The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-11-24


could not lawfully detain or arrest
them without authority from Sydney
| wrote at once to Sydney by the
mail advertised to leave that day
for the necessary papers and some
one to positively identify the two
men. / also wrote to San Francisco
to cable from there to Sydney with
the same object, but through my
mistaking the time of departure, the
steamer left that day-at II n. M,
the usual time being II m.--before
had quite finished the letter.
Knowing that the least suspicion of
my having done anything of the
kind getting abroad would Illustrate
my designs, l communicated them to
no one but two members of the
Cabinet who came into my office as
my letter to San Francisco was Just
finished, and to my I'd Clerk, G.
Cal son Kenyon, to whom | ordered
strict secrecy TO be observed in re-
gard to the whole matter. Knowing,
therefore, that neither | nor anyone
else in this kingdom had any power
or rig hit to detain these men Till the
proper authority arrived from the
Colonies, | kept the photographs and
description in my personal posses
sion, not only for safe keeping, but,
as | informed the Advertiser re-
porter, fearing that should too many
know of it, it might perchance leak
out and so cause these people to
take fight before / could get any
proper authority to act in the matter.
| may say here that il is impossible
for me to receive reply from the
Colonies to my letter before the next
through steamer due here Dec. 2Sth.
If l had been correctly Informed,
since my return to town, the British
Commissioner here received the same
papers as did myself, but had not
taken any action, as no request to do
so came with them, nothing but a
simple request for information. |
may also state that when at Waimea
the Chief Justice, on being shown
the papers in question, stated that in
his opinion nothing could be legally
done but what had been done.
do not now discuss the question
of the guilt or innocence of these two
gentlemen, merely observing that the
information | received stated that
warrant had been issued for their
arrest, but SO far as we in this King
dom were concerned that gave us no
legal or moral right to detain or in
any way interfere with them until
such time as the proper authority to
do so arrived,
l now quote the Advertiser re-
porter's account of his interview with
me, merely promising that those por-
tons not enclosed in quotation marks
are the additions which on Saturday
morning last | had asked to be made
and which were promised by the
editor should be made:
"Bloom and Douglas tailed with
the photographs and description of
the men wanted with the exception
that they had let their boards grow.
He had written letter to the autho-
rites at Sydney which was shown
to our reporter, Informing them
that the men were here and to send
someone with the necessary papers.
He had not heard from the Colonies
and could not arrest the men on any
specific charge. He showed the re-
porter the photographs of Bell and
Davis alias Douglas and Bloom;
they are exact pictures of oui late
visitors with the exceptions above
noted. The Marshal also stated that
in this case, as in many others, it
was secret matter, and entirely in
his hands. His reason for taking
away the photographs was not to
defeat the ends of justice, but" to
keep the matter secret till the proper
papers arrived, not "merely for safe
keeping. He was surprised to hear
of the arrest while he was on Hawaii
and claimed that the Custom House
officials" or the police chad no
right to arrest the men, on any
charge arising in any other country.
''The Marshal also stated that no
officer or detective from Sydney had
ever called on him in relation TO the
Beagle owners.
1t will, | think, be seen from the
above which is a straightforward and
absolutely correct history of the
events which have taken place, that
l could not legally have done any
thing else in the matter than what |
did do, and L may say that in face of
the above facts, which were fully ex-
planned TO both the Advertiser editor
and reporter, the charges and insinu-
atoms in its editorial of Monday
fall to the ground.
If the Advertiser or anyone else
can bring forward even colorado
charge of corruption either by my
self or any of my subordinates, let
it be brought, and promise before.
hand that it shall be fairly and fully
investigated and the guilt, if any,
sheeted home to the right parties,
who shall at once be punished in the
severest manner the law allows. But
if not, then why should honest men
be illuminated by the vile breath and
viler pens of those whose whole i'm