The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-01-24
BLOUNT SEVERELY HANDLED.
Professor Alexander Testi6es Before
the Subcommittee.

WASHINGTON, Jan. o.-l nat inc
Senate Committee on Foreign Re-
iatiops will make a deliberate and
thorough investigation of the "ir-
Irregularities" which have occurred
IN the management of this coun-
try's relations with Hawaii since
January last seems clearly limited
AZ by the manner in which the sub
committee has SO far conducted its
INQUIRIES. A commendable dlspo-
sition has been shown 10 secure
as many competent witnesses as
possible and to give each chance
TO make full and free state
ment of his beliefs and opinions.
That the investigation will widen
gradually in scope and will involve
finally, not only an inquiry in-
to the disputed facts of the January
revolution, but a consideration OF
the constitutionality of President
Cleveland's delegation of para
mount authority" TO Commissioners
Blount, seem inevitable, and in the
settlement of this grave question
of abuse of Executive power sever
al weeks are likely To be spent.
The hearings of the committee
are To continue daily for the pres
ent. aud an intelligent idea OF what
decision the investigators are likely
TO reach can only be gotten rs the
inquiry develops its scope and the
MANY secret documents In the case
still unpublished are unearthed.
Professor Alexander, Surveyor
General of Hawaii, was the only
witness before the committee to-
day. He discussed points of inter
national law. drew comparisons
and cited presidents, and con-
demned the report of Commissioner
Blount as being based upon false
premises, and supported only by
ex parte evidence, which misre-
presented and distorted the actual
facts.
Professor Alexander is also un-
derstood to have informed the
committee that the Provisional
Government, conscious Of the JUS
tice of its cause, and believing that
Mr.. Rlount's chief mission was to
report upon the offer of annexa-
ton, spared neither time nor
money in furnishing him with full
details on any subject he sought to
investigate. Mr.. Blount, however,
he said, carefully concealed his
real object in all his dealings with
the representatives of the Provls-
ional Government.
Mr.. Alexander supported and
Endorsed the statements made In
the open letter by Minister Thur
ston, and denied the accuracy of
Mr.. Blount's report, asserting that
the American troops took no part
in the overthrow of the queen, and
declaring that to one who knew
the location of the buildings 1T was
impossible to understand Mr..
Blount's remarks relative to the
strategic position of Arion Hall,
where part of the United States
marines were placed.
Mr.. Alexander is likewise said
to have called attention to a num-
Der of "serious" omissions in MIR.
Blount's historical matter, promln-
ent among these being his failure,
in discussing the legislative session
of 1892, even to allude to the strug-
gle between the friends and oppon-
ents of what were known as the
Lottery and Opium rings, or to the
final passage of the Lottery bill
and the part the queen is said to
have taken in it. It is understood
that Professor Alexander, for the
purpose of showing what he said
were inaccuracies, took up Mr.
Blount's report and analysed IT.
making corrections and giving his
own version of the facts as they
were known to him. In one part
of his report Mr.. Blount makes this
statement that "the story of the oil
vision (of the lands of 1S45) Is dis
creditable to the king, chiefs and
residents" This statement, Mr.
Alexander asserted to be extraord,
inary in it's character, and flagrantly
unjust and so opposed to the verdict
of all authorities on the subject
that it discredited Mr.. Blountf
Judgment on all other subjects.
After a brief recess at noon the
committee continued with Profes
sor Alexander on the stand. The
hour for adjournment arrived witt
this witnesses testimony still I'm
finished, and the committee adj
iourned until tomorrow.