The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-16
A HAWAIIAN TREATY.
President Harrison Sends II
to the Senate.
MINISTER STEVENS. DISPATCH.
He Explains the Reasons for His Action
In Assuming = Protectorate-He
Forestalled the English.

WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 15.-President
Harrison sent a message to the senate this
afternoon. recommending the annexa-
ton Of the Hawaiian islands to the
United States. 1t was accompanied
by treaty of annexation con-
Guided between the secretary of state
and the Hawaiian commissioners and
mass of correspondence relating to the
question at issue. The treaty in brief pro-
vides merely for the annexation OF the
islands under the present provisional gov
eminent and leaving the details of q per-
manent form Of government, ETC.. to the
action OF congress.
The correspondence is very voluminous,
going back many years and giving a COM
plete history OF the islands 80 far as nego-
tiations with the United States is con-
cerned. Contrary to the general
expectation the senate in execu-
tive session declined to make the
treaty public Immediately. but decided
first to have the message and documents
printed for the confidential information of
senators. The papers were accordingly
sent down to the gov eminent printing
Office to be put in type for confidential
use, with the probability of the seal OF
-
The message Of the president and the
correspondence were received In executive
session with attention such as no message
from president has been received in re-
cent years. There was no debate beyond
few questions directed to the chairman
of the foreign relations committee, but
every word was carefully weighed and the
message and treaty met with almost gen.
eral approval.
Among the detailed dispatches received
at the state department today, was one
from Minister Stevens, giving an interest
ing account of the reasons which governed
him in assuming control of the islands. 1t
is as follows:
have time before the departure of the mail
steamer only to state briefly the additional
Sons which caused me to assume q temporary
prOtectOrate over these islands. The provisional
government must have time to organize
its new policy and discipline a small mill
tary force, for when the monarchy died BY its
own hand there was no military force i'll tn
islands but royal guard of about seventy-fve
natives. There are 10000 Chinese and Japanese
on the islands and evil disposed persons might
stir up some disorder; but the chics element of
danger in Honolulu is the renegade whites at
the head OF the lottery and opium rings, and q
considerable number OF hoOdlum foreigners and
the more vicious natives. Another important
reason was that the British war vessel and
English minister thus aided, might try to press
unduiy the provisional government With the
islands under our protection We think the
English minister will not attempt to insist that
his government has the right 70 interfere while
our flag is over the government buildings
In Guiding his dispatch, Minister Stew
ems says:
We shall continue to maintain our present
position with great caution and frmness until
We hear from the president through the secre-
tary Of state As a necessary precauton against
all exigencies. advise Admiral Skerrett to be
promptly sent here with one or two ships in ad-
dition to the Boston.
BosroN. Feb. 15.-The senate today.
without debate, refused to admit the
house resolution favoring the annexation
of the Hawaiian islands.