The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-07

that the inauguration of such a vast plan
was general legislation and therefore could
not be added to an appropriation bill. The
immediate decision on the point was put
off in order to permit general debate.
Hale of Maine addressed the Senate as
follows: 81 will explain some of the rea-
sons which actuated the Committee on
Appropriations in reporting the amend
ment offered about three weeks ago. l
felt, and feel, as the majority of the COM
mittee felt, that events which have taken
place during the last two years, show how
important it is that this country shall
have direct and speedy communication
with the Hawaiian Islands. Practically
so far as business goes, the people there
are American people. Our interests there,
and our commerce there, are something be-
yond the extent most people who have not
examined into the subject know. have here
comparative statement of the number of
American vessels and the amount of their
tonnage arriving at the principal seaports
OF the world for the year ended June 30,
1894. L myself was surprised when l
looked at it to find that there were only
two ports in the world where our tonnage
during the year is as large as it is at the
port of Honolulu, Yokohama and
Southampton exceeding in tonnage the
port of Honolulu. So we are inevitably,
whether we will or will not, most closely con-
nected with the islandsin business way.
In framing the amendment looked upon
it as a business proposition. I should like
to consider it as such with reference as
to our interest in those islands, and
without regard to any alignment that has
been made heretofore in discussing the sit
uation in the Hawaiian Islands, the policy
of the administration and what has been
done here and what has been done there.
/ would like Senators to disabuse their
minds of any impressions which they may
have received in that discussion, which at
times was sharp and acrimonious. A sur
vey was directed by the Secretary of the
Navy, and an accomplished officer and one
of our vessels were put to work to find, If
possible, line or bedway upon which
cable could be placed. 1 have here the re-
port made by Richardson Glover, heuten-
ant-commander United States navy (hy-
drographer), in which he states that there
is a practicable route where a cable can be
laid safely and that there are no OBJ
stacles except such as are found in all
telegraph lines which are laid at the
bottom of the sea. The report is technical
largely, giving maps, diagrams and sound
ings, but the conclusion he reaches is that
we need have no hesitation in believing
that it is a practicable enterprise"
Hale continued: SIN drawing the
amendment 1 sought to avoid the trouble
which Congress met in the Fifty-second
Congress, when the Senate put in the bill
provision granting subsidy to a private
company for building the cable. That was
discussed somewhat at length, and, the
Senate being interested in opening COM
munication, inserted the provision in an
appropriation bill and directed the pay
ment to private company of the large
subsidy of So, 900 a year. When that
proposition reached the other house
it was objected to and contested.
The House took a contrary position
to that of the Senate. We have already
received concessions from the Hawaiian
Government of land for harborage, most
valuable, without expense, and all tending
in the direction of nearer relations. We
need, as the Senator from South Carolina
suggests a foothoId, and we have that
already. The cable will not be built, I am
satisfied, unless the Government does it.
1t will cost no more to build it in this way
than by concessions, and when we build it
we viii control it. I think every Senator
will agree with me that if there had been
a cable in operation in the last two years
between the United States and theHawaiian
Islands some Of the unfortunate and mel
ancholy events that have taken place there
would not have occurred. If the Govern
ment builds this cable and maintains it