Department of Foreign Affairs

Corporate body

Department of Foreign Affairs

1845-1900

The office of the Minister for Foreign Relations was authorized by the Act to Organize the Executive Ministries of the Hawaiian Islands, which passed on October 29, 1845. Its functions were established by the Second Act of Kamehameha III, passed on April 27, 1846, which organized the executive departments. The department was responsible for relations with foreign governments by accrediting special emissaries on diplomatic missions and consular agents resident in foreign ports, for receiving representatives of foreign governments, for protecting national security, for serving as the intermediary to register foreign vessels and settling affairs involving foreign residents, and for issuing passports.
The functions of the department terminated on June 14, 1900 when the Organic Act established territorial government.

The Constitution of 1840 vested the King with the executive power of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He directed the army and government property, made treaties, received foreign ministers, appointed governors of islands, and served as chief judge of the Supreme Court until the Judiciary Department was established in 1847. The Act to Organize the Executive Ministries in 1845 further defined his powers to include appointing executive ministers, approving ministerial instructions, leasing of lands, signing legislative acts, granting pardons, directing cession of lands to the • government, issuing charters of incorporation and patents, accrediting Hawaiian diplomatic agents, and presiding over the impeachment of ministers. Act 1 of the Executive and Advisory Councils of the provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands, approved on January 20, 1893, vested the powers and duties of the King in the President of the Provisional Government.
The Privy Council, authorized by the Act to Organize the Executive Ministries on October 29, 1845, was composed of the executive ministers and governors of islands serving as honorary members. With the King in Council, it received foreign policy documents and approved the declaration of embargoes, orders of nobility, cutting of timber and use of coral reefs, prices for the sale and leases of government land, audit of internal taxes, the budget, assessment and minting of coins, regulations, compensation of teachers and diplomatic agents, granting of letters patent of denization, and appointments of the local officials. Ministerial proposals were presented in the Privy Council. The duties of the Privy Council lapsed when the monarchical government was abrogated by the Proclamation of the Committee of Safety on January 17, 1893.

The Cabinet Council, by the Act I of Kamehameha III in 1845, acted as a consulting body for policies of the executive ministries. It also received and directed the publication of diplomatic correspondence, directed the accreditation of Hawaiian diplomatic agents and commission of consular agents, approved departmental seals. Act 1 of the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands, approved on January 20, 1893, vested the powers and duties of the Cabinet of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the Executive Council of the Provisional Government.

2021-09-08, Carol Kellett: updated Maintaining repository. Deduped multiple authority records making this one primary.