The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-01-19


n sudden attack upon the Palace, but
this advice was overruled, ana il was
decided TO first hold public mass
meeting to state their grievances and
to present specific demands to the
King. Accordingly, on the afternoon
of the 30th of June, 1887, all business
in Honolulu was suspended, and an
immense meeting was held in the
armory, on Beretana street, composed
OF all classes, creeds, and nationalities,
but united in sentiment as never be-
fore or since. The meeting was guard
ed by battalion of the Rifles fully
armed. A set of resolutions was
passed UNANIMOUSLY declaring that the
Government had ''ceased through in
competency and corruption to perform
the functions and to afford the protec-
ton to personal and property rights
for which all governments exist" and
demanding of the King the dismissal
of his cabinet, the restitution of the
1000 received as a bribe from Aki,
the dismissal of Junius Kaae from the
land of office, and a pledge that the
King would no longer interfere in
politics.
A committee of thirteen was sent to
wait on His Majesty with these de-
mands. His troops had mostly desert
ed him, and the native populace
seemed quite Indifferent to his fate.
He called in the representatives OF
the United States, Great Britain,
France, and Portugal, to whom he
offered to transfer his powers as King.
This they refused, but advised him to
lose no time in forming new cabinet
and signing new constitution. Ac-
cordingly lie sent written reply the
next day. which virtually conceded
every point demanded. The new cabi-
net, consisting of Godfrey Brown,
Minister of Foreign Affairs; l.. A.
Thurston, Minister of the Interior;
w. l.. Green, Minister of Finance.
and G. w. Ashford, Astorney General,
was sworn in on the same day, July l.
THE CONSTITUTION OF 1887.
AS the King had yielded the repub-
lican constitution was dropped, and
the constitution of 1864 revised in such
a way as to secure two principal OBJ
jects, viz, to put an end to autocratic
rule by making the Ministers respon-
Legislature and to widen the suffrage
by extending it to foreigners, who till
then had been practically debarred
from naturalization. / have given
the details in another paper.
Mr.. Gibson was arrested July /, but
was allowed TO leave on the 9TH by q
sailing vessel for San Francisco.
Threats of lynching had been made by
some young hot heads, but fortunately
no acts of violence or revenge tar
nished the revolution of 1887.
An election for members of the
Legislature was ordered to be held
September u, and regulations were
issued by the new ministry, which
did away with many abuses, and Sc
cured the fairest election that had
been held in the islands for twenty
years. The result was an overwhelm-
ing victory for the Reform party,
which was virtual ratification of the
new constitution. During the next
three years, in spite of the bitter hos
tility and intrigues of the King, the
continual agitation by demagogues,
and repeated conspiracies, the country
prospered under the most efficient adj
ministration that it has ever known.
FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE AKI
CASE.
1t has been seen that OH the 30th Of
June, 1887, Kalakaua promised in
writing that he would "cause restitu-
ton to be made" of the 81 900 which
he had obtained from Aki, under q
promise that he (AkD should receive
the license to sell opium, as provided
by the Act of 1886.
The Reform cabinet urged the King
to settle this claim before the meeting
of the Legislature, andit was arranged
that the revenues from the Crown
lands should be appropriated to that
object. When, however, they ascer-
tanned that his debts amounted to
more than $250,O00 they advised the
King to make an assignment in trust
for the payment of all claims pro rata.
Accordingly, y trust deed was eXecu-
ted November u, 1887, assigning all
the Crown land revenues and most of
the Kings private estate TO three
trustees for the said purpose, on con-
dition that the complainant would
bring no petition or bills before the
Legislature, then in session.
Some three months later these trus-
tees refused to approve or pay the Aki
claim, on which Axis executors
brought suit against them in the Su-
preme Court.
After full hearing of the evidence,
Judge Preston decided that the plea of
the defendants that the transaction
between Aki and the King was illegal
could not be entertained, as by the
constitution the King "could do no
wrong" and "can not be sued or held
to account in any court of the King
DOM" Furthermore, as the claimants
had agreed to forbear presenting their
claim before the Legislature in con-
sideration of the execution OF the trust
deed, the full court ordered their claim
to be paid pro rata with the other ap-
proved claims.
The LIiussr@aoo z'0uKEsEs Guido