The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-03
RACE FOR AN ISLAND.
President Dole in Opposition to
Great Britain.
He Wants to Hold the Relay Station
on the Proposed Pacific
Cable.

HONOLULU, May 26.-The steamer Iva
lani. one of the fleet of island vessels,
sailed last evening on what was at first
deemed a most mysterious errand. 1t was
discovered later that the little steamer was
engaged in a race with the English cruiser
Cham pion, the prize being au island that
has not as yet been claimed by any
country. On the steamer WaTrimOo, that
arrived here from British Columbia few
days ago, was a passenger named Reid
who. as soon as the vessel was locked.
claimed an audience with the Executive
Council. During this conference he an
nounced the fact that the English Govern
ment intended to lay a cable from
Australia to the United States in
the near future, but did not intend
TO touch at Hawaii. The plan was
TO have the connecting point between Aus
tralia and America at johnson Island, a
small piece OF land slightly to the north of
Hawaii. AS soon as the Provisional Gov
eminent became aware of the plans Of the
English 1t was decided to send an officer
of the Government to the island with the
power to raise the Hawaiian flag over it,
thus securing the Government a chance to
have the proposed cable touch here. At
the time the lwalani started the Champion
was preparing to leave. The little steamer
had an hours START, and as it Is one of the
swiftest vessels IN the island service il
will have a good chance TO reach the island
first. and thus defeat the plans of those on
board the Champion, who are understood
TO wish to elevate the English flag over the
little Island. and thus control the Pacific
cable system.
R. w. Irwin, the Hawaiian Minister to
japan, arrived here Unexpectedly on the
14th inst. with important dispatches to the
Government in regard to the fran chse for
the japanese residents here. The Mikado
threatens to withdraw the Japanese resi-
dents now here and to restrict further i'm
migratiO if his subjects are not given the
voting franchise in this country. Since
this has been made public the planters
have made strenuous efforts to obtain Por-
tuguese labCrers from the Azores, and a
commission to this end will probably be
sent by tO-day's steamer TO Portugal to OBJ
tain this end. The Chinese have also
claimed the franchise, and have petitioned
the Government to this effect
The Constitutional convention meets
next Wednesday, and the delegates are
arriving daily from the other islands.
Work at Pearl Harbor is progressing
rapidly. behring's have been made all over
the proposed entrance 10 a depth of thirty
feet and not a sign of rock OF coral encoun-
tered. Lieutenant Woods. who is in
charge of the engineering party. has said
that the harbor bids fair to be the finest
one in the world. in case the United States
decides to establish naval station there.
E. Suhr, ore of the original Committee
of Safety in 1898. yesterday resigned his
positions in the Councils. His position
has not yet been filled.
WASHINGTON, June 2-Representative
Hit of Illinois to-day introduced resou-
ton on the Hawaiian question in the
House similar to that passed by the Senate.
The resolution was referred to the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs.