The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-11-16

light on the cable situations:
Honolulu, II. l., Oct. 20, 1896.
Hon. S. b. Dole, President of the Re
public of Hawaii
Sir:-I respectfully request that a
contract be made by the Hawaiian
Government with myself for construc-
tion, maintenance and operation of sub
marine telegraphic cables, connecting
Hawaii and the several islands of the
Republic with the countries lying in
or bordering upon the Pacific Ocean,
with an exclusive franchise in respect
of all such cables, together with an
annual subsidy of $40,00000 for .he
term of twenty years, and with such
other rights, privileges and condi-
tions as are authorized by Act II of
the Session Laws of the Special Ses-
sion of 1895; such contract to take eff
feet if the cable franchise granted in
August of 1895 shall lapse by May 1,
1897, by failure to comply with