Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-06
Ex-Minister Ashford Answers the Chare,
Made Against Him.

SAN r FRANCISCO, July 5th.-The steam
ship Mariposa arrived to-day. twenty-five
days from Sydney, seven days from Hon.
olulu.
18th King kalakaua appointed John Adams
Cummings, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
vice Jonathan Austin. resigned; Godfrey
Brown, Minister of Finance, vice S. NJ.
Damon, resigned; Charles N Spencer,
Minister of the Interior, vice Lorin A.
Thurston, resigned; Arthur P. Peterson,
Attorney General, vice C. w. Ashford.
On Friday, June 18th. Noble Wideman
introduced resolution in the Legislature
declaring:
WHEREAS. 1t was apparent that the constitu-
tlonal advisers of the King were irreconcilably
divided against themselves, and it being i'm
possible to heal the dissension in a manner con.
ducive u the best interests OF the Kingdom,
be it
Resolved That the Assembly mark its dissatis
faction with the existing state of affairs by de-
claring want OF confidence in the Ministry.
Previous to the introduction of the reso-
luton, Minister Austin replied to the
charges made against him in the majority
report of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, which has been heretofore referred
to, denying that he had disobeyed the in
structions of the House to lay before it
documents regarding the proposed treaty
with the United States, or that he had OBJ
struc,ed important documents in relation
TO the matter on the plea that they were
personal communications.
On the introduction of a resolution by
Representative Brown, stating that there
was greater principle at stake than the
integrity of the Ministry-namely that the
minority should not rule-offered an
amendatory resolution, declaring that
WHEREAS, Minister Ashford had advised the
King to refuse to follow the advise of the ma
Jority OF the Cabinet, which advice of the Attor-
ney-General the Supreme Court passed upon
and declared illegal and unconstitutional. but
the Attorney.General had persisted in mis-
advice to the King-it was
Resolved That such assertion OF the right of
minority to rule was subversive of the princi-
pies OF constitutional representative govern
ment and that the action of the Attorney Gen.
erai was Deserving Of the severest censure and
the condemnation of the House, which did
thereby declare its lack of confidence in him
Appreciated and warm debate followed,
In which the Attorney. General and some
members of the Legislature took the
ground that the body could get rid of one
member of the Ministry only by passing q
vote of want of confidence in the whole
Cabinet.
The vote on Browns amendment re-
suited "A TO ga tie vote, all elective mem.
bers of the House, including the President,
voting.
The Cabinet, however, promptly re-
signed.
During the proceedings of the Leeisla.
ture June 9Ln. Minister Ashford, rising to
a question of privilege. stated that he
wanted to answer the charges made against
him by the Minister of the Interior of
connivance with the instruction of last
April. He claimed that the instruction
OF 1887, planned by W. R. Wilcox, was
only the continuance of a scheme of the
Ministers to replace the King on the
throne by his sister, Princess Lilliukalani.
and that the Minister was to blame for
that instruction.
Notwithstanding the rumors of the i'm
pending trouble, there was not even suffi-
Gent ammunition available for ordinary
use. If it had not been possible to obtain
10000 rounds from the United States
steamship Adams, then in the harbor, the
instruction would have been successful.
He claims that when it was voted to put
the proposed treaty with the United States
through, the King was not to know all the
facts of the treaty. The clause relating to
the landing OF foreign troops on Hawaiian
soil was annexed to a draft of the treaty.
and when the draft was left with the KING
the annexed clause. which he claimed was
to have been removed, remained, through
an oversight, affixed to the treaty and the
King rejected il.
Minister Ashford charged other members
of the Cabinet with the conspiracy.
Minister Thurston entered general de-
NAL of Ashford's statements, both as re-
garded the counter charges against himself
and concerning The Cabinets action in re.
gard to the treaty
On the following day, June 10th, Repre-.
sentative WIlplY m ad efafo ri
Legislature as to his part in the insurrec-
ton. He claimed that society was organ
lied, with the motto Hawaii for Ha.
waiians, whose object was, by peaceful
methods to secure to the native The right
to represent the Government in official
positions. When the purpose Of the or
ganiZation became known, party went to
the King and asked him to abdicate in
favor of Princes Lillukalani, as discon-
tent prevailed among the people on account
OF the opium scandal and other occur
rences.
Wilcox contended that, prior to this
Ministry, he had been conspiring against
the King and in favor of republic. and
that the spokesman of the party was, at
the time the proposition was made 10 the
King in the employ of certain Ministers.
minority report of the Committee on
Foreign Relations was presented to the
Legislature by Representative Baldwin,
June 18th. The report says the committee
had not. at the lime the majority report
was presented, June 4th, fully investi-
gated the conduct of Minister Austin in
regard to his alleged refusal TO lay all cor
respondence touching on the treaty before
the House. The minority states that il
found the Minister ready to show all the
minutes of the Cabinet meetings aud the
letter which formed the basis of the ma
jority reports complaint The letter con-
tanned but one brief sllusion to the treaty,
and the minutes of the Cabinet meetings
were equally mesger as to that particular
The report gives the text of the proposed
treaty. and states that Kalakaua in Deem
Der, 1889 refused to sign an authorization
for Minister Carter TO negotiate treaty, as
1t had been drawn up without consulting
him.
On the return of Minister Ashford from
q private trip to Canada, the latter de-
INJURED to the text of the treaty. which was
so amended as to make it commercial
treaty.
At Cabinet council April 10. 1890, the
King was advised by the ministry to sign
commission authorizing Carter to negotiate
treaty on such basis, but the King, act.
ing on Attorney General Ashford's advice,
again declined.
THE SEAL FISHERIES.
Armed schooners Being Fitted Out to
nafv A .rico,