A Kingdom For Sale

It is an open secret that Kalakaua, king of the Hawaiian Islands, is on a voyage aroimd the world for the purpose of selling bis kingdom. The native population of the islands is steadily decreasing in numbers. The halfras tes increase more rapidly than does the pure foreign element. A rough estimate of the total population of the kingdom puts the total at about 56,000, of which one-tenth is foreign, and the remainder half-caste and native. There is in the world no more pathetic picture of a people's decay, than tliesteady and rapid wasting away of the native population of tho Sandwich Islauds. Estiraated by Oapt. Cook, in 1779 to be 400,000 souls, the island population feil to 142,000 in 1823, to 73,138 in 1853, and to 56,899 in 1872. The percentage of deerease in the later years has lessened, to be sure, but this is due to the increase of fereigners. The facfc remains that the native population of the Hawaiian Islands is doomed to extinction. It will be replaced by halfbreeds and ioreigners, the greater proportion of the latter being Airericans. Contact with foreigners has wrought this change, of course, the diminution of aboriginal population having begun ;i8 soon as thu white men ohtained a footing on the islands. Amercan enterprise developed the resources of the kingdom. American missionaries car ried civilization to the standers. American commerce has afforded an outlet to the product of the Hawaiian King dom. isevertheless, the revenues of the kingdom are decreasing and a deficit must shortly be provideá for by the Hawaiian Farliameut. The total revenues f the kingdom amount to about 1500,000 per anntim. Of this sum about one-half isconsumed by tlie payment of salaries. The King has a salary of $22,500 a year, and the ncxt highest salary is paid to the Chief Justiee, who receives $5,000 a year. The income of the Government is de rived from internal taxes, import duties, licenses, fines and penalties, and fees and perquisites. The btisiness of the islands haspassed into the hands of foreigners, and the decadence of the native population and their correlative interests naturally had its effect npon the revenue. The principal exporte of the country are sugar, coflee,rice, woo!, skins and tallow. So inconsiderable a portion of these find their way to coumtries other than the United States tliat it may be said that we monopolizo the whole product of the islands. Americans own the sugar and cofEee plantations, transact the business of the few ports, and manage the commercial affairs of the kingdom. It may also be said that American influences predomínate in the government of the kingdom. A majority of the King's Cabinet is almost invariably American. Xevertheless, it must be admitted that these foreigners }iave always ben loyal to the best interests of the petty Kingdom of Ilawaii. ïhe dobt of $300,000 wliich has been contracted was the result of inevitable causes which will vrork to increase these obligations in future years. And, so far as known, the American members of the Hawaiian Government have not intrigued to basten the day of annexation to the United States. One of the royal family, a Princess who bas some claims to the succession, is tho wife of an American resident, and the entire political framework of the Government has become so thoroughly penneated with American id as that there is small reverence feit for the so-called tlirone, and none whatever for tke royal line Kamehameha. lioyalty in the Hawaiian Islaiuis is more tlian iisually a farce. It is an empty thing, and, although the abolition of the present forra of government would not save much money, it would probably be in consonance with the wishes of many of the islandera wko think about the matter at all, and would delight the Americaïis, who are the real owners of the islands. This being the situation in the Ilawaiin Kingdom, it must be admitted that we have a right to regard with some uneasiness the trading eipedition of King Kalakaua. Virtually, the United Stiltes has Fmortgage upon the Sandwich Islands. The nature of that lien has already been indicated. That we have a monopoly of the trade of the islands, both as regards importa and axports, is well known. Although our government cannot afford to promote any policy of annexation, the other governments of the world should be notilied that any atterapt on their part acquire the Sandwich Islands, bypurchase or other wise, would be regarded by us as an unfriendly act. If we are to foster and maintain a great comnierce between the Pacific coast and Asia, that commeree will need the protection which can best be given it f rom a naval and military station on the Hawaiian Islands. We have already been offered a station of this character on the islands; but the policy of our government has been adverse to any such bartering of reciprocal commercial treaties for political advantages a this proposition contemplated. Perhaps, if King Kalakaua really wants to cede bis kingdom to the United States, or place it under American protection, the shortest way to reach his object wou'd be to offer to sell out to some Kuropean power.