The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-01-18
MR.. BLOUNT EXPLAINS.
he Tells the Coumittis aow He Found
Things at Honolulu.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11.-COntrary to
previous announcement, eX-Commis-
sioner Blount this morning was before
| the senate committee which is investi-
eating the relations of this country
with Hawaii. Under the res )lution of
Senator Morgan, Senator Eyre, who is
regarded as a special champion on the
committee of ex Minister Stevens, who
it has been supposed would be pleased
to have an opportunity to examine
Biount, appeared soon after 10 o'clock,
the hour of meeting, but excused him
self for the time to attend a meeting of
the senate committee on commerce.
Senator Dolph sat with the sub COM
mittee. The efforts Of the committee
were directed more to securing an ex-
PLANTATION from Mr.. Blount of his va
rious acts while in Honolulu than OBJ
tanning from him an accurate account
of his mission, of which the committee
was already sufficiently informed
through his official report. The ex-
PLANTATION necessary, however, involved
direct allusion to, and in some in
stances, a full account of his proceed
iDgs.
He told briefly of his appointment,
on the 18th of March, 1899, by the
president as special commissioner to
investigate the condition of affairs on
the Hawaiian Island, which had been
developed by the revolution of last
January. This revolution, together
with the part the American troops had
taken in it, the fact that the American
minister had established an American
protectorate over the Islands and that
a provisional government had been
formed and was seeking to have the
islands annexed to the United States,
and advised the president to have the
whole matter Investigate by some
one who had no connection with the
occurrences, and he had been selected
for this mission.
Mr.. Blount saio he considered this
appointment as within the bounds of
propriety and precedent. The trip to
the island on the Rush, the landing in
Honolulu on the goth of March, and
pie on both sides Of the cues.
ton were passed over without
mention almost, as was the fact that
the anneXationists and royalists were
apparently exceedingly anxious to
make his stay as pleasant as possible.
His decision to have the American en-
sign taken down and American SOL
diers returned to the man Of war was
next reviewed. Blount said that he
III icIonHc anH
ernment under control or protection
of the United States troops.
The American flag fioated
over the government building in
which the officers of the provisional
government conducted their business.
Everywhere was noticed the influ.
ence Of this country upon the people
of the islands.
1t was evident, Mr.. Blount said, that
it would be difficult to secure an i'm
partial account or opinion uninfluenc-
ed by surrounding as long as this state
of affairs continued. Consequently
he decided on March l, two days after
his arrival, that in accordance with
the spirit of his instructions and in the
interest of fair play, that the flag
should be taken down and American
troops removed. OF this decision he
informed President Dole and the fol-
lowing day, April l. ended the TEN
porary protectorate and had the flag
lowered. This proceeding he defended
as within the scope Of his mission and
as an entirely proper proceeding
under the circumstances. Subsequent
events, he said, proved that the pre-
sence Of American troops was not
necessary to preserve order or protect
life and property of either Americans
or natives.