When Paulet arrived, Kamehameha III was away from Honolulu and Charlton's appointed replacement, Alexander Simpson, was not recognized as acting consul. Rejecting Simpson allowed Charlton's opponents to proceed without his appointed representative in court. It also removed the official who could explain local delays and carry messages between the government and the visiting warship. Paulet was not a Pacific specialist and relied on formal procedure. The refusal therefore left the Hawaiian government communicating directly with a naval captain who had less diplomatic flexibility than a consul.
Chapter · 27:20-33:03
Rejecting the acting consul removed the diplomatic safety valve
Hawaii's refusal to recognize Charlton's deputy left HMS Carysfort communicating directly with the government and deprived both sides of a consular intermediary.