The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-02-18

WAsHINaToN, Feb. 4.-Tn the Ha-
waiian correspondence submitted 70
the House today Secretary Gresham
states tnat the department. had no In.
formation In regard to arms having
been furnished by British subjects Co
persons in rebellion against the Gov
ernment Of the Hawaiian Islands, but
in telegram from the United States
Minister at Honolulu, dated January
11th, forwarded by way Of San Fran
cisco, Mr.. Willis says: "Arms are re-
ported to have been brought from
Vancouver by the Normal
The department has no information
in regard to any intervention by the
representatives of Great Britain to
prevent the application Of martial law
by the Hawaiian Government to those
concerned in the recent rebellion who
claim to be British subjects, or OF any
foreign representative whatever in the
case, other than a astatement contained
in note from the Hawaiian Minister
January Goth, that the British MIN
lister at Honolulu, Mr.. Halves, has
called upon the Government of Ha-
waii to give him assurance that no
capital punishment will be inflicted
upon the insurrectionistS, there being
fifteen Englishmen under arrest,
which requested assurance the Gov
ernment had refused to give.
Under date of Honolulu, November
10th, Minister Willis transmitted to
Secretary Gresham the following note
of the same date from Minister Hatch,
the Hawaiian Minister of Foreign AZ
fairs, adding that when he received it
he had telegraphed the Secretary the
facts briefly:
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Honolulu, November 10th. Sir: In
formation has just been received at
this Office tending to show that
filibustering expedition against this
Government is being fitted out in San
Francisco and that one OF the follow
ing steam vessels, the Rosalla or the
Alexandria, will be used for the pur-
pose. The information points more
strongly to the latter. / desire to ask
the good offices Of your Government to
prevent the shipment of arms on these
vessels for such purpose.
"On the 18th inst. the Hawaiian
Charge d'Afaires called on the de-
partment at my invitation, and In re-
ply to an inquiry said he had no in-
formation that arms had been or were
to be shipped from San Francisco for
use against the Government of Ha.
wall"
Following this correspondence with
Willis there was an exchange Of notes
between Secretary Gresham and Mr..
Thurston, the Minister here, which is
interesting mainly because of the in
sinuation by the latter that the pres
ence of an American warship at Homo
lulu would be acceptable. Thurston
wrote January goth:
hox <1a0 honor frN inf
you that I have received from my
Government telegraphic communica-
tions stating that the insurrection in
Honolulu is broken; that several of
the leaders and the remaining follow
ers are fugitives in the mountains,
and that the British Commissioners at
Honolulu, Mr.. HaWes, has called upon
the Government of Hawaii to give
him assurances that no capital pun
ishment will be inflicted upon insur-
rectionists, there being fifteen Eng
lishmen under arrest, which requested
assurance the Government has refused
TO give him. A man of-war at Homo
lulu has been recently the subject of
discussion in the press and elsewhere.
It does not lie within my province to
suggest any course of action on the
part of the United States concerning
such subjects. feel, however, that 1t
Is due your Government and to the
large American population and prop
erty interests in Hawaii to state that
although the Government of Hawaii
is, and will continue in the future as
it has in the past, fully able to main
tain itself from the attacks from do
mestic enemies, in view of the serious
nature of the charges now pending
against q large number of both for
eigners and natives, and Of other COM
pIicating conditions, the state of
affairs at the Islands is critical, as in
the event of further insurrectiOn or
although the Govern
ment will use every endeavor to pro-
tect foreign citizens and their prop
erty, it is not impossible that sudden
may arise or isolated
acts of violence take place, against
which the Government, with its po-
lice and military force, may temporar-
lily be unable to afford protection"
In his reply, on January Goth, Sec
retary Gresham said: "On receipt of
a dispatch from Mr.. Willis yesterday
on the subject of the upris-
ing, which was Immediately given to
the press, a warship was at once Or
dered to proceed from San Francisco
to Honolulu to afford needed protec-
ton to any Americans entitled to 1t.
That fact was also announced by the
press Saturday afternoon and this
and / naturally supposed
that the announcement had attracted
your attention"