Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-07
THE NEW CONGRESS.
An Attack On The administrations
Hawaiian Policy.
SENATORS H0AR AND HILL.
The Latter Joins the Former In Calling On
the President for Information
statue of Shields.

hFif iiAtVluh'I W AhAs FS'AANN"
were referred. The title OF one Is DE
clarlng a Pension Vested Right; Regu-
lating Suspension Of Pensions, and Grant
ing Appeals TO the Supreme Court OF
the District OF Columbia;" and Z 1t OF
the other is Defining Sundry Crimes
Against the United States in the Admin
istration of the Pension Laws"
Mr.. Collom offered a resolution. which
was adopted, rendering the thanks OF
Congress to the Governor. the Legisla-
ture. and the people of the State OF
Illinois for the statue Of General James
Shields, which was accepted, and as
signed to place in Statuary Hall, and
remarks in eulogy OF Shields were made
by Messrs. Collom, Vest, Davis, and Pal
| mer
The Vice-President then laid before the
Senate the resolution offered yesterday
by Mr.. IIoar requesting the President
to communicate copies Of all instructions
given to any representative or naval offi-
Ger OF the United states since March
4, 1881, in regard TO the preservation OF
public order in Hawaii. or the protection
of the lives and property Of American
citizens, or the recognition or support Of
| any government thereof and Mr.. Hoar
spoke at length in support OF the exist
ing (provisionaD government Of the
| islands.
If what the President said in his
message were true. and IL there had been
some wrongful action on the part of the
American Minister under the last ad-
| ministration, that would not justly the
| President in overthrowing the established
government.
/ Referring to the mission OF Mr. Blount.
MIR. Hoar expressed a curiosity to hear
from any defender OF the administration
on what precedent the President relied
| for that most extraordinary and most
secret proceeding. lie OHoaD did not
want to be understood as expressing an
| opinion as TO the policy Of anneXing
| the Hawaiian Islands, or as entering at
all into that discussion. All such ques-
| tions were foreign 10 the present occa-
| SIGN.
TIE PRESIDENTS LANGUAGE.
| 1t seemed TO him that the President
was adopting and getting into the habit
| Of adopting rather extraordinary language
| in dealing with other branches OF the
government. In his last message he had
said dn regard to the civil service) that
| Congress had passed the ciyil-serVice
| law. not because IL favored IT. but be-
cause Congress was afraid of popular
| opinion. lie GIoar should like to be at
| liberty to relate to the President SONS
| things which he had heard said by Demo
| Gratis in his part OF the country-mcn
| who were quite as honest quite as dis
| tinguished, and quite as high in the pub
| lie estimation and confidence as any per-
( son holding any official position, however
| illustrious.
Mr.. Mills opposed the resolution and
! spoke Of Mr. Hoar's speech as case OF
| Smelling the woods" before he obtained
| the information which his resolution
| called for and as charging the President
with medltating an act Of war. He (MillO
| denied the statement ami asserted that
| the Executive had respectfully submitted
| the question to Congress and had given
| Congress such information at his dfSpo-
J sal as he thought it appropriate To sub
nit The Presidents action In the mat
| ter had been strictly confined within the
| limits of Executive authority. 1t made
no difference that the government which
| had been overthrOwn In Hawaii was a
| Christ said that tribute should be paid
| him 1t was not "A question OF the mo-
| rality Of the Queen, and of whether her
| character was such as Caesar would Eave
| had his wife possess. The only question
was. did the Government of the United
| States interfere to overthrow the Govern
| ment of Hawaii?" II II did. then 1t was
! the duty of the President OF the United
| States-the representative Of this govern
ment-to make prompt restitution and 10
| reinstate the government which it had
| OverthroWn.
MIR. lIOAR TRIPPED.
! Mr.. Hoar, again speaking. said that
! even If six months or "A year ago some
| official Of the United States had, in vio-
| lation Of right and of international law,
done something by which the government
| Of Hawaii had been overthrown and a
new government established. he would not
concede that it would be the duty of the
| United States six months afterwards TO
overthrow the existing condition of things.
| because that argument would require the
| restoration of Texas TO Mexico.
| Mr. Mills reminded Mr.. Hoar that the
| United States had not acquired Texas
| from Mexico. Texas had come into the
| Union voluntarily.
| Mr.. Mills asserted that for what the
| IIESiQrHl ndl uOIt anu AOi hiliL U' Iid'i
/ instructed his Minister to do he had
ample and complete and perfect au-
thority.
HILL TAKES A HAND.
| Mr. Hill said that he did not propose
! TO cross the Hawaiian bridge until he
| got to it, He did not propose to discuss
| the wisdom Of the original procedure or
| the wisdom of what had been recently
| done by the present administration. He
| did not understand that these questions
/ were involved In the resolution. He sell
dom agreed with the Senator from Massa-
| chusetts (Mr. HoaD, but he did agree
| with him in this particular-that the reSo-
| luton was an ordinary ana simple one,
asking for Information from department
of the government in relation TO most
| important matter. II was Information
| for which the American people hac looked
| in the Presidents message, and which
| they had been disappointed in not find
ing there. When senator's ascertained
what instructions had been given. and
understood what the true situation was,
they could determine what they ought
! To do.
He had no reflection TO cast on the pre-
| ceding administration or on the present
| administration. He <ad no unkind word
| TO say In relation to the action of the
| previous Minister TO Hawaii or of the
present minister IL had been publicly
| hinted that instructions had been given
TO upset the Provisional Government by
| force. If necessary.
That would bring up the question as 70
| whether the President had the right. by
the use OF the army or navy. and without
| the consent of Congress, to restore the
| previously existing status-even concedine
that the former government OF Hawaii
had been overthrown by fraud or forcs.
THE sENATE's RIGHT.
The information asked for In the resolu-
ton was asked because the Senate was
entitled 10 IL. The resolution was re-
spectfuly worded The information was
asked only so far as II was in the Presl'
dents opinion. consistent with the public
interests to furnish IL. He knew that that
was the usual form. but he did not see
why the information should be withheld
for a single moment.
What harm was to be done III the peo-
ple should know precisely what was now
| going on In the Hawaiian Islands? M
good reason had been presented or couls
| be presented why the President shoua
not promptly comply with the rssolu-
don. There are reasons why the infor-
nation should be given here and now
| Perhaps at this very moment, at tbs
| very hour the navy Of the United States
| co-operating with the United States Min