V. OCEANIA. HAWAII. (HAWAII-NEI.) Reigning King, Constitution, and Government. Kalakaua I., born November 16, 1836, son of the Chiefess Keohokalole and Kapaakea, is of pure Hawaiian blood, and akin to the ancient royal family, was elected king by the Parliament on Feb. 12, 1874, on the death of Lunalilo I.; crowned February, 1883; married to Queen Kapiolani, born December 31, 1834. The heir to the throne is the Princess Lydia Kamakeha Liliuokalani, the eldest sister of the king, born September 2, 1838; married to His Excellency John O. Dominis, governor of Oahu. Under Kaméhaméha I. the Hawaiian, or Sandwich Islands, were united into one kingdom. The second king of the name and his queen died in England, 1823. Under Kaméhaméha III. the integrity of the kingdom was recognised by England, France, and the United States, and subsequently by other Governments. This king gave his subjects a constitution in 1840, which was revised and extended in 1852, and on his death in 1854 was succeeded by his nephew, Kaméhaméha IV., the husband of Queen Emma, who died in 1863. His brother, Kaméhaméha V., succeeded, and proclaimed a revised constitution, August 20, 1864. On his death in 1872, without issue, Prince Lunalilo was chosen, on whose death in 1874 the present king was elected. The Government is a limited monarchy; there is a house of Nobles, consisting of members appointed by the king; and a house of 28 Representatives. The two houses sit together, forming, with the king's Ministers, the Legislative Assembly. Electors must be able to read and write, have land of the value of 301., or an income of 121. Representatives are elected for two years. There is a Ministry or Cabinet, consisting of a Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Premier), of the Interior, Finance, and an Attorney-General. There is also a Privy Council, and a Governor for each of the principal islands. In general, the Government is modelled after that of the old constitutional monarchies. There is an army of 60 men and several volunteer corps. Revenue, Expenditure, and Population. The budget is voted for a biennial period. The revenue for each of the periods 1876-78 was 230,3421.; 1878-80, 340,7471.; 1880-82, 356,016.; 1882-4, 4901,6371. The expenditure for each of the periods 1876-78 was 222,0947.; 1878-80, 295,1397.; 188082, 439,2001.; 1882-4, 643,2811. Estimated revenue, 1884–6, 467,3741.; expenditure, 771,351.; deficit, 303,9771. The revenue is largely derived from Customs and internal taxes, while the largest item of expenditure is for the interior. The debt on April 1, 1880, was officially stated to be 77,7801.; and an unofficial report gives it as 59,8407. on April 1, 1882. The interest varies from 6 to 9 per cent. The The total area of the islands is 6,677 square miles. According to the census of 1878 the population was 57,985-34,103 males and 23,882 females. Of the population 44,088 were natives, 5,916 Chinese, 4,561 whites (1,276 Americans, 883 English, 436 Portuguese, 272 Germans, 81 French), and 3,420 half-castes. native population is closely allied to the Maories of New Zealand. At the time of Captain Cook's discovery of the islands, upwards of a century ago, the population numbered probably 200,000. Since then the natives have rapidly decreased, and since the census of 1878 there has been a considerable diminution. The foreign element is, however, increasing; the population in 1882 was estimated at 66,895, including 12,804 Chinese. There was an immigration of upwards of 6,166 Portuguese from the Azores in the two years ending March 31, 1884. The total arrrivals in 1883 were 11,194; departures, 3,535. Hawaii is the largest island, but the capital, Honolulu (7,000 inhabitants), is in the island Oahu. All forms of religion are permitted and protected. Nearly all the natives are Christians. The king belongs to the Church of England, of which there is a bishop at Honolulu; there is also a Roman Catholic bishop, and ministers of various denominations. Schools are established all over the islands, the sum allotted for public instruction in 1882-84 being 19,1707. yearly. Commerce and Industry. The islands are to a great extent mountainous and volcanic, but the soil is highly fertile and productive. Sugar and rice are the staple industries, while coffee, hides, wool, whale oil, and bone are also exported. The value of the exports in 1883 was 1,624,240l., and imports, 1,124,8487. The Customs' receipts in 1883 were 115,4167. The principal imports are textiles and clothing, provisions, hardware, and machinery. The number of vessels which entered in 1883 was 267, of 183,316 tons, and cleared 263, of 189,494 tons, besides 18 whalers. Of the former, 195 vessels were American, and 42 British. Steamers connect the islands with the American continent, Australasia, and China. In the inter-island traffic 12 steamers and a great number of schooners are constantly engaged. In 1883 there were 64 vessels belonging to the islands of 11,588 tons. There are about 32 miles of railway in the islands of Hawaii and Maui. There are telegraphs in the islands of Maui and Hawaii, and nearly every family in Honolulu has its telephone. In 1883-4 the total number of letters, &c., transmitted and received by the post office was 1,505,571. Diplomatic and Consular Representatives. 1. OF HAWAII IN GREAT BRITAIN. Chargé d'Affaires and Consul-General.—Manley Hopkins. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN HAWAII. Commissioner and Consul-General.-Major Wodehouse. Currency. Hitherto, gold and silver coins of all nations have passed current in the Hawaiian Islands as legal tender, either at their real or nominal value; but from Dec. 1, 1884, only gold coins of the United States are legal tender for more than 10 dollars, and only Hawaiian and United States silver coins for smaller amounts. Paper money is not in use, except in the form of treasury certificates for coin deposited there. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Hawaii. 1. OFFICIAL. Biennial Report of the Minister of the Interior. Honolulu, 1884. 2. UNOFFICIAL. Bastian (Adolf.), Zur Kenntniss Hawaii's. Berlin, 1883. Bird (Miss I.), The Hawaiian Archipelago. London, 1878. Brassey (Lady), A Voyage in the Sunbeam. London, 1880. Bowser (G.), Hawaiian Kingdom, Statistical Directory, &c. 1880. Ellis (W.), Tour through Hawaii. London, 1827. Ellis (W.), Polynesian Researches. 4 vols. London, 1831. San Francisco, Fornander (C.), Origin of the Polynesian Nations. London, 1881. Gordon Cumming (Miss C. F.), Fire Fountains: the Kingdom of Hawaii. 2 vols. London, 1883. Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1885. Honolulu, 1884. Honolulu Almanac and Directory for 1884. Honolulu, 1884. Hopkins (Mauley), History of Hawaii. 2nd edition. London, 1866. Jarvis (J. J.), History of the Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu, 1847. |