The native Hawaiians are thus not only being crowded out of the industrial pursuits of their own land, but the foreigners, who represent the greater part of the material interests of the islands, naturally, perhaps, desire also the political control. It is for their interests to have an efficient and stable government; and that they undoubtedly did not have during Kalakaua's reign.

The constitution of the kingdom was largely a copy of that of the United States; but one very important difference, necessitated by the fact of their having a king, was the adoption of the English system of responsible cabinet government. Instead, moreover, of a legislature composed of senators and representatives, they established one composed of nobles and representatives sitting together in one House.

By the constitution of 1864, the King appointed the nobles to hold their appointments during life, and their number was not to exceed twenty. The representatives were to be elected by the people, and were not to be less in number than twentyfour, nor more than forty.

The members of the cabinet were to be appointed by the King, and to hold office during his pleasure. All acts of the King must be countersigned by a minister, who thus made himself responsible.

The judicial power was vested "in one supreme court and in such inferior courts as the legislature may, from time to time, establish." And the judges were to hold office during good behavior.

Under this constitution the King and his friends could usually control the legislature; and during Kalakaua's reign the government became so corrupt that the opposition finally forced upon him the constitution of 1887. The changes in the old constitution were intended mainly to restrict the power of the King, and place the legislature under the control of the capitalist class. To this end, the legislature was to be composed of twenty-four nobles and the same number of representatives. The nobles were to be elected for six years by residents of the Hawaiian Islands, who had resided there at least three years, and who possessed taxable property in the country of the value of not less than three thousand dollars, or should have received an income of not less than six hundred dollars.

This provision, it was said, deprived three-fourths of the native voters of the right to vote for nobles.

Representatives were required to own real estate of the value of five hundred dollars, or to have an annual income of at least two hundred and fifty dollars.

The members of the cabinet were to be appointed by the King, but could be removed by him "only upon a vote of want of confidence passed by a majority of all the elective members of the legislature."

The King was exceedingly dissatisfied with this constitution, and within the next few years several attempts were made to overturn it. And the Reform party who had enacted it were not always able to maintain a majority of the legislature in their favor.

In January, 1893, the Reform cabinet was voted out, as I have said, and the Queen, with a cabinet favorable to her, attempted to proclaim a new constitution which would restore to her the powers exercised by the King under the constitution of 1864.

The most important features of this instrument were:

Art. 57. The Queen shall appoint the nobles not to exceed twenty-four.

Art. 60. The representatives may be increased from twentyfour to forty-eight.

Art. 62. Only subjects shall vote.

Art. 65. The term of appointment of the supreme court judges shall be, not for life, as before, but for six years.1

1 The outline of the history of the relations of the United States with the Hawaiian Islands given above is taken mainly from the documents submitted to Congress by President Cleveland, and which may be found in full in H. R. Ex. Doc. Nos. 47 and 48, 53d Cong., 2d Sess. There is also some later correspondence. The annual volumes of Foreign Relations contain much information in respect of Hawaii not to be found in the documents mentioned above. See also Wharton's Digest of International Law, I. § 62. And "The History of the Hawaiian People," by W. D. Alexander.

SAMOA.

"1 The group known as Samoa, or the Navigator's Islands, lies in a mean latitude of 13° 50′ south, and extends from 170° 30 to 173 west longitude.

"2. The largest island of the group of Savaii, which attains an altitude of nearly 5,000 feet, and contains an approximate area of 325,440 acres.

"3. The island of Upolu, which lies ten miles east of Savaii, is the next in size. It contains approximately an area of 169,984 acres, and reaches an altitude of about 2,500 feet.

"4. Next, eastward of Upolu, lies the small island of Tutuila, containing an area of about 24,988 acres, and ascending to an altitude of 2,000 feet.

5. The Manua Islands lie eastward of Tutuila, a distance of sixty miles. They are three in number and of small area. The largest of them rises, in the form of a cone, to a height of 2,500 feet.

6. These islands are properly classed with the Samoan group; but beyond language and origin, the people have little in common with the two large islands, and take no permanent or practical part in their politics.

7. The distance from Auckland, in New Zealand, to Samoa is 1,600 miles, and the island of Tutuila referred to above, lies directly in the track taken by the trans-Pacific steamers running between the Australasian colonies and San Francisco, or Vancouver's Island, via Hawaii. [The distance to Honolulu is 2,215, and to San Francisco, 4,275 miles.]

