Lunalilo

Reign as King

When Lunalilo assumed duties of the king, a huge change in the governments policy began. His predecessor, Kamehameha V, had spent his reign increasing the powers of his office and trying to restore the absolute monarchy that had existed under the reign of his grandfather, Kamehameha I. Lunalilo spent his reign trying to make the Hawaiian government more democratic. He started by writing to the legislature, recommending that the constitution be amended. He wanted to undo some of the changes that his predecessor had made when he enacted the Constitution of 1864. For example, the legislature prior to 1864 met in two houses: The House of Nobles and the House of Representatives. The members of the House of Nobles were appointed by the King and the Representatives were elected by popular vote. Under King Kamehameha V, the two houses of legislature were combined into one. Lunalilo wished to undo the changes and restore the bicameral legislature. Among other changes he asked for was for a provision in the constitution requiring a written explanation to accompany any veto by the king and the right of cabinet Political minister to be heard in the House of Representatives. The King also looked to improve Hawai‘is economic situation. The kingdom was in a state of depression, with the whaling industry failing. Commerce groups asked the king to look at sugar to improve the economy and recommended that a treaty be drawn with the United States to allow Hawaiian sugar to enter the nation tax-free. To make such a treaty, many thought that the kingdom would have to offer the Pearl Harbor area to the United States in exchange. There was much controversy over this, with both the public and in the legislature. When Lunalilo saw this opposition, he dropped the offer. During his reign, a mutiny in the small Hawaiian army took place. Some members of the army revolted against the drillmaster and the adjutant general. The army of the kingdom was very small (made up of about sixty men). The king interviewed the troops involved in the mutiny and he persuaded them to lay down their arms. Following this, the king disbanded the army. From that point on until far into the reign of King Kalkaua, the Kingdom had no armed forces.