No. 173.
Mr. Comly
to Mr. Blaine.
Honolulu, December 19, 1881. (Received January 3, 1882.)
Sir: His excellency Henry A. P. Carter has resigned the place of minister of the interior, and goes by steamer of this date en route as H. H. M. envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Portugal, to negotiate a treaty.
The special object of making the treaty at this time is to secure an amicable acquiescence on the part of Portugal with the desire of the Hawaiian board of immigration for quite a large Portuguese immigration.
The King and his ministers seem to have arrived at the conclusion that the Portuguese islands and dependencies form the most desirable source and classes of immigrants for permanent increase of Hawaiian population.
Mr. Carter was associated in the negotiation of the American reciprocity treaty; he negotiated the German-Hawaiian treaty in Berlin; [Page 334] has been envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain, and minister of foreign affairs, and is well qualified for his post Attorney-General Armstrong will be his ad interim in the interior department in his absence.
I have, &c.,