No. 166.
Mr. Peirce
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
Honolulu, Hawaiian
Islands
,
May 29, 1877.
(Received July 6.)
No. 392.]
Sir: Inclosed herewith is copy of a note from Mr.
Carter, the Hawaiian minister of foreign affairs, dated May 24, instant,
informing the legation that His Majesty’s chargé d’affaires in London had
been instructed to give notice to the British Government of the desire of
this government to terminate the fourth, fifth, and sixth articles of the
treaty of 1852 between the two countries, and that said notice is now given,
for the purposes set forth in the seventeenth article of said treaty.
Mr. Carter verbally informs me that this government is quite willing [Page 298] to consent that the treaty
referred to shall remain intact, provided the British Government withdraws
its demand for the enjoyment of the same rights and privileges as those
granted under the reciprocity treaty between the United States and Hawaii.
It will be observed that the British commissioner, in making the demand in
question, did not propose to give any equivalent or compensation for the
enjoyment of the rights demanded.
Very respectfully,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Carter to Mr.
Peirce.
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Honolulu
,
May 24,
1877.
Sir: I have the honor of informing you that, by
the outward mail of the 23d instant instructions were sent to His
Majesty’s chargé d’affaires at London to give notice to the Government
of Her Britannic Majesty of the desire of this government to terminate
the fourth, fifth, and sixth articles of the treaty between Great
Britain and the Hawaiian Islands of 1852, in accordance with the
provisions of the seventeenth article of that treaty. His Majesty’s
chargé d’affaires was instructed to inform Her Britannic Majesty’s
government that such notice is given without prejudice to any effect
which former notices given the British Government may have on those
articles, or any rights which this government may have acquired thereby,
and this government does not intend by such notice to imply that the
termination of such articles is necessary to the exercise of its full
right to make treaties of reciprocity, or to make exemptions under such
treaties for satisfactory compensation, without thereby rendering itself
liable under such articles to make the same exemptions to other nations
without compensation; and, further, that as such notice is now given for
the purposes set forth in the seventeenth article of that treaty, it is
the hope of His Majesty’s Government that the opportunity now offered of
treating and agreeing upon such other arrangements as may tend still
further to the improvement of their mutual intercourse may be so
fortunately employed that this notice may be withdrawn or that the
articles may be replaced by others, under which the relations of the two
nations may be placed upon a still better footing.
I regret that circumstances prevented my giving you this information
before the mail left. Please accept the renewed assurances of high
respect and consideration, with which I have the honor to be,
&c.,
Your excellency’s, &c.,
His Excellency Henry A.
Peirce,
United States Minister
Resident.
