The Portland daily press., 1893-12-14
WEARING LIL'S WREATH.
A Hawaiian Legislator Voted When
Too Drunk to Stand.
HOW THE DUSKY QUEEN AIDED
THE LOTTERY BILL,

| Commissioner Carter Writes to Secretary
| Gresham Supporting Mr.. Stevens-Sig-
| nificant Despatch from Admiral Irwin
| He Says One Thousand Men i'll Hon
| o1ulu Are Prepared to Resist Attack
| A Message Which Causes Much Specu-
lation-Other Hawaiian News.
| San Francisco, December 13-Steamer
| Oceanic, which arrived here last night,
brought an open letter from Charles L.
/ Carter, ex-commisioner to the United
| States of the Provisional Government of
Hawaii, to Secretary Gresham. in which
| he denies the statements made by the
latter to the President, and answers
them in detail. Mr.. Carter gives state
ments in support of Minister Stevens
and the Provisional Government. He
says: ''For my own part. can never
forget nor forgive the spectacle of the
| deciding vote on the lottery bill. A men,
Der who, up to this date, was pledged
against the measure, was too drunk to
hold up his head during the debate.
With a wreath of flowers about his neck,
said at the time to have been placed
there by the eX-queen at the moment of
his promise to support her plans, after
| having been piled by her with intoxicat-
ing drinks, he voted unsteadily in favor
or indefinite postponement until correct
ed by his neighbors. He was not in
mt condition to follow he course of leg
islative action
The use of troops during the revolu-
ton is referred to by Mr.. Carter as fol-
lows: "While Mr.. Stevens, on the Satur-
day before, consented to allow the queens
cabinet to use your forces against her
and those behind her, when that cabinet
violated its pledge and Glove again to
Her Majesty and her cause, he positively
declined to allow the committee of pub
lie safety, which then became revolu-
tionary body, any support or assistance,
the committee of public safety from
noon of Sunday, the 15th.''
Mr. Carter continues: II saw the
troops landed at 5 o'clock Monday, and
1t was not until nearly o'clock that
evening that they ssecured quarters and
were installed in Arion Hall. 1t was
midnight before even hasty and made
quate sanitary precautions for their com.
fort were completed.
Il know by my own knowledge that
attempts were made by the minister and
Captain Wiltse to secure other accommo-
dations for the men, which were refused.
and that no attempts We're made to Sc
cure any accommodations, until after the
troops were landed and the necessity for
their remaining on shore over night be-
came apparent.
"The old armory might possibly have
been used, but that had already been Sc
cured from it's owners as a rendezvous
for the revolutionary forces of the COM
mittee of public safety, although circum-
stances which arose later rendered the
very moderate use of it insufficient for
the purposes of the Provisional Govern
ment.
THAT there was no particular reason
for locating the forces at that place ought
to be apparent to you from the fact that
as soon as the commodious premises af-
terward known as Camp Boston could
be arranged, the men were moved"
Again Mr.. Carter writes: THAT there
were no manifestations of excitement or
alarm in the city on that Monday night
was due to the fact that the American
troops were on shore. Up to the moment
of their landing the agitation and uncer-
tainty were intense. If any of Mr.
Blount's witnesses have made statments
to the contrary 1 should like an oppor-
tunity to cross examine them.
GAS it was, there were two attempts at
incendiary fires at different times in differ
ent parts of the city, which but for the
prompt appearance of Lieut.. Swim burn
and squad of men might have in
creased to alarming proportions,
The troops landed at O'Clock on
Monday, the 10th, and the committee of
public safety seized the government
building at O'Clock on the afternoon of
Tuesday the 18th, twenty-four hours
later.
"It was I who entered the building
half an hour before the committee be-
cause it had been rumored that there was
guard therein. found none. There
were eight government officials and
clerks in the building, which ordinarily
teens with ministers, judges and some
forty or fifty official clerks was told
that the abinet had left the BUILDING.
"The Queens adherents had neither
character nor ability to resist.
II was afterward told by Marshal C. B.
Wilson, then in charge of the Queens
civil forces, that they had left the build
ing because they were afraid of their
lives, well knowing that to be the point
the. revolutionary forces would attack,
and that but for their cowardice or their
treachery, the marshal did not know
which, in refusing to allow him to send
guard to that building, we would not
so easily have secured possession; that
he had concealed ammunition in the
foreign office, which was indeed after
wards found there, and that it was his
purpose to send men there prepared to
use it.