The record-union., 1893-12-07
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

WASHINGTON, Dec. "a spirited us
cussion on the Hawaiian question occu-
pied the Senate to-day. The debate arose
over a resolution offered yesterday by
Hoar, requesting the President to for
ward to the Senate all correspondence on
the Hawaiian question. Hoar said the
resolution covered period of three Ad-
ministrations, and he hoped and believed
the instructions would show settled and
consistent policy, certainly down to re-
cent time, in regard to which there had
been no party or political difference OF
opinion. If the Presidents message
meant anything, it meant that the Presi-
dent was meditating on the question OF
whether he should by his own Executive
authority commit an act Of war against
friendly Powers. If that was apparently
proposed to be done, and had not been
done yet, Hoar desired that the swift and
indignant remonstrance of the American
people should make itself felt and heard.
The President was getting into the habit
of adopting rather extraordinary lam
guage in his dealings with other branches
of the Government.
Mills opposed the resolution. 1t called
for information, but meanwhile its au-
thor, before he got that information,
charged the President with meditating
an act of war. Mills denied that state
ment On the contrary, the Executive
had respectfully submitted the question
to Congress, and given the information at
his disposal, such as he thought appro-
pirate to submit in his message. The
Presidents action in the matter had been
strictly confined within the limits of ex-
ecutlve authority. The only question
i -, to1 rtarO
Government interfere and overturn the
existing Government of HawaiiY' If it
did, it was the duty Of the people of the
United States, represented in the Govern
ment, to make restitution and relnStaUe
the Government which had been over
thrown. Mills asserted that the entire
Hawaiian difficulty had arisen because
the sugar planters OF Hawaii wanted to
obtain bounty on sugar, to be paid them
out Of the pockets of American citizens.
Villas thought there were reasons why
the resolutions should not be adopted at
this time. The President in his message
had said additional adViceS were soon eX-
pected, and when received would be
promptly sent to Congress, accompanied
by special message. He referred to the
remarks ofIHoar as 20 the reported action
OF the President being an act OF war, and
asked whether the landing of troops to
overthrow the Government by virtue of
their force was not an act of war.
Hoar replied that there was no pretense
that there was any act OF war. The troops
were landed under the allegation that
they were to be used In protecting the
lives and property of American citizens.
Hoar continued, saying the Queen yielded
to an armed insurrectiOn, and not to
American troops.
"What information has the gentleman
from Massachusetts" ?" asked Gray, that
there was any armed insurrection on the
10th Of January"
The statements of Stevens and the
Provisional Government" replied Hoar.
There is not bit Of ofevidence of that"
declared Gray.
81 think there isl asserted Hoar.
"After the President had sent a letter ad-
dressed to My great and good brother,
President Dole it would be an act OF In
fanny only excelled by the act OF Joab
when he stabbed his neighbor under the
fifth rib and then asked, Art thou i'll good
health, my brother?' Laughter.
NiIas protested that that was not the
question.
Hoar replied that the whole argument
of the Senator from Wisconsin and the
Senator from Texas was one that would
require the United States to give back
Texas to Mexico to-day.
I'VE never got Texas from Mexico"
said Mills. "Texas came into the Union
voluntarily"
Without going into the question of the
character of the instructions of the Presi-
dent to the Minister, Villas declared that
the President had only instructed the
Minister to do that which he had ample
authority to do.
'How do you know ?' came from half
q dozen Senators at once.
Villas moved that the resolution be re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Re-
lations.
Hill said he did not propose to cross
the Hawaiian bridge till he reached it,
nor did he intend TO discuss the wisdom
of the original procedure, or Of what had
been done recently by the present Ad-
ministration. He seldom agreed with
what the Senator from Massachusetts
stated, but he did agree with him that
this was a simple resolution asking in
formation from a department of the Gov
ernment in reference to most important
matter, information which he thought
the American people wanted to know
from the Presidents message, and were
disappointed when it was not given them.
1t had been said, continued hill, that in
structions had been given-he did not
say so, however, and he hoped il was not
true-trom which it was inferred that
force might be used to restore the pre-
viously existing status, that brought UP
the q QuSStlOIi aS 10 NuGtu6E lu6 AOlllulS-
tration had power, without the consent
OF Congress, to use the army or navy to
restore previously existing condition OF
affairs, even conceding that the Govern
ment had been planted by fraud or even
by force. There were three departments
OF this Government, and the executive
department was Dut.one of them. There
were reasons why this information
should be given now, perhaps at this
moment, possibly at this very hour. The
navy of the I nited States was co-Operat-
ing with the United States Minister who
was seeking to destroy the Provisional
Government by force, and that was a
question OF propriety which should be
determined by Congress.
sherman favored the passage of the
resolution. He said he did not intend
now to say q word in regard to the condi-
tion OF affairs existing or which existed
i'm Hawaii year ago. The difficulty was
that the President and newspapers say
there is a purpose to restore the Queen.
renew the status quo, and set aside what
was regarded by the administration as an
unlawful acI. These were all matters OF
controversy: but there was one thing
which appeared to him TO be very plain,
and that was that the Congress of the
United States had not been treated in the
omen and fair way in which an admins
tration of the Government of the United
SIates should treat Congress. 1t was GER
tain the doubts about the condition Of sf-
fairs which existed in Hawaii a year ago
xrare in the mind of the President When
CONGRESS met in extraordinary session.
Il VAS certain q gentleman of high stand