The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-22
THE WATER FRONT.
Colonel Spalding Arrives From
Honolulu En- Route to
Washington.
a CABLE TO THE ISLANDS.
Mysterious Suicide Bunko Men
Bound for Petaluma-The
Bark Discovery.

The Oceanic steamship Australia ar
rived yesterday, SIX days and eighteen
hours from Honolulu. The following is
the list of cabin passengers: A. E. Alex
ander, j. Ancker, R. B. Brennan. J. w.
Bergstrom, Dan G. Beebe, V. Boyer, Mrs.
Bruguiere, ]. M. Chase, J. A. Desimone,
Mrs. E. Forsythe, Mrs. E. s. Goodhue and
child, G. T. Homer and wife, Miss B.
Hopper, s. n. Hundley and daughter, B.
b. Howard, wife and child, Mrs. Hassen
and child, Mr.. Jones, Judge Kelley and
wife, Miss Kelley, ]. P. Lytton, w. ].
Lowrie, c. B. McVay. Colonel Sam Norris,
]. A. Palmer and wife, G. l.. l. Pokrantz,
wife and child, H. Pohlmann, Mrs. H. II.
Renton, D. B. Smith, Colonel q. S. Spald-
ing, 1. M. Scott Jr., B. F. Thurston, J. G..
Vorstman, E. M. Walsh, wife and two
children, Paul Waterman.
Colonel 2. s. Spalding, one of the pas
sengers by the Australia, is on his way to
Washington to lay the matter of a cable
between Honolulu and San Francisco be-
fore the next Congress. On the 18th inst.
President Dole laid before both houses of
the Hawaiian Legislature contract made
with Colonel Spalding to grant subsidy
and exclusive franchise in return for the
laying of the cable. The matter went over
| till the Chambe of Commerce could be
heard. Several members of the chamber
objected to an exclusive franchise, and
| spoke strongly against it, but a small ma
| jOrity were in favor of the cable, holding
that the Government must agree to those
conditions If the line was laid.
The next day the Legislature ratified the
| contract after a spirited opposition on the
| part of those who thought the concessions
too strong. The annual subsidy was fixed
at S40,0 900. The franchise is for period OF
twenty years, but the grant snail not pre-
vent any foreign Government having ex-
| listing treaty rights with the Hawaiian
republic from landing a cable upon the
islands from any point on the North Amer
lean continent. The twenty years sub
sidy of $4,000 is to begin from the date of
| Geographic communication between Hon
olulu and point at or near San Fran
cisco and the islands of Hawaii, Molokai,
Maui and Kauai, and the money TO be
paid in quarterly installments of $4,000
each. Colonel Spalding will make prop
osition to the next Congress asking for an
annual subsidy from the United States
| Government of $250,000.
The work on the cable must begin by
May 1, 1897. and be completed by Novem-
Der l. 1898, or the contract will be void. If
| Spalding fails to get assistance from the
United States the Hawaiian Government
may cancel the contract The cable COM
pany will be exempt from port charges,
taxes and duty upon material, in addition
to other important privileges.
The telegraphic rates on other than Gov
| eminent messages will not exceed 81 per
word. The cable will run along the route
surveyed by Captain Tanner of the United
States steamer Alpatross several years ago
and will land at Monterey here and at
| Waikiki Beach, near Honolulu.
| Among many of the prominent CONNER
| ciaI men OF the islands the idea prevails
that the cable matter was hurried through
with undue haste and that the concessions
made by the Hawaiian Government should
| have been more moderate.
The Australia brings the news that the
| British Minister Hatch, has communicated
the fact that his Government considers the
proceedings of the Military Commission
as lawful and that that body was valid
tribunal and fully within the powers of the
| Hawaiian Government. The Minister also
states that his Government holds that the
evidence upon which the commission con-
victed Colonel Y. Y. Ashford was INSULT
| Gent and requests that the sentence be
Cancelled. Ashford was pardoned upon
conditions most severe and sent out of the
country some time ago in i'll health. The
British Government declines to interfere
! in behalf of Johnston, the ex-secret ser
vice man exiled with Cranston.
The Waterman on the ship Queen Mar
garet, lying at Harrison-street wharf, re-
ports that at 6 o'clock yesterday morning
man sprang from the deck of the vessel
into the bay. He was a stranger, dressed
| like a sailor, and sank instantly upon
striking the water. 1t is not known who
| he was.
The old bark Discovery, which has been
| laid up in Oakland Creek for two years, has
been docked at Spear street, where she will
| be repaired for the coast trade.