The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-27

THIRTY-FIFTH DAY, JULY 26TH.
Minister Hatch read the following
letter in reply to Senator McCandless'
request:
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
HONOLULU, July 81, 1895.
Hon. F. NJ. HATCH,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
SIR:-I have the honor to enclose
herewith a copy of the affidavit OF
James Durrell, from which it appears
Durrell was born in the State of LOui-
siana in 1858, and resided in the United
States until September, 1894. He then
came to this city and obtained tenn
porary employment as cook at the
Arlington Hotel. On November s,
1894, he purchased the lease and good
will of cigar store, soda water and
fruit stand, and gradually built up
lucrative business. On the 9th OF
January last, while quietly seated in
his store, he was arrested without eX-
planation or Information of any charge
against him, confined in Jail on com
mon prison fare until the 9th OF
February following, period of seven
weeks, and then discharged without
any trial, charges, explanation or op-
portunity of defense nor has he,
since his release, been informed OF the
cause of his arrest.
He declares that he has never by
word or deed forfeited his allegiance
to or right of protection by hls govern
ment; that he has neither done nor
spoken anything directly or indirectly
against the Government of Hawaii or
its laws; that he has never expressed
sentiments antagonistic to that Gov
ernment, or in any manner cOunSelled,
encouraged, aided or abetted its enc
mics, either in armed rebellion or
secret plotting and that he never pos
sessed any information which under
existing laws it was his duty to report
TO your Government.
These statements establish, in the
opinion of the President of the United
States, a Orin1G fdcie claim for sub
stantial indemnity from the Hawaiian
Government to Mr.. Durrell. / am
instructed, therefore, to bring this case
to the attention of the Hawaiian au-
thOrities, leaving no doubt in their
minds of the confidence felt in Wash
ton "that the Government of Hawaii
will not refuse TO tender adequate
reparatiOn to this Injured citizen of
the United States, nor hesitate to take
prompt measures to- eXonerate him
trary treatment has left upon his good
name.n
With sentiments of high esteem,
/ am, Sir, very respectfully,
(Signed) ALBERT S. WILLIS,
e. +. IL NJ. p, L. S. a.
The Minister stated that the Gov
ernment would investigate the matter
and send a reply to the communica-
ton.
Senator Schmidt, for the Finance
Committee, made q verbal repC Tt on
the petition from the Honolulu Lii
brary and Reading Room Association,
asking for exemption from taxes.
The committee favored the object OF
the petition and recommended that
Joint Resolution pass remi ting the
taxes of 1894 and eXempting the As
sociation for the future.
Senator Lyman thought that the
resolution should be made to cover
the Hilo Reading Room and similar
institutions on the other islands.
Minister Smith stated that the Min
lister of Finance would Introduce an
Act which would cover everything
under discussion, and on motion the
resolution was laid on the table await
ing the introduction of the new bill.
Senator Lyman read the following
report:
Hon. w. G. WILDER, President OF
the Senate.
DEAR SIR:-Your COMMITTEE on
Public Lands and Internal Improve
ments to whom was referred House
bill No. s, entitled can Act to Incor-
the Honolulu Electric Rail-
way Company" have endeavored to
consider the matter carefully, and beg
to report, that we find that there are
a number of matters that require
careful consideration before a fran
chise covering such long period can
be granted.
One of these matters is, that some
of the streets proposed to be used for
this purpose are quite too narrow, and
it would be really a menace to the
public safety, unless widened at 2
large expense TO the Government, be-
fore granting such use 10 any person
or corporation.
Another matter is, to enquire into
the methods and the diff-reut systems
of transmission of the electric power
to be used, 10y overhead wires, or
whether we should not require au
system of transmission
(of electricity. both to guard the
safety Of The public and also not 10
interfere with our very inn
pOrtaut public convenience, the tele-
phone system, now in operation un-
der franchise.
And the feature of a large proper