The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-16
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oS.

special 10 Lle RECORD-UNION.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-The President
sent message to the Senate this after
noon recommending the annexation of
The Hawaiian Islands 10 the United
States. 1t was accompanied by treaty
of annexation concluded between the
Secretary of State and Hawaiian Com
mlssioners and a mass of correspondence
relating to the question at issue.
The treaty is brief, providing merely
Tor the annexation of the islands under
the present provisional government, and
leaving the details of the permanent form
OF government, ETC., to the action of Con-
gress. The correspondence is very
Voluminous. going back many years.
and gives a complete history of the
Islands so far as negotiations with the
United States are concerned.
Contrary to general expectation, the
Senate, in executive session, declined to
make the treaty public Immediately, but
decided first to have the message and
documents printed flor the confidential
Information of Senators. The papers
We're accordingly sent down to the Gov
eminent Printing Office to be put in type
Tor confidential use, with the probability
that the seal of the Secretary will be re-
leased tomorrow.
The message of the President and cor
respondence were received in executive
session with an attention such as no
message from the President has received
in recent years. There was no debate
beyond a few questions directed to the
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee, but every word was carefully
weighed, and the message and treaty met
with almost general approval.
1t is stated that as soon as the treaty is
ratified the commission will take it to
Honolulu to be ratified by the Provis-
ional Government. The Commissioners
90 not expect any trouble, and although
perhaps the treaty is not everything they
expected and hoped for, it is satisfactory,
and there will be no trouble in having it
ratified. This will have to be done by
the Advisory Committee of the Pro-
Nislonal Government, of which Presi-
cent Dole is member. AS this COM
mittee asks for annexation, it cannot
help but ratify the treaty which will be
presented to them.
The Commissioners expect some fric-
late Legislature, because the treaty does
not provide for the full enjoyment of all
the benefits of citizenship to Hawaiians.
Many thought annexation would mean
the participation at once OF sugar boun-
ties and other benefits of Statehood, and
when they find out that all this is vet to
be provided for, and Congress has vet to
convene, it cannot help but raise some
opposition, and if the treaty had to be
submitted to the Legislature instead of to
the Advisory Committee of the Provis-
1onal Government. the Commissioners
work after they reached Honolulu would
be far more difficult than it was here.
But as 1t is, they expect to have the treaty
ratified at once and be back with it in two
months, and so, if there is an extra ses-
sion of Congress, some legislation may
be enacted before the hot weather comes.
a LETTER FROM MINISTER STEVENS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I5.-Among the
detailed dispatches received at the State
Department from Honolulu, is one from
Minister Stevens, giving an interesting
account of the reasons which governed
him in assuming control of the islands.
1t is as follows:
81 have time before the departure of
the mail steamer to only state briefly the
additional reasons which caused us to
assume temporary protectorate over
these islands. The Provisional Govern
ment must have time to organize a new
policy and discipline the small military,
for when the monarchy died by its own
hand, there was no military force in the
islands but royal guard of about
seventy-five natives. There are about
10000 Chinese and japanese on the
islands, and evil-disposed persons might
stir some disorder.
''But the chief element of evil in Homo
lulu is where renegade whites are at the
head of the opium and lottery rings, and
the considerable number of hoodlum for
eigners and more vicious natives. An
other important reason is that a British
war vessel is here, and the English Min
lister, thus aided, might try to press an
unduly Provisional Government With
the islands under our protection, we
think the English Minister will not at
tempt to resist this Government"
In concluding the dispatch Minister
Stevens says: I'VE shall continue to
maintain our present position with great
caution and firmness until we hear from
the President, through the Secretary of
State. AS necessary precaution against
ali contingency L advise that Admiral
Skerrett be promptly sent here with one
or two ships in addition to the Boston,"