Evening journal., 1893-12-07
TALKED ABOUT HAWAII.
The Senate Asks the President
For Information.
OPPOSITION TO THE TARIFF BILL.

Democrats who DO Not Like It WIN At
tempt TO Call a Caucus 49, Senator HIM
Critieises the President-senator Mills
Defends Him-MeIIo Ran Away.
WASHINGTON, Dec. THE session Of the
senate was largely occupied by spirited
debate ON the Hawaiian question, which
resulted in the passage Of a resolution ask
ing for the papers in the case
The resolution offered by Mr. Hoar re-
qucsting the president $50 far as i'm his opin-
iOnis not inconsistent with the public inter
est 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 Hawaii.
was laid before the senate by the vice presi-
dent. Mr.. Hoar said it was a resolution
such as the senate rarely hesitated to pass
on the request Of any member of the body.
Senator Mills followed Senator Hoar and
defended the president, MIR. Mills opposed
the resolution. IL called for information,
but meanwhile the author Mr.. Hoar, pro
ceeded to ''shell the woodsn before ne got
that information and charged the president
with meditating an act Of war He Mills
denied the statement. On the contrary,
the executive had respectfully submitted
the question to congress and had given
them all the information at his disposal
that he thought appropriate to submit in
his message.
The presidents action in the matter had
been strictly confined within the limits of
executive authority. Senator Hill created
a sensation by making perhaps the strong
est speech of his senatorial career. He
challenged the right Of the president to use
military force to restore the Hawaiian
queen.
Hin on the Hawaiian Matter.
Mr. 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 administra-
tion. He did not understand that that
| question was involved in the resolution.
| He seldom agreed, he said, with what the
senator from Massachusetts stated, but he
did agree with him that this was a simple
resolution asking for information from a
department of the government in refer
ence to a most important matter-infor-
nation which he thought the American
people wanted to know from the presi-
dents message and were disappointed
/
The question as TO what had been done
was the point involved. When congress
ascertained what instructions had been
| given and what the true situation was at
the commencement of the difficulty, il
could determine what it should do.
Mr.. Hill said he had no reflections to
cast upon the preceding or the present adj
ministration and no unkind word to say in
reference TO the previous or present minis
ter to Hawaii. There was a disputed state
OF facts as to what actually took place when
the government Of Hawaii was overthrOwn
and it might be that congress in its wis
dom should see fit TO send a commission tC
the country to investigate and report as tC
the facts.
1t had been said, continued Mr.. Hill
that instructions had been given-he die
not say so, however and he hoped it wa,
not true-from which it was inferred that
force might be used to restore the previ
ously existing status.
That brought up the question whether
the administration had the power, without
the consent of congress, to use the army OF
navy to restore the previously existing
condition of affairs, even conceding thai
the government had been planted by FRAUD
or even by force. There were three depart
ments of the government, and the execu
{ tive department was but one of them Con
gress wanted information because it wa.
J entitled to it. Under the resolution thu
president might withhold the information
If he desired
After some further discussion Mr. Cal
Of Florida closed the debate and then thl
resolution was adopted without a division
After a short executive session the senat
adjourned.
Senator Gray of Delaware, member O
the senate committee on foreign relations
will, it is believed, speak for the admins
tration in the coming contest over the SUI
ject in the senate 10 is believed that he /
being equipped with all the data in tn
possession Of the state department anl
: with the ideas on which the president an,
secretary Of state have proceeded.
; In the House.
In the house Mr. Grosvenor asked unan
imous consent for the consideration of
resolution directing the secretary of tn
interior to furnish the grounds upon whic
some 1900 Ohio pensioners were suspend
ed from the rolls prior to July 4. It wa
/, referred to the committee on pensions.
Mr.. Meyer called up the resolution pre-
viding for the appointment of a specia
joint commission, consisting of three meu
bers each of the house and senate, to inve.
tigate all questions relating to the rank
pay and personnel Of the navy. The vot
r on the resolution was 90 to 9, and a rol
call was in progress when the time cam
, for the unveiling Of the Shields statue, an
| the house adiournpd