The Portland daily press., 1894-01-01
THE MINORITY AGGRESSIVE.
ing Hawaii Shown Up in Its True Col
Ors

Washington, December 30.-It is the
present understanding that the majority
and minority reports OF the committee
Oh foreign affairs on the Hawaiian situa-
tion will be brought up in the House
next Friday. The report of the minority
is an aggressive document, prepared by
Bellamy Storer of Ohio, at the request of
Mr.. Hit, and also signed by Mr.. Hit of
Illinois, Mr.. Harper of Pennsylvania, Mr..
Blair of New Hampshire, Mr.. Draper of
Massachusetts and Mr.. Van Voorhis : of
New York. The report narrates the Incl
dents of Blount's appointment three days
after Cleveland's accession to thesoffice,
while the Senate was in session, quotes
the instructions given him and asserts
that in this appointment the President
ignored the plain language of the Con-
stitution defining and limiting his
powers. 1t proceeds as follows: it is
the unwritten, but universally accepted
law that no administration of any repre-
sentative government ever condemns
the international policy of a preceding
administration for, in SO doing, it would
attack It's own government. Our atten-
Jion cannot be diverted from the question
which most profoundly affects our gov
ernment By attacks congressional OF adj
ministrative upon the acts of the minister
Of the United States in January, 1858.
While we think it clear that Minister
Stevens's conduct was not only justifi-
able and necessary but praiseworthy and
patriotic, this is not the time to discuss
thatssubject"
After reeiting and commenting upon
the various steps taken by the admins
tratlon in the Hawaiian matters, the re-
port says There is no question here
before us OF annexation, no question as
to the propriety of Minister Steyens's
action, for, as to that, we know only one
side, prepared by an agent hostile to
the administration of which Mr.. Stevens
formed a part There is no ground of
debate now as to whether the present
Hawaiian government was rightly or
wrongly established nearly twelve
months ago The issue is directly before
the House whether to approve and COM
mend the course of the present admins
tration AS disclosed by itself. If the
President, without the consent of the
Senate, can send asparamountd diplomatic
officer to supercede minister, leaving
the latter only routine duties, he may do
iG in Great Britain or in Germany as
well as in the Hawaiian Islands"
In conclusion the report recommends
the following as a substitute for the
majority report:
Whereas, Executive communications
to Congress disclose that the executive
department has been furnishing to the
minister plenipotentiary of the United
States secret Instructions to conspire
with the representatives and agents of a
deposed and discarded monarchy for the
overthrow of friendly republican gov
eminent, duly recognized by all civilized
nations, to which the said minister was
accredited and to which his public in
structions pledged the good faith and
sympathy of the President, the govern
ment and the people, OF the United
States,
Resolved-That it is the sense of this
House that any such Intervention by the
executive of the United States, it's civil
or military representatives or officers,
without the authority of Congress, is a
dangerous and unWArranted invasion of
the rights and dignities of the Congress
of the United States and violation of
the laws of nations; and furher, that the
manner of such attempted intervention
by the executive and the methods used
are unworthy of the executive department
of the United States while the confessed
intent of such intervention is contrary to
the policy and traditions of the republic
and the spirit of the Constitution"
Senator Frye, mem Der of the sub-conl-
mittee on foreign relations, investigating
Hawaiian matters, has received a letter
from ex-Minister Stevens stating that he
would come to Washington and appear
before the subcommittee Mr.. Stevens
would prefer, owing to the condition of
his health, that his deposition should
be taken at Augusta, Me-. but this is
practically impossible. Since the death
OF his daughter, which occurred by
drowning in Hawaii, at the time of the
revolution last January, Mr.. Stevens has
been in poor health, and his advanced
age, "A years, precludes the hope of SUBJ
stantial Improvement.