Kalākaua's Privy Council of State
The Privy Council of State of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a constitutionally-created body purposed to advise and consent to acts made by the monarch. The cabinet ministers were ex-officio members. Both the cabinet and other privy counselors were appointed and dismissed by the monarch according to his personal wishes. The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii made a key change in regards to the cabinet ministers. The monarch was still empowered to appoint the ministers, but only the legislature, or a voluntary resignation, could remove them from office.
The 91 men listed below served in varied years as Kalākaua's Privy Council of State. The list is gleened from the Hawaii State Archives Office Records, the Minutes of the Privy Council, 1873–1892, and the Hawaiian Registers and Directories for 1873–1893, published in Thomas G. Thrum’s Hawaiian Almanac and Annual. The century-old archived records are often spotty,and should not be considered complete.
Background and diversity
retained many of the counselors who had been advising the kingdom's monarchs since Kamehameha III. The culturally diverse body was represented by men who were native Hawaiians and Asians, as well as American and British immigrants. Native Hawaiian brothers John Tamatoa Baker and Robert Hoapili Baker who served on the Privy Council, posed as the models for the Kamehameha statues ordered by Kalākaua. The statues are now tourist attractions in Hilo, North Kohala, and in front of Aliʻiōlani Hale in Honolulu.The counselors were diverse in occupations and personal finances. Henry Martyn Whitney founded two newspapers. Frederick H. Hayselden was the sheriff of the island of Maui. William Buckle was warden of Oahu Jail. Longest serving royal court member was Charles Reed Bishop, who advised monarchs for over three decades, from Kamehameha IV to Liliʻuokalani. Chun Afong emigrated from China at age 24 to clerk in his uncle's retail trade, possessing a business acumen that eventually brought him great wealth on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. He left the Privy Council shortly after being appointed, to accept the position of Chinese consular agent for Hawaii. British born William Lowthian Green had been a prospector during the California Gold Rush, before helping establish the Honolulu Iron Works.
Several on his council, such as Henry A. P. Carter and Curtis P. Iaukea, were experienced diplomats. Elisha H. Allen came from a family dedicated to government service. His father Samuel Clesson Allen had been a US Congressman from Massachusetts. Before moving to Hawaii, Elisha had been a US Congressman from Maine, and US Counsel to Hawaii. After relocating, he served 27 years as Minister Plenipotentiary from the Kingdom of Hawaii to the US. While the king's 1874–75 state visit to the United States generated American legislative support for the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, Carter and Allen had preceded him in Washington, D.C. to lead the negotiations. Elisha Allen's son William Fessenden Allen served as an advisor for both Kalākaua and Liliʻuokalani. Privy counselors William Nevins Armstrong, Charles Hastings Judd and George W. Macfarlane accompanied the king on his 1881 world tour to negotiate plantation labor contracts with friendly nations.
