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Blount Report: Affairs in Hawaii

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              832				         HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.
sented the intelligence and wealth and morality of the community or not?
A. In those days they were nominated to the King by his cabinet, and they were representative of the property of 
this Kingdom, combining also a fair representation of character and intelligence, until the middle of Kalakaua's 
reign, when, as vacancies occurred, he would appoint natives generally who did not have these characteristics of 
wealth, character, and intelligence.
Q. How was a ministry appointed and removed?
A. Under every constitution prior to 1887 the ministers were appointed by the King and removed by him; but 
until Kalakaua's reign it was a very rare thing that any King changed his ministry. They had a pretty long lease of 
political life. My father was minister for nine or ten years, and Mr. Wyllie for a longer period. It was a very rare 
political occurrence, and made a great sensation when a change was made. Under Kalakaua things were different; I 
think we had twenty-six different cabinets during his reign.
Q. How long was his reign?
A. From 1874 to 1891.
Q. What were the property qualifications of electors prior to 1887?
A. None-no property qualification.
Q. They had to be 20 years of age, and to be able to read and write?
A. If born since 1840 they had to be able to read and write, but this test was rarely applied. If born before that 
there was no qualification at all.
Q. Under the constitution of 1887 the same qualification of an elector for representative was continued?
A. Yes; substantially the same.
Q. Was there any very considerable change in the matter of the qualification of a voter for representative under 
the constitution of 1887 in the matter of allowing foreigners to vote?
A. There was.
Q. Please state it.
A. Previous to that time only citizens could vote; that is, native born or naturalized, or those who had received 
letters of denization. The constitution of 1887 allowed all residents, if they had those qualifications, excepting 
Asiatics, and they were not allowed to vote, even those who were citizens by naturalization.
Q. Did that cover the Portuguese element?
A. We allowed Portuguese to vote.
Q. Then the races that were excluded under that from the privilege of voting were the Chinese and the Japanese?
A. Yes.
Q. How about the qualifications to read and write for that class of voters-I mean the Portuguese, Americans, 
and Europeans who were allowed to vote? Did the qualifications as to reading and writing apply to them?
A. It did.
Q. Were there many Portuguese then voting under the constitution of 1887?
A. A good many voted. Not having the statistics before me I can not say what proportion.
Q. Under that constitution of 1887 were the number of nobles and representatives the same?
A. Exactly the same-twenty-four nobles and twenty-four representatives.

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