Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-14

Washington, Dec. lin the senate
today Mr.. Hoar offered the following
resolution:
Resolved: That the president be
requested to inform the senate, if in
his opinion it be not inconsistent with
public interest, whether any person
whose name has not been submitted
to the senate for confirmation, and,
if so, what person has been appointed
since the fourth of March, 1893, to
represent the United States in the
Hawaiian islands, and whether such
person was accredited to the preSi-
dent of the executive and advisory
council of the Hawaiian islands;
and whether such PEI on was present
ed to the head of t.. government OF
the Hawaiian islan> and whether
any, and, if so, wha. authority was
given such person uching the rela-
tons of this govern lent to the then
existing or other government OF the
Hawaiian islands and the protection
of American citizens therein; and
whether any discretion or power was
committed to such person to deter
mine when the naval force Of the
United States should be landed there
in or withdrawn therefrom; and
whether any authority was committed
to such person to use physical force
in the territory of said government
or to land an armed force there; and
whether such person was authorized,
or in fact, correspondent in regard to
the public affairs of the government
of the Hawaiian islands with any pri-
yate persons, newspaper or any other
periodical, or had been authorized to
or has in fact undertaken to receive
in said Hawaiian islands the testi-
mony of any private person or re
uueSted or received written communi-
cations from any private person in
regard to the lawful and existing
government; the circumstances under
which said existing government was
established or any other matters re-
lating to the public affairs thereof,
and, if any such appointment or au-
thority was made or given to further
inform the senate as to whether the
same was made or given at the time
when the senate was in session or
continued in force during any session
of the senate or congress and any part
thereof, and further whether such APP
pointment or authority was commune
GATED to the senate during any SEES
sion hereof; and further whether any
person had accepted or undertaken
to accept the office of commissioner
or public minister with the powers
aforesaid, or any of them, or under
taken any correspondence with the
government, or with any private per-
son describing himself as 4 commits
aoner of the United States"
Hoar commented on the fact that in
formation communicated by the preSi-
dent to certain senator's under the
seal of confidence was freely given
out to representatives of four news
papers known to be Jealous. thorough
going, he had almost said unScrupu-
lors, supporters of the administration.
If the allegations are true, said Hoar,
it seemed to him as gross a violation
of the constitution of the United States
as ever was charged upon or imputed
to any public official. 1t was not nee
essary to say that the appointing or
commissioning of such an officer with
out consent of the senate was an at
tempt to uSurp al diplomatic rela-
tionS of the government.
Mr. Hoar reau an Associated Press
cablegram from London, i'll which
Minister Bayard expressed an opinion
on the Hawaiian question. He said
that if the dispatch was true, it is
also true that Great Britain has been
taken into confidence which the SEN
ate and the American people have not
shared. If it be true that the presi-
dent, the senate being in session, au-
thorized an officer to exercise para
mount diplomatic authority in Il coun-
try with which the United States was
at peace, directed a consul and resi-
dent minister to promote his success
by every means in his power, placed
archives under his complete and I'M
trammeled control, authorized him to
employ 1T discretion naval power and
land or withdraw the forces of the
United States at will and had given
him Il title which is enumerated as
one of the titles of diplomatic officers
in an act of congress, the president in
his (Hoar's) judgement is upon very
slippery ground and he had better
step on terra firma rapidly and at
once. Uaughter). If, in the next
place, such an official has entered
that territory and established cor
respondence with private persons
about its public affairs, taken testi-
mony, received written COM
munications and made re-
ply thereto. that officer has
violated in the most gross and pal
pable manner an express and written
law of the American people: and. if
he reported that action to the presi-
dent and it is approved and the
president made himself an accomplice
after the fact. in violation of the
law, he (the presidenN is standing not
only upon slippery but very thin
ground.
1.-The people have a right to know
and wish to know and will know, let
me say to my honorable friend, the
truth in this matter"
Mr. GRAY reDremanded Mr.. HOar