No. 355.
Mr. Peirce
to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Honolulu, August 8, 1874.
(Received September 9.)
No. 278.]
Sir: The Legislative Assembly was to-day prorogued
by the King in person, with much ceremony and parade.
Rumors were rife that the disaffected Hawaiians would attempt to create
another riot on the occasion; but everything went off peacefully, owing
probably to the vigorous preparations made by the government to suppress
lawlessness, had any been shown by the populace.
Three seditious persons were arrested last night by the police, which damped
the ardor of the others of like character.
Inclosed herewith is a printed copy of His Majesty’s speech to the Assembly.
I respectfully call your attention to passages therein that I have
marked.
I also inclose copy of the telegraph bill, which is now a law of the
kingdom.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 278.]
King Kalakaua’s
speech to the Assembly.
Nobles and Representatives: After a protracted
session, I congratulate you upon the termination of your labors. I trust
and believe that the constitutional amendments which you have passed
will result in good, and that the extension of the suffrage will be duly
appreciated by the country.
Your appropriations for preserving the health of the people, for
immigration, and for public improvements have been very liberal, and
fully equal to meet the necessities to which I drew your attention upon
your being called together. It will be my duty and that of my government
to see that the several sums are judiciously and economically expended.
For your liberality toward myself and family I thank you.
My relations with the great nations of the world continue to be of the
most gratifying character, and I have received letters during the
sitting of the house from the Sovereign of Great Britain, the President
of the United States, the President of the French Republic, the Emperor
of Germany, the Emperor of Russia, the King of the Netherlands, the King
of Denmark, the King of Sweden and Norway, the King of Italy, and the
King of Belgium, recognizing my election to the throne, and assuring me
of their friendship and good-will.
A number of new laws and amendments to laws have been carefully
considered by you, and those enacted, I trust, will promote the welfare
of our beloved country.
The acts which you have passed to aid the introduction of electric
telegraphs and for the encouragement of steam-navigation with foreign
countries show that my people are prepared to take advantage of all the
improved methods of communication with neighboring countries.
The act to facilitate the negotiation of treaties of reciprocity proves
that you fully appreciate the advantages of such a treaty, more
particularly with our near neighbor the United States, and no efforts on
my part, or on that of my government, shall be wanting to bring about so
desirable a result.
The law which you have passed to authorize a national loan, and to define
to what uses such loan shall be applied, is in accordance with the views
which I expressed to you in my message of the 22d of June, and I shall
carefully watch its working by the board which you empowered me to
constitute, in the hope that it may fully realize the benefits
anticipated from it in the increase of the population and products, and
therefore in the prosperity of my kingdom.
Nobles and Representatives: On returning to
your homes and to your constituents,
[Page 581]
you will still have the opportunity to continue
the good work of the session, in instructing the people in all that
tends to preserve their health and comfort, and to increase their means
and their knowledge; and I trust that you will apprise them of my
constant solicitude for their welfare, and assure them that each man who
takes good care of himself and family, with due regard to the rights of
his neighbor, is adding to the strength of my kingdom and assisting in
the perpetuation of our race.
I now declare this Legislative Assembly of the kingdom prorogued.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 278.]
the telegraph bill.
The following is the bill for the encouragement of electric telegraphy,
in the amended shape in which it passed the legislature, and was
approved by His Majesty, August 1, 1874:
AN ACT for the encouragement and aid of any company now
incorporated, or that may he hereafter incorporated, for the
transmission of intelligence by electricity.
Be it enacted by the King and the
Legislative Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands in the Legislature of
the kingdom assembled:
- Section 1. The ministry of the
interior is hereby authorized and empowered to permit and allow
any company now incorporated in any foreign country, or that may
be hereafter incorporated in this kingdom or any foreign
country, for the transmission of intelligence by electricity, to
construct lines of telegraph upon and along the highways and
public roads and across the lands and waters of this kingdom, by
the appropriation of any trees growing by nature, or by the
erection of the necessary fixtures, including posts, piers,
abutments, or bridges for sustaining the cords or wires of said
lines, provided the same shall not be so constructed as to
incommode the public use of the said road or highway, or
injuriously interrupt the navigation of said waters.
- Section 2. The minister of the
interior is hereby authorized to take up and set apart for the
use of such telegraph company or companies, sufficient land and
premises for telegraph stations and other needful uses in
operating said telegraph line or lines, and to grant every
facility for the landing of subaqueous cables, telegraph cord or
wires, instruments, apparatus, and all and every article, goods,
wares, and merchandise appertaining to the landing of such
telegraphic line or lines, and the transmission of intelligence
by electricity, and such articles and merchandise shall be
exempt from duties, and the vessel or vessels chartered, or
otherwise specially engaged in the lay-ingor maintenance of a
telegraph line or lines, shall be exempt from all port charges
except pilotage.
- Section 3. If any person over whose
lands said line or lines shall, pass, upon which posts, piers,
or abutments shall be placed, or standing trees appropriated, or
such person’s lands shall be taken for public use by the
minister of the interior for necessary stations and
other-needful uses in operating said telegraphic lines, shall
consider himself aggrieved or damaged thereby, upon sworn
application to the minister of the interior, the said minister
shall appoint three disinterested persons, who shall be sworn
before entering upon the duties of their office, and any one of
whom shall have power to administer oaths, to act as
commissioners to ascertain and determine upon the compensation
to be made to the owner or owners, person or persons interested,
for the taking or injuriously affecting such real property as
may be required for such telegraph line or lines.
- Section 4. The said commissioners,
or a majority of them, shall determine upon the compensation
proper to be made to each of the parties claimant and
interested, and upon filing of the certificate of their finding
and appraisement with the minister of the interior, the said
minister is hereby authorized to pay to such owner or owners or
persons interested the sum of money to which he may become
entitled by reason of such appraisement; such sum of money to be
drawn upon any funds in the treasury not otherwise
appropriated.
- Section 5. The minister of the
interior, on receiving the certificate of appraisement, may pay
to the commissioners such reasonable compensation as he may
determine upon, and shall have the power to fill any vacancy in
their number from death or otherwise.
- Section 6. Any person who shall
unlawfully and intentionally injure, molest, or destroy any of
the said lines, posts, piers, or abutments, or the material or
property belonging thereto, shall, on conviction thereof, be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by a tine not
exceeding five hundred dollars, or imprisonment at hard labor
not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court
before which the conviction shall be had.
- Section 7. This act shall take
effect and become a law from and after the date of its
approval.
