The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-07
CONCERNING HAWAII.
The Senate Calls for Information
on the Subject.
HILL OPPOSES THE PRESIDENT.

Tho New York Senator Can See No Rea-
son for Withholding the Faots from
Congress-Senator Sherman Takes the
Same Position on the Subject.
WASHINGTON, Dec. I'm the senate yes
terday Mr.. Voorhees, introduced bill do
claring pension vested right, regulat-
ing suspension of pensions, and granting
appeals to the supreme court of the Dis
trict OF Columbia; also bill defining sun
dry crimes against the United States in
the administration of pension laws. Both
bills were referred to the pension COM
mittee.
The resolution offered on Tuesday by
Mr.. lIoar requesting the president, so far
as In his opinion is not inconsistent with
the public interest, to communicate TO the
senate copies Of all instructions given to
any representative or any naval officer OF
the United States since March 4, 1881, in
regard to the preservation of public order
In Hawaii or the protection Of the lives or
property of American citizens, or the re-
cognition or support of any government,
was laid before the senate by the vice pres
ident.
Mr.. Mills (Tex.) opposed the resolution
IL called for information, but meanwhile
its author proceeded to ',shell the woods
before he got that information, and
charged the president with mediatating an
act Of war lie (Mills) denied that state
ment, The presidents action in the mat
ter had been strictly confined within the
limits Of executive authority.
Mr. Villas moved that the resolution be
referred to the committee on foreign re
lations.
Mr. Hill New York; said he did not pro
pose to cross the Hawaiian bridge till he
reached it. lie had no reflections to cast
upon the preceding or the present admin,
istration and no unkind word to say in
reference to the previous or present min
lister TO Hawaii There was disputed
state of facts as to what actually took
place when the government of Hawaii
was overthrow, and it might be that
congress in its wisdom should see 1T to
send a commission to that country to in
vestigate and report MS the facts.
1t had been said. continued Mr.. Hill,
that instructions had been given-he did
not say so, however and lie hoped it was
not true-from which it was inferred that
force might be used to restore the pre-
viously existing status. That brought up
the question whether the administration
congress, to use the army or navy TO re
store the previously existing condition Of
affairs, even couceding that the govern.
ment had been planted by fraud or even by
force. There We're three depart ments OF
the government, and the executive depart
ment was but one OF them.
Congress wanted information because
it was entitled to it. Under the resolu
ton the president might withhold the in.
formation il he desired. Mr.. Hill could
imagine no good reason why it should be
withheld from the senate for n single
moment after the resolution should reach
the White House. For himself, Mr.. Hill
declared, he could see no reason for the in
sertion of the words $50 far us in his
opinion shall not be inconsistent with the
public interest"
Mr.. Sherman, Republican (O.), favored
the passage of the resolution. The diff
Guilty, he said. was that the president and
the newspapers say that there is purpose
to restore the queen, to renew the status
quo, to set aside what was regarded by the
administration as an unlawful act. These
were all matters of controversy. But there
was one thing which appeared to him to
be very plain, and that was that the con
gress of the United States had not heen
treated in the open and fair way in which
an administration, part of the govern
ment of the United States, should treat
congress-
Mr., Sherman said that all he desired to
say on the present occasion was that if it
was the purpose of the president, by the
use of the military force, to restore the
Queen in Hawaii, it would be fatal act
of public policy, a grent injustice to the
people of the United States and almost
an insult to the congress of the United
States.
The congress was the law making
power, The president had no right to de
clare war or to do an act OF war or to pre-
cipitate the country into a controversy of
this kind If there had been less secrecy
and more open handed and fair dealing
there would have been less suspicion and
less trouble.
Mr.. Gray (Del.) defended the attitude OF
the administ ration, Us did Mr.. Call CFla.),
aud then the resolution was adopted with.
out u division.