Changes in the cabinet
After the financial success of the reciprocity treaty, Kalākaua began surrounding himself with advisors who told him what he wanted to hear, instead of those who would act as a balance between the ambitions of the monarchy and the needs of the kingdom. He appointed Walter Murray Gibson as his Prime Minister, charged with carrying out the king's agenda, and subsequently creating a large turnover in his cabinet. Italian soldier of fortune Celso Caesar Moreno was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and forced to resign after four days when denied recognition by the diplomatic corps stationed in Hawaii. The legislature passed the 1887 constitution as a means to create checks and balances over the king's decision making.Death of Kalākaua
A leisure trip to San Francisco in 1890 was Kalākaua's final trip abroad. He was in failing health, accompanied by George W. Macfarlane and Robert Hoapili Baker. During a month of rest and recreation in California, he met with Minister Carter to discuss the McKinley Tariff. He died in San Francisco on January 20, 1891. MacFarlane and Baker, as well as the king's handmaiden Kalua and valet Kahikina, were at his bedside. Counselors Godfrey Rhodes and Charles Reed Bishop were also in the room.Privy council members
| Name | Portrait | Privy council service years | Notes | |
| Edward P. Adams | June 1879 | President of the Kilauea Sugar Company founding member of the Planters Labor and Supply Company | ||
| Chun Afong | June 5, 1879 | Resigned shortly after appointment to become Chinese consular agent for Hawaii | ||
| Luther Aholo | Aug 1884 | Minister of the Interior Oct 13, 1886 -July 1, 1887 | ||
| Elisha Hunt Allen | Sept. 5, 1853 – June 11, 1857 Aug 31, 1857 – | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha III House of Nobles 1854–1856 | ||
| William Fessenden Allen | June 5, 1879 – Mar 7, 1891 | Colonel on staffs of Kamehameha V, Lunalilo and Kalākaua | ||
| William Nevins Armstrong | House of Nobles 1880–1882 Attorney General Nov 29, 1880 – Jan 17, 1881 Nov 5, 1881– May 19, 1882 | |||
| Clarence W. Ashford | Attorney General July 1, 1887 – June 14, 1890 | |||
| Joseph Ballard Atherton | 1887–1891 | President of Castle & Cooke, Ltd. | ||
| John Tamatoa Baker | 1884–1891 | Household troops, King's Guard, High Sheriff of the island of Hawaii. Kalākaua appointed his wife Ululani Lewai Baker as Governess of the Island of Hawaii. He and his brother Robert were the male models for the Kamehameha statues commissioned during Kalākaua's reign. | ||
| Robert Hoapili Baker | 1884–1891 | Colonel and aide-de-camp on Kalākaua's staff, at the king's bedside when he died January 20, 1891. Household troops, King's Guard, Governor of Maui, Molokai, Lanai. He and his brother John were the male models for the Kamehameha statues commissioned during Kalākaua's reign. | ||
| Charles Reed Bishop | June 9, 1859 – 1891 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha IV Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan 10, 1873 – Feb 17, 1874 House of Nobles 1859–1886 At Kalākaua's bedside when he died January 20, 1891 | ||
| Edwin Harbottle Boyd | 1874 | House of Representatives 1864–1870; Chamberlain to Kalākaua 1874–1875; father of James Harbottle Boyd and Robert Napuʻuako Boyd | ||
| Godfrey Brown | House of Nobles 1887–1890 Minister of Foreign Affairs July 1 – Dec 28, 1887 Minister of Finance July 17, 1890 – Feb 25, 1891 | |||
| William Wahinepiʻo Buckle | Sept 4, 1880 – Dec 18, 1883 | William Wahinepiʻo Kahakuhaʻakoi Buckle Warden of Oahu Jail, 1882–1883 | ||
