The record-union., 1893-02-09
Special to the REcoRp-uN1oN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
ST. Louis, Jan. S.-A letter has been
received here from John F. Colburn,
Minister of the Interior of Hawaii, in
which he outlines the position of the de-
posed Queen, of whom he is supporter.
&. The letter was addressed to J. Fl. CAM OF
this city, whose wife is an aunt of Col
burn, and is dated Honolulu, January
18th. He asks CAM to get the letter be-
fore some leading statesmen of America
and 'help place the situation of affairs OF
this country in such an impartial manner
to them that the Hawaiian Queen. her
Government and the native population
can receive such a hearing from our Gov
ernment that the nation will cause to be
restored the Queen to her throne, the
Government to power and the Hawaiian
population to their rights"
Colburn then tells of the deposition OF
the former Cabinet and the summoning
on January 18th of one headed by Parker
and in which he (Colburn) served. They
Immediately repaired to the Legislature
and announced their appointment.
''Those of the Legislature present." says
he, ''and the population, to the num-
Der of about one thousand. who were
gathered there received US with applause.
Next morning, Saturday, January 14th.
the day that had previously been set apart
as the day to prorogue the Legislature,
came, and we presented ourselves again,
and after going through the business OF
the House it adjourned to meet again at
the prorogation hour. u NJ.
81 may mention here that on Friday
and Saturday, the days we attended the
Legislature, the reform party was so dis
satisfied and hostile over their defeat that
on both days they refused to attend the
Legislature, and did not have the cour-
tesy to attend the propagation. While
waiting for the hour of u o'clock to ap-
proach. 1 accidentally heard that sthe
Queen proposed to promulgate new
Constitution. l Immediately sought an
interview with my colleagues, and noti-
fed them that if the Queen intended to
act in such an arbitrary manner l would
resign. They answered that they were
willing to do the same thing, and we de-
cidad that if the Queen intended to carry
into effect any such idea, we would all
advise her not to do so.
Il at once repaired to the place of the
opposition (the reform party and told
them what l had heard, and what we had
concluded to do. The leaders of the
party advised US strongly not to resign,
rs it would give the Queen an opportu-
nifty to appoint others who would be will
ing to sign the new Constitution. We
followed their advice, and they assured
us that if any conflict came between the
Queen and us (her Cabinet) the commu-
nifty would give us their support to resist
anything of this measure.
AT II NJ. the Legislature prorogued,
and we repaired to the palace to meet the
Queen. She then and there told us to
sign document purported to be a new
Constitution. We told her plainly that
we would not aceede to her request, and
advised her to abandon the idea. She
was very determined at first, but after
ward yielded and gave it up. She came
out and declared openly to the Hawaiian
people that she could not give them a
new Constitution, and told them to en-
dure their grievances.
THE crowd dispersed, and on the next
day leader of the reform party met us
and made proposition to us that, owing
to the Queens revolutionary actions in
wanting to promulgate a new Constitu-
ton we should depose her and declare q
Provisional Government. Our answer
was that we would give them an answer
later on.
I'm the meantime we, the Cabinet
summoned six of the most responsible
and conservative business men of the
city, also the diplomatic corps. They
met US, excepting j. 7. Stevens, the
American Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary to this country.
We discussed the situation and agreed
that the Queen was at first ill-adyised
but as she had abandoned the project we
should not depose her and declare a
Provisional Government. We notified
the leaders of this defunct and ma!cou-
tented party that we would not agree tc
their proposition. at the same time we
issued a proclamation, and scattered it all
over the town, and delivered to the diplo.
matte corps. that the Queen had aban-
doned her idea, and asking one and all
TO accept the assurances given the
proclamation by the Queen and Cabinet
1DlS party WAS nOt SdllSIleQ with this
but they, with the assistance of the
American Minister and troops of the
United States ship Boston, enlisted a
number of men, to the extent of ], 200
and, aided by the American troops. took
possession and declared by proclamation
a provisional government, contrary tc
the Constitution now i'll force, and con.
trary to the rights of a hundred thou.
sand people, the population OF this
country.
The Cabinet notified the American
Minister of what had happened, and
asked him to assist the duly authorized
government to suppress this revolt; or
if he did not want to do that, then TO re.
move the United States troops on board
the Boston, and we, the Government
i could do it ourselves. When we told him
we had 200 men under arms, and we
were equal to the situation, his reply
was that he had acknowledged the Pro-
yisional Government and would support
it. We, the Government, came to the
conclusion, as we did not wish to come
into conflict with United States troops
to Weld under protest. The Queen and
her Cabinet are at present removed under
protest, pending hearing before the
United States.
"This action on the part of the Amer