"8. Prior to 1856, it cannot be said that commerce had any well-marked existence at Samoa, although the islands had been occasionally resorted to by whalers and trading vessels, chiefly from Sydney and Hobart.

9. There were, however, even then, two British resident traders and one American at Apia, doing a certain amount of trade with the colonies and with ships passing between California and Australia.

"10. So far back as the year 1845 a British consul had been appointed to reside at Samoa. It was also the residence of an American consular officer.

"11. About the year 1857 the powerful and well-known firm of Messrs. Godeffroy, of Hamburg, established themselves at Apia, making that place the base of their operations in other parts of the Pacific Ocean.

"12. In the month of April, 1877, there is reason to suppose that the consular and naval representatives of the German Government were negotiating with the native authorities (Taimua and Faipule) of Samoa with a twofold object: (1) to secure German interests during the prevalent disputes and petty wars of contending native parties, and (2) to obtain the recognition of Germany's equal rights with other powers, as against the efforts constantly being made to bring the group under the protectorate of a foreign government.

"13. With these objects in view, the German representative at Samoa obtained certain engagements from the then ruling native authority by such representative termed the protocol of the 3d July, 1877.

"14. On the 17th of January, 1878, a treaty was concluded between the Governments of Samoa and the United States of America.

"15. When the ratified treaty arrived at Apia by the United States war-ship Adams, the German representative deemed it necessary to vindicate the rights of the most favored nation, which they affirmed had, under the protocol already cited, been guaranteed to Germany.

16. The German consul affirmed that, in the commercial treaty concluded with the United States, privileges were granted with another nation in violation of the terms of Article IV. of the protocol. The objection raised by the German consul was founded upon the terms of Article V. of the American treaty.

"17. Not receiving a satisfactory reply from the Government of Samoa, the ports of Saluafata and Fulealili were seized by the German authority, and the Imperial Government notified its determination to maintain this seizure until security was given for the conclusion of a treaty between Germany and Samoa on the footing of the most favored nation.

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18. Such a treaty was, after some difficulty, finally concluded on the 24th January, 1879. Among other things, the treaty provided (Article V.) for the exercise of certain exclusive privileges by Germany in the harbor of Saluafata. It also contained an agreement with respect to land in the following words: To confirm in quiet possession of German subjects all lands

in Samoa which they have hitherto bought from Samoans in a regular manner, and in accordance with the custom prevailing at the time; and all further interference with regard to such lands is therefore excluded by this confirmation by the Samoan Government of the ownership of the German subjects.'

"[It is open to question whether this rendering of the original German text is permissible, but it is the rendering given by M. Weber, who at the time was both German consul and manager for Messrs. Godeffroy and who, sitting as a judge, immediately proceeded to act on it.]

"19. Much jealousy was created by the exclusive privileges accorded to Germany in respect of Saluafata Harbor, and the Samoans laid themselves open to a complaint similar to that so recently preferred by German representatives, viz., that Article V. of the German treaty was in violation of the provision of Article VI. of the American treaty.

"20. British and American residents were much disturbed by the assumption that German subjects, which practically meant the house of Messrs. Godeffroy, had secured possession of all lands claimed by them without investigation.

"21. As much of the land so claimed was, and still is, disputed by other nations upon titles believed to be equally as good or better than those of Germany, this further feeling of irritation was, perhaps, not unnatural. A treaty with Great Britain conferring upon the latter the privileges of the most favored nation was concluded upon the 28th August, 1879.

22. It is proper to note that all through the official correspondence relating to the period and events adverted to, the German Government declared itself only anxious to acquire 'equal right' with other nations in Samoa, in order to safeguard ‘the well-won rights of its subjects' against the arbitrary measures of a policy influenced by speculators.

"23. In the Reichstag on the 13th June, 1879, Herr von Bulow, when submitting the Samoan treaty for the approval of the chamber, observed:

"Nous ne voulons point fonder de colonie en ce pays, nous ne voulons pas avoir de monopole envers et contre d' autres, nous voulons uniquement etablir autant qu'on peut le faire, que la navigation allemande et le commerce allemande tient la le bon droit et l'egalite de droit.'

"24. Shortly after the conclusion of the treaty with Germany the islands were distracted by civil war, which was brought