| John Edward Bush | Sept 1, 1878 – 1891 | House of Nobles 1880–1886 Minister of Foreign Affairs Aug 19 – Sept 22, 1880 Minister of Finance May 20 – Aug 8, 1882 Minister of the Interior Aug 8, 1882 – May 14, 1883 | ||
| Henry A. P. Carter | Sept 28, 1874 – 1891 | Minister of Foreign Affairs Dec 5, 1874 – Mar 1, 1878 Minister of the Interior Sept 27, 1880 – May 20, 1882 Attorney General Jan 17 – Nov 5, 1881 Minister to the United States Feb 9, 1883 – Aug 24,1891 Envoy posts Europe 1877, Portugal 1881, France 1882, Germany 1885 | ||
| Samuel Northrup Castle | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V Dec 7 1863 – Feb 23, 1874 | House of Nobles 1876–1880 | ||
| Archibald Scott Cleghorn | Jan 22, 1873 – 1891 | Holdover from Lunalilo Husband of Likelike House of Nobles 1873–1886 | ||
| Robert James Creighton | House of Nobles 1886 Minister of Foreign Affairs June 30 – Oct 13, 1886 Father of Liliʻuokalani's Attorney General Charles F. Creighton | |||
| John Adams Cummins | June 18, 1874 – Mar 7, 1891 | House of Nobles 1890–1892 Minister of Foreign Affairs Jun 17, 1890 – Feb 25, 1891 | ||
| Samuel Mills Damon | Aug 12, 1884 – Mar 7, 1891 | Minister of Finance July 22, 1889 – June 17, 1890 | ||
| John T. Dare | House of Nobles Jul 5, – Oct 13, 1886 Attorney General Jul 1- Oct 13, 1886 Legal counsel to Claus Spreckels Prior legislative service in the Arizona Territory, and subsequently in the California State Assembly. | |||
| John Owen Dominis | Dec 24, 1863 – 1891 | Husband of Liliuokalani All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Nobles 1864–1886 | ||
| James Isaac Dowsett Sr. | Feb 2, 1876 | House of Nobles 1873–1888 In the legislature during the Honolulu Courthouse riot. Hawaiian name "Kimo Pelekaue". Building dedicated to him in 1950. First white child born in Hawaii who was not of missionary lineage. Advisor to Kam IV and V. Owned all the property on the waterfront. | ||
| John Ena | 1888–1891 | House of Nobles 1892 | ||
| Walter M. Gibson | Sept 1880 | House of Nobles 1882–1886 Minister of Foreign Affairs May 20, 1882 – June 30, 1886 Oct 13, 1886 – July 1, 1887 Attorney General May 14- Dec 14, 1883 Sept 18, 1884 – Aug 3, 1885 Minister of the Interior May 14, 1883 – Aug 6, 1883 June 30, 1886 – Oct 13, 1886 Prime Minister June 30, 1886 – Oct 13, 1886 | ||
| William Lowthian Green | Feb 23, 1874 – Mar 5, 1877 | House of Nobles 1874–1892 Minister of Foreign Affairs Feb 17, 1874 – Dec 5, 1876 Sept 22, 1880 – May 20, 1882 Minister of Finance Jul 1, 1887 – Jul 22, 1889 | ||
| Charles T. Gulick | House of Nobles 1884–1892 Minister of the Interior Aug 6, 1883 – June 30, 1886 Sept 12, 1892 – Nov 1, 1892 Minister of Finance Sept 1, 1885 | |||
| Edwin Oscar Hall | Sept 6, 1849 – Sept 26, 1850, Jan 22, 1873 | Privy Counselor for Kamehameha III House of Nobles 1873–1874 | ||
| Charles Coffin Harris | Aug 26, 1862 – Feb 23, 1874 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha IV House of Nobles 1864–1872 | ||
| Alfred S. Hartwell | Jan 23, 1873 – Jan 23, 1874 | Holdover from Lunalilo House of Nobles 1874–1878 | ||
| Frederick H. Hayselden | 1886–1891 | Born in England, son-in-law of Walter Murray Gibson. Sheriff of Maui, inherited the island of Lanai from Gibson. | ||
| John Green Hoapili | 1883 | House of Nobles 1891–1892 | ||
| Ferdinand William Hutchison | 1864–1874 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Nobles 1866–1872 | ||
