New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-18
FAVORABLE TO THE TREATY.
TIE SENATE COMMITTEE REPORTS IT FOR
RATIFICATION.
1T CO.'S on TIE EXECUTIVE CALENDAR AID
MAY BE TAKEN Up BY MAJORITY VOTE
THE LEGAL STANDING OF
THE CROWN LANDS.
THE CROWN LANDS.
LEY TELEGRAPH 70 TIE TRIBrNEl

mendation favOIing its speedy ratliicaton lhe
treaty then went on the executive calendar whence
II can be taken by majority vote al any future
executive session. As there was general desire
this afternoon TO go on with tho SuHdrv civil
Appropriation BILL it was thought better to post
more tho consideration Of the convention for the
present.
The opposition TO The treaty is gradually becom-
inc defined tn 10 date the Senators who have
syowcd hostility 10 II are Mcssrs Coke. Pugh.
Vest Ransom. Vance, Mills. PETER, Pctterew.
White. Palmer. Gordon and Wolcott. This Is a
small minority indeed and represents so little OF
Tho practical Judgment and the sober political IN
tclliecncc Of ;hc Selia;c 10 BE- almost harness
for any other purpose than obstruction. Inc op-
moments of the treaty have 10 common gfOuh' 10
stand on, and the arguments they produce VIII nc
found 70 have little weight with the senate IL
an earnest dlatory fight is made. the 'ir''! HAY
lc forced over into tie next session. Out 'nci'
seems to be little doubt of its ratlhcatlon II
vote can be taken any time between now anu
March 4.
The Hawaiian commissioners d'scrccit 'hc 'cr-
c,,uhic rcnor;, from san Francisco that + ,
Pratt. the Hawaiian ConStl-Gencral at that poi''
has sent TO Vice President Morton and the Senate
a protest against the ratification OF 81 much OF
tho annexation treaty as relates to the so-calied
Crown LANDS o. the islands. The statement
attrib Ited 10 Mr. Pratt. that il his protest Is as
regarded by the United at"s Government DIS
turhnc effect upon native IlawaiianS would re-
suit which might lead 70 disastrous consequences
without any compensatng advantages, Is ho'
seriously considered hy the commissioners MI
Pratt the commissioners say, is not even ren"teiy
connected with the present or any former reign
Ing family of Hawaii, 50 that Mr. Pratts pro-
test" would be an absurd enc. even II one could
lie properly Entertained.
The annual pension of 100000 Tor the queen
and the gift of $4,000 for the Princess are
incorporoted in the treaty as compensations or
measures Of relief for tho loss oil their inter-
est in the Crown lands These lands have been
an ipcnl,us on the Government for nine years
They could not be sold or used for any pubic
rurrose but the proceeds derived from them
were devoted to the income of the royal FANNY
When the Provisional Government was estaoHs"e"
all the Crown lands were conlscatcd, 80 10 Sp'"N'
and set aside for actual public needs OF ochc"''
The commissioners of the opinion tha' III p''-
posing after the dethronement OF the Q"c"'
that a regency be established in Hawaii thc
English had personal selfish motives III "is'iinS
these lands kept for the sole advantage oil '''c
ROYAL family as no small part oil 'hi' Ivy "'
preserve is now leased 10 EngIshmeh'
Mr. Castle. one of the commissioners 'o-u'S
tercsting account of the history anu N"i"0 % ""
so-callcd Crown lards of Hawai-:
In 1s4s Kamehamcha Ill compelled the at
tendance in Honolulu of all thr great chefs anu
,andholders of the Kingdom. His OBJECT WAS "
create new land system. Before that ''ihc '''
lands of the Kingdom had been held upon a 'ehu''
resembling that Of the feudal system "i"i VI"
great coneuests Ivy Kamehamena l, lahus n''''
hrru, arwortioncd by him TO his favorte chlci'ainS
and soldiers, but, in sense, the ute "i' III '"'
Crown. The chiefs owed him allegiance ana sei-
vice If they had refused such serNlCc WV"
croperty would have been taken away hdnion'-
mcha III appreciated the advantages ~ oe NC
r;,.od from settled land system and the meeting
referred to was called for the purpose oil c'a',
milling the chiefs to come to terms. After sevefai
,,a.ks If stormy session, these chiefs and land
bo,ders Welding in part to threats, IN part 10
,ers,,asion and promises surrendered all OIL ther
lands 70 the King In return for this he conveyed
N them certain lands with title III lee ihls
GREAT work was accomplished in March, lo4s'
Having acquired the great bulk of the LANDS III
the Hawaiian Islands, which had been conveyed
70 him ny the chiefs, the King proceeded TO select
from the list certain lands which he desired 10 re-
tain leaving q great portion to be transleife1 |"
The Minister of the Interior in order tha' 'hev
might be sold or otherwise used and the proceeis DE-
come available for internal improvements ana uie
support of the Government. In June, ls4s, the
Legislature of the Kingdom passed an act accept
ing the gift of the King, naming all of the lands
turned over TO the Minister Of the Interior ana
,hen proceeded TO name the reserved ,ands.
specfying that they should he reserved for the Use
OF the King and his heirs and successors forever.
Thus were created the two classes called respect
lively Government and crown lands. IN" ioIDlcr
were to a great extent surveyed, cut INTO tracts
offered for sale and largely purchased by natives
IN tla
portion of the Government lands had been sou, pui
there still remain somewhere IN the nelsho9rNOOu
of $4,000 acres During the reign Of Name
ha,neha III Ills private secretary LEASED and other
wise dealt with the crown lands, paying the income
TO tie King Upon his death III s51 kameIl,hr hI
~ continued TO use and occupy these landb ne
sides his private estate. dcvotlng the income 10
such purposes as lie saw ft lie died ~ 1868, ana
Immediately grave question arose as 70 ,hc rieh'
of his widow in these lands. In iS04 1t was
decided b. the Supreme Court that the BODY OF
lands called the crown lands constituted epcc'eS
Of pnbs prOpry set aside l0r the sap npd ovrr
to such person might occupy the throne
IN As65 the Legislature of the kn2dom passed
an act 10 define and specify the intent OF me az,
of-Is1S with difference 10 the Crown lands. II
clca,cd Z, body 81 trustees known as the crown
Lands commissioners whose dut.' il has ever since
been 10 attend 70 leases and other matters relative
10 this body of the Government property. II haI
been ,ecmed necessary several times since to sell
PORTIONS of this land In every case al Act Of
tho 4 legislature has been reTrred to ahthoriZc
,ucI, allie, alton. Tn" commissioners have made
deeds and leases. The consent OF the sovereign
ha, never been sought or obtained. nor has his
siehat ure nor that Of his wife been require! hpOn
such deeds II is the unqucstlonrd opinion Of
the courts and OF the Hawaiian bar that me
Crown binds constitute 4 portion OF the phoilc
domain. and upon the abrogation of the monarchy
the (;oyernment AS Il matter OF course. taxes the
income The present income OF the crown n1'
is about $4,000 II year. II should D' ,nuch
morc hut there are vet outstanding many leases
made In past years al low rentals. As these en-
prc. new leases have been made upon better
ttt,1pfz fla Al n6-
be worth 50 800 900 which is probably low
figure. In few years they will be worth much
more.
PUBLIC FEELING on THE ISLANDS
SENTIMENT IN HAWAII AS LEARNED BY AN