thei r to 1 be continually tr*mpled uikmī ? 1 j think not The time ig not fer Uif- > tant when usur|RTB of puhlie pro-1 perty sha!l be Uught a How I often ha» the same routine»bwi;' rejieated, and invarianly fi»Howed with the name re?ult. 1 In evf ry instance wherethe rignti= of the tnas9e? have b*en perhiBtiMt-! iy usurped, or where they bav»been kept under the thumb <>f arro-' gance, their p iti*nre w.;rn «»111. ai«d the hav«» r« vo!ied The eir 1 even wheu f»T3a«ed too m.»« wjll nhow hi« t«etn. tho petipie wiil , d a g«M>d ūeal. b:it if y 1.1 over rf;uh ihe 1 mit—!Vware ! i Ji>r:cK.