| Curtis P. Iaukea | 1883–1891 | King's private secretary, career diplomat, office holder, and military officer for the Kingdom, Provisional Government, and Territory of Hawaii | ||
| William G. Irwin | 1886–1891 | Business and investment banking partner of Claus Spreckels and former California governor F. F. Low. DBA as Claus Spreckels & Co, the partnership circulated the Kalākaua coinage in Hawaii and floated loans to the monarchy/government. Irwin was also a partner of Samuel Gardner Wilder in the steamship business. | ||
| W. Claude Jones | Attorney General Aug 14, 1880 – Sept 27, 1880 | |||
| Albert Francis Judd | Jan 22, 1873 – Feb 19, 1874 | Holdover from Lunalilo House of Nobles 1873–1875 | ||
| Charles Hastings Judd | Oct 29, 1875 | House of Nobles 1879–1886 | ||
| Simon Kaloa Kaʻai | Dec 10, 1877 | House of Nobles 1876–1882 Minister of Finance July 3, 1878 – Aug 14, 1880 Aug 8, 1882 – Feb 13, 1883 Minister of the Interior May 20, 1882 – Aug 8, 1882 | ||
| J. Kahai | 1874 | |||
| David Kahanu | 1879–1891 | Appointed to Kalākaua's Privy Council June 25, 1879 | ||
| Henry A. Kahanu | Dec 7, 1863 – Jan 22, 1873 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Nobles 1864–1880 | ||
| Simon P. Kalama | 1864–1874 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Representatives 1853–1870 | ||
| A. Kalauli | 1874 | House of Representatives 1880 | ||
| Charles Kanaʻina | Jul 29, 1845 – 1855 | Privy Counselor for Kamehameha III and Kamehameha IV Father of King Lunalilo House of Nobles 1841–1876 | ||
| Paul Puhiula Kanoa | June 27, 1883 – Mar 1888 | House of Nobles 1882–1892 | ||
| Paul Kanoa | Oct 21, 1846 – Feb 23, 1874 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha III House of Nobles 1845–1882 | ||
| John Mākini Kapena | 1874 | House of Nobles 1876–1886 | ||
| John Kauhane | House of Nobles 1890 | |||
| John Lot Kaulukoʻu | June 27, 1883 | Attorney General Oct 13- Oct 23, 1886 | ||
| John K. Kaunamano | 1884–1891 | |||
| Joseph Ulumaialii Kawainui | Feb 23, 1874 | Attended the Royal School. Editor of the newspaper Ka Nupepa Kūʻokoʻa. Member of the Republic's Council of State | ||
| David Leleo Kinimaka | 1880–1883 | Kalākaua's hanai half-brother, son of High Chief Kinimaka and Pai, his Tahitian wife. Member of the royal guards. | ||
| Samuel Kipi | House of Nobles 1878 | |||
| Moses Kuaea | 1879–1882 | Minister of Finance Aug 14 – Sept 27, 1880 pastor of Kaumakapili Church | ||
| Huaka Kuihelani | 1883 | House of Nobles 1873–1883 | ||
| William Pitt Leleiohoku II | Aug 15, 1874 | Kalākaua's brother House of Nobles Jan 10,1887 Died Apr 9, 1887 | ||
| Edward Kamakau Lilikalani | 1883 | 1883 Privy Council; 1889 Capt. King's Staff; 1890, 1st Lt. King's Guards; 1892, Col. Queen's Staff Royal Order of Oceania, Order of Oceania, Order of Kalakaua, Order of Kapiolani | ||
| George W. Macfarlane | 1883–1884 | House of Nobles 1884–1886; Chamberlain to Kalākaua At Kalākaua's bedside when he died January 20, 1891 | ||
| Methuselah Mahuka | Sept 1880 | Uncle of Simon Kaloa Kaʻai | ||
| J. W. Makalena | Dec 24, 1863, Aug 20, 1864, Jan 22, 1873, Feb 23, 1884 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V | ||
| Lawrence McCully | 1878–1891 | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom; Speaker of the House of Representatives | ||
| John W. Moanauli | Jan 22, 1873 | Privy Counselor for Lunalilo House of Nobles 1874–1882 | ||
| William Luther Moehonua | Feb 23, 1874 | House of Nobles Apr 15, 1878 Died in office Sept 8, 1878 | ||
| Celso Caesar Moreno | Minister of the Foreign Affairs Aug 14–19 1880 | |||
