St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-07
be referred to the committee on foreign

be referred to the committee on foreign
relations.
Mr.. Hill Dem.. N. " said he did not
propose to cross the Hawaiian bridge
till he reached it. nor did he intend to
discuss the wisdom of the original pro-
cedure or of what had been done re-
Gently by the present administration.
He seldom agreed. he said, with what
the senator from Massachusetts, stated,
but
HE DID AGREE
with him that this was simple resolu-
tion asking for information from a de-
partment of the government in refRr-
ence TO most important matter. In
formation which he thought the Amer
lean people wanted to know from the
presidents message and were disap-
pointed when it was not given to them.
1t had been said, continued Mr.. Hill,
that instructions had been given-he
did not say so, however. and he hoped
it was not true-from which it was in
ferred that force might be used to re-
store the previously existing status.
That brought up the question whether
the administration had the power with
out the consent of congress to use the
army or navy to restore the previously
existing condition of affairs, even con-
cedlng that the government had been
planted by fraud or even by force.
There were three departments of this
government ana the executive depart
meDt was but one of them. There was
reason why this information should be
given now. Perhaps at this moment,
possibly at this very hour, the navy of
the United States, cooperating with
the United States minister. was seeking
to destroy the provisional government
by force, and that was question the
prOpriety of which should be
DETERMINED BY CONGRESS.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep. o. favored the
passage of the resolution. He said he
did not intend now to say word in re-
gard to the condition of affairs existing
which existed In Hawaii year ago.
The difficulty was that the president
and the newspapers say that there is a
purpose to restore the queen, to renew
the status quo, to set aside what was re-
garded by the administration as an un-
lawful act. These were all .matters of
controversy. But there was one thing
which appeared to him to be very plain,
and that was that the congress of the
United States had not been treated in
the open and fair way in which an adj
ministration. part of the government
of the United States, should treat con-
gress. 1t was certain that the doubts
about the condition of affairs which ex-
isted in Hawaii year ago were in the
mind of the president when the present
congress met in extraordinary session.
1t was certain that gentle
man of high standing, no doubt,
former member of the house,
had been sent to Hawaii for the pur-
pose of acquiring information. 1t was
also certain that the administration had
formed certain defuite idea of its
duties. and it had been stated practically
that it was the purpose of the admins
tration to restore the status that existed
before the revolution, to put the queen
in power again. and congress had not
been informed of it. The president of
the United States and the executive
officers of the government might as well
understand that the people of the
United States
DID NOT LIKE THIS.
This was feature of the controversy
which impressed itself upon the minds
of the plainest people of the country.
Whatever might be the ideas or the
information of the president ought to
be conveyed to the public at large; not
only to congress, but also to the people.
There was no reason in the world for
secrecy. All the facts out to be COM
municated to congress.
Mr.. Sherman said that all he desired
to say on the present occasion was that
if it was the purpose of the president,
by the use of the military force. to re-
store the queen In Hawaii, it would
be fatal act of public policy, great
injustice to the people of the United
States and almost an insult to congress.
The congress was the lawmaking power.
The president had no right to declare
war OF to do an act of war, or to pre-
cipitate the country into controversy
of this kind. 1t seemed to him, said
Mr.. Sherman, that not only the lnforma-
tion called for by the resolution, but all
the information available should have
been communicated to congress at its
last session. Then congress might have
acted and the public might have been
prepared for the present
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS.
If there had been less secrecy and
more open-handed and fair dealing,
there would have been less suspicion
and less trouble. If it should happen,
continued Mr.. Sherman, that in pursu-
ance of the authority of the executive.
American troops should be landed in
Hawaii and blood should be shed and
single life lost, it would be. by an un-
lawful act. Whatever view was taken
of the action of year ago, there would
be no doubt about the view that would
be taken by the people of the United
States of any act now which involves
violence, or even the appearance of vio-
lence, or threats, or any act whatever to
be done by the executive authority
without the consent or the knowledge
of congress. ..,-
Mr.. Gray (Dem., Del.) agreed with
Mr.. Sherman that there was no objec-
tion to the adoption of the resolution. :.
Mr.. Frye (Rep., Me.) spoke of the high
character OF ex-Minister Stevens, and
declared the readiness of himself and
his colleague (Mr. Hale) to defend him
against any attacks that might be made
upon him.
Mr.. Call (Dem., Fla.) closed the de-
bate, and then the resolution was
adopted without division.
After short executive session the
senate, at 4:05 o'clock, adjourned until
tomorrow.
GRANTS SUCCESSOR.
"A Badger Democrat steps Into tho
Minneapolis Mans Shoes.