The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-07

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-Two bills re.
lating to pensions were introduced by
voorhees, in the Senate to-day and re-
ferred to committee on pensions
Cullom offered a resolution, which was
agreed to, thanking the governor, the
legislature and the people of tho State
OF Illinois for the statue OF Gen. James
Shields, which had been accepted and
assigned to place in statue art hall
(the old hall of Representatives.. Re.
marks in eulogy of Shields were made
by Cullom, Vest, Davis and Palmer.
The Vice Pre- sident then laid before
the Senate the resolutions of yesterday
by Hear, requesting the President to
communicate copies of all instructions
given to any representative or naval
officer OF the United States since March
4, 1881, in regard to the preservation of
public order in Hawaii, or the prouec.
ton of the lives and property of Amer
lean citizens, or the recognition or sup.
port OF any government thereof
Hoar said that the resolution was
one merely asking for inform ation and
was such as the Senate generally
adopted without question or delay
There could be no question that the
present government Of Hawaii 1.-THE gov
ernment in power there at the latest
advices) was friend to the Government.
1t had established itself, he said,
without violence after an attempt on the
part of the queen to commit an act of
revolution and usurption. 1t covered
three administrations and he hoped and
haliauad hot inc
show a settled and consistent policy,
down to very recent time.
But if the Presidents message meant
anything, it meant that the executive
of the United States was meditating
and considering the question whether
he should, by his own executive author
ity, commit an act OF war against 3
friendly power. To undertake, on any
pretense whatever, any reason what
ever, TO enter that kingdom or republic,
or however 1t might be defined and
described, and to overthrow it's existing
government, was an act Of war, and none
the less so because it was an act against
q feeble and small government.
The suggestion that the United
States might have acted with undue
haste in the recognition of the govern
ment or that it might have violated
international law by taking part in the
revolution which established it would
not bear examination for moment.
The matter of the establishment of
the existing government in Hawaii
was fact and not a question OF right
or wrong. There was scarcely 4 gov.
eminent in the American continent
that did not owe its existence to revo.
luton. International law recognized
and could, in the nature OF things.
recognize only in the fact of govern.
ments. II what the President said in
his message were true, and if there had
been some wrongful action on the part
OF the American minister under the
last administration, that would not
justify the President in overthrowing
the established government.
He thoughtit manifest that the trans.
action was one which the Senate and
the people were entitled to understand
and were entitled to understand without
delay. Referring to the mission Of
Blount Hoar expressed 4 curiosity to
hear from any defender of the admins
tration, what precedent the President
elect had for that most extraordinary
and most secret proceeding?
Mills opposed the resolution and spoke
Of Hoar's speech as a case OF "shelling
tho woods" before he obtained the in
formation winch his resolution called
for, and as charging the President with
meditating an act of war. He (Mills)
denied the statement and asserted that
tho executive had respectfully sub
mitted the question to Congress and had
given Congress the information at his
disposal. Mills was still speaking when
the morning hour expired but, on motion
Of Hoar, he was porn tilted to proceed
with his speeCh
Villas thought it was due to all Sena-
tors that, before the discussion as to
Hawaii proceeded, they should be in a
position to deal with the facts and to
know what they were. They desired
that everything asked for in the resolu
ton land much more besides) should be
furnished so as to enable the discussion
to be conducted on an intelligent
basis. But there were reasons, he
thought, why the resolution ought not
to be adopted at the present moment
The President, in his annual message,
had made brief statement of his gen.
eral position in relation to Hawaiian
affairs, and had said that additional
advices were soon expected and would
be promptly sent to Congress. In view
of that complete and ample prefer of