| John Mott-Smith | Apr 5, 1867 – 1874, Mar 7, 1891 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Nobles 1876–1886 Minister plenipotentiary of Hawaii to Washington, D.C. | ||
| Paul Nahaolelua | Apr 4, 1853 – Se;pt 22, 1875 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha III House of Nobles 1853–1874 Minister of Finance Feb 17 – Oct 31, 1874 | ||
| David Hopeni Nahinu | 1886–1891 | Member of the Legislature, House of Representatives | ||
| Paul Neumann | 1883–1891 | House of Nobles 1884–1892 | ||
| William Cooper Parke | Nov 2, 1874 | Marshal of the Kingdom 1850–1884 Arrived in Hawaii 1843; dismissed from office by Gibson because he refused to cooperate in the corruption activities | ||
| Samuel Parker | 1883 | House of Nobles 1886–1890 Major & Equerry in Waiting on Kalākaua's staff 1886 | ||
| Arthur P. Peterson | House of Nobles 1890–1893 Attorney General June 17, 1890– Feb 25, 1891 | |||
| Edward Preston | 1883 | House of Nobles 1876–1882 Attorney General July 13, 1878 – Aug 14, 1880 May 19, 1882 – May 14, 1883 | ||
| Godfrey Rhodes | Apr 5, 1867 – 1891 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Nobles 1876–1886 3-time president of the Legislature; Born in England, Kauai coffee farm; 1886–1892 lived in Calif, in the room when Kalākaua died January 20, 1891 | ||
| George E. Richardson | 1886–1891 | House of Representatives; circuit judge of Maui | ||
| Antone Rosa | Attorney General Nov 15, 1886 – June 28, 1887 | |||
| William E. Rowell | Served under Samuel Gardner Wilder in the Dept. of the Interior; son of missionaries George Beckley Rowell and Malvena J. Chapin Rowell | |||
| William James Smith | Nov 2, 1874 | Born in Tahiti. Attended the Royal School. Secretary of the Board of Education. Decorated with the Royal Order of Kalakaua, and by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Sacred Treasure. | ||
| Charles Nichols Spencer | House of Nobles 1890–1892 Minister of the Interior June 17, 1890– Sept 12, 1892 | |||
| Richard H. Stanley | 1875 | House of Nobles 1874 Attorney General May 28, 1874 – Nov 5, 1875 Died in office | ||
| Robert Stirling | 1872–1874 | All Privy Councils since Kamehameha V House of Nobles 1873–1874 Listed in Thrum's as still Privy Council 1889 | ||
| Lorrin Andrews Thurston | Minister of the Interior July 1, 1887 – Sept 27, 1888 Oct 27, 1888 – June 17, 1890 | |||
| Alfred N. Tripp | 1874, Aug 13, 1884 – Nov 15, 1892 | Port of Honolulu harbormaster As part of Walter Murray Gibson's failed agenda for a Polynesian Confederation, Tripp was named Special Commissioner for Central and Western Polynesia. The plan called for him to use his own schooner to travel among the Gilbert Islands promoting good will among the individual chiefs. | ||
| John Smith Walker | Oct 19, 1874 – Mar 7, 1891 | House of Nobles 1876–1892 Minister of Finance Oct 31, 1874 – Dec 5, 1876 Sept 27, 1880 – May 20, 1882 Attorney General Nov 5, 1875 – Feb 15, 1876 | ||
| John T. Waterhouse Jr. | 1887–1891 | Served on Liliʻuokalani's Privy Council of State | ||
| Henry Martyn Whitney | Jan 22, 1873 – 1891 | Holdover from Lunalilo Founder of Pacific Commercial Advertiser and Hawaiian language newspaper Ka Nupepa Kūʻokoʻa. | ||
| Hermann A. Widemann | Feb 18, 1874 – 1891 | House of Nobles 1874–1890 Justice of the Supreme Court July 10, 1869 – Feb 18, 1874 Appointed by Kamehameha V | ||
| Samuel Gardner Wilder | Jan 22, 1873 – 1874 | Holdover from Lunalilo House of Nobles 1874–1888 Minister of the Interior July 3, 1878 – August 14, 1880 | ||
| William Pinehasa Wood | Nov 2, 1874 – 1890 |