New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-21
MIR. STEVENS A WITNESS.
TESTIFYING BEFORE THE HAWAIIAN
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
THE SUPPRESSED DISPATCH RELATING To ENG
LIsH INTRIGrES AT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
STATEMENTS CoNTRADICTED BY TIE
ADMINISTRATIVE QUEENS RE

|
having coerced the Hawaians and contributed
toward the establishment of the Provisional Gov
eminent by the use of the United States forces
! The committee was somewhat late in getting to
work. the witness who to the Capitol with
Senator Frye. being present long before a quorum
OF the subcommittee appeared. For short time
Mr.. Stevens was in the room. chatting Informally
with Mr.. Morgan and Mr.. Frye but when Pro-
fessor Oleson, who the stand Yesterday. ar
I rived. for the purpose OF revising his testimony,
Mr.. Stevens went upstairs and did not urn until
lie came 10 take the stand. During his absence
| Mr.. Gray appeared and the quorum was made NJ.
| When Mr.. Stevens came down to the committee
| room again he carried in his hand bundle Of
| documents. which had an exceedingly voluminous
| look and presaged sitting Of length.
The ex-Minster's side OF the controversy has been
stated so fully in the press and through addresses
made by Mr.. Stevens that the public Is or
| less familiar with IT, The only thing necessary to
| be done was for Mr.. Stevens to put under oath
| the matters Of which the committee had been adj
vsed unoiiciay, and to enter into matters which
could not be discussed In public This latter phase
| of Mr.. Stevenss testimony by far the most
| important. and every preclution was taken by the
committee to prevent any nkling Of the character
OF this evidence from becoming known outside the
committee room.
CONTENTS OF THE SUPPRESSED DISPATCH.
There has been much speculation since the Pres-
dents message was sent to Congress as to the con-
| tents OF the dispatch from Mr. Stevens to the State
| Department that withheld by the President on
the ground of public policy. 1t Is understood that
this letter was one Of those confidential commun
cations from diplomatic to their Governments
touching upon the alleged intrigIies OF other Govern
ments. Mr.. Stevens to-day gave TO the committee
what he SUPPOSED 10 be the letter referred 10. II
can BE- said in general way that It related TO the
attitude OF the English Minister In connection with
affairs the Hawaiian Islands and his relations
with the Court OF the deposed Queen. 1t Is under
| ,l.,t Nff,I1
near to the Queen any one on the Islands. and
was able thereby TO exercise great influence over
her His son. Mr. Wodehousc. Is the husband of
the half sister Of Princess Kaulanl who would Lee
the her-apparent the throne II the depose1 Queen
should be- restored With this Princess the throne
and a British subject related To the Royal family
| and enjoying the power and influence that such
| relationship would give It could easily be- seen
| Mr. Stevens said. what the effect would be- upon
| American interests. and how they would be sub
| orlnatcl everything that was British The
| British Minister had lived on the Islands for years
| his family had nt"rmarred there TO some extent
| and naturally he would be- opposed 10 any scheme
| looking TO the overthrow Of the Queen and an
| nexation 10 the United States II was said by Mr.
| stevens that the British Minister Mr. Wodehouse
| was favorable TO the deposition Of the Queen ana
| That he entertained an opinion OF her that was IN
keeping with the opinions OF other wril-iniorined
and progressive citizens; but while he wanted her
| IN the throne he was equally as DESTROYS that
| Nalulanl should succeed her. The methods used III
| disseminating this idea among the people ana the
| part played by the British Minister are said to
| have been an interesting feature Of the evidence
| given by Mr stevens
| Mr. Stevens also went Into the subject OF the
| p,rsonal character OF the Queen and those whom
| she "a th.red about her. and gave testimony to the
| effect that all the reports were true ana that the
| condition OF affairs about this royal court was III
utter antagonsm to the IDEAS OF morality that com
| sttsi ~ To-
gave In detail the occurrences happening long prior
10 the revolution and furnished data and statistics
| pertaining the commercial wealth OF the Islands
| their Importance from military STANDPOINT ana
Information concerning the condition OF me people
| far 1t might relate To the subject oil sel-e''-
eminent IT,, =, . ,
,b rsS eomm, It, Mr stevens said that he
never In his experience as Minister exercised an
| authority equal to that exercised by MI. bouht III
The matter OF commanding the naval officer on duty
| a a port where he was acting as hted at1t"s
partment any other official to pace tach nnthqr
| ment and said tina, he had always made request
OF such naval officer. the commanding Oincer Delns
permitted 10 net under the general orders u the
| NaVy Department 1t was the duty Of such officers
to protect the lives ana PROPERTY Oh Amerl'lh Siu-
| discretion
| LANDING OF MARINES NOT INIMICAL TO THE
| QUEEN.
| In discussing the acts performed by him. Mr.. Ste
| vens took the ground that all he had done was
in the direct line marked out by Secretary Marcy in
| 1854 and By Secretary Baydrd In his instructions
| 10 Minister Merrill In 1871 lie had landed the
troops simply for the purpose OF protecting Amer.
can life and property and h" proughi OUT 'hS pvhl
| that The dcposed Queen herself dln nor 10y h ri
acts. take contrary Nlcw Oh tie Vtst. ias pan
| OF Mr. Stevens's testimony touched on new ground.
hours after the marines had been landed and after
| the Queen had been deposed, she sent to HIM ana
her behalf regue9; wheh sn o Mr. ms s'gSGns
| ting n he As
| her While on this subject OF the landing OF the
| Commissioner Eounts report that his reply to the
request OF the Committee Of Safety to land troops
| lion Of Mr Rlount was obvious. There was nothing
in his intimatlon however. for the reason that no
t rsp he W should have asked caTian Wits land the
n o. ss even o co @S M dca and " n c
cumstanccs justified him In CARVING ont ie stand
said had been made repeatedly In isii 1887 and 1889
| and about To be- done ON several other occa-
| sions.
! BI.OUNT'S ASSERTIONS DENIED.
Replying to Mr. Blounts assertion that he had
promised to assist the committee by the landing OF
troops Mr.. Stevens said that the statement OF
Mr.. Blount emphatically and categorcaly
untrue. lie told everybody that force would not
be used until danger imminent. and then only
to protect American life and property, RoyalSts
| the Legation and were treated alike.
p @r AND ire Offers Of Americass to furnish
him. AT cost equal 10 what ne wouu pay al a
| hotel quarters AT house of an American. lie
| fold the committee how Blount refused these Of
fers and took up his residence at the hotel kept by
| "A former Chamberlain of King kalakaua. a man
who had been implicated In deal in which the
| Hawaiian Government had been swindled out OF
| 800 600 and who was notorious for his opposition
! 10 any and all things American Mr. Blount took
! 1t upon himself to place himself among royalist
surroundings. ,
In his report Mr.. Blount says that upon April
II n. disapproyed request OF the Provisional
| Government for the landing OF an armed force
! for drilling purposes Mr.. Stevens said that such
a request was never made. for at the time the
| Provisional Government was anxious that there
| should be no landing OF this sort In order that
| the pe,ple might not be alarmed Mr.. stevens
said that he never heard of the report until II
! appeared In the statement OF Mr.. bouhu a., ~
| if Mr Uounts statements concerning the APP
nearonce OF the Japanese warship, Mr.. Stevens had
much 70 say He characterized them as TX parte
and absurd and on a par with the statements Mr.
Uiounf made To him 10 the effect that President
o" '.tuI o., IT. Mr. Ulounf's) attitude