Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 1, 1879

No. 241.
Mr. Morton to Mr. Seward.

United States Legation,
Honolulu, H. I., September 1, 1879. (Received September 17.)

No. 3.]

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of a communication addressed to me by his excellency J. M. Kapena, minister foreign affairs, dated the 21st instant, which incloses a copy of a letter from the honorable minister of finance, in reply to certain interrogatories from the Department of State, at Washington, touching the amount of gold and silver coin and bullion and paper currency in the Hawaiian Islands.

I have, &c.,

J. M. MORTON,
United States Consul, Acting Chargé d’Affaires.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 3.]

Mr. Kapena to Mr. Morton.

Department of Foreign Affairs,
Honolulu, August 21, 1879.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge and reply to a dispatch No. 157 of 25th June last past, received from his excellency James M. Comly, United States minister resident, inclosing “interrogatories respecting the amount of gold and silver coin and bullion and paper currency in the Hawaiian Islands.”

I have now the honor and the pleasure to inclose herewith copy of a letter received this day from his excellency Simon K. Kaai, minister of finance, in which he answers the several queries embraced in the Hon. Mr. Evarts’s note to General Comly.

* * * * * * *

With highest respects and distinguished consideration, I have, &c.,

JNO. M. KAPENA.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 3.]

Mr. Kaai to Mr. Kapena.

Department of Finance,
Honolulu, August 21, 1879.

Sir: I am in receipt of your note accompanying letter from the Department of State at Washington, asking information touching coin and bullion, and currency generally.

In answer to query No. 1, I would say that $800,000 is the probable amount.

Query 2. Five hundred thousand dollars.

Query 3. No paper currency. Certificates of deposit are issued by the treasury for coin deposited.

Queries 4 and 5. No mines.

Query 6. The amount used in manufactures is very small; importations are light.

Query 7. For manufacturing purposes, but little is used. Importations the past year from San Francisco, probably come up to $150,000. Exports small.

I have, &c.,

SIMON K. KAAI,
Minister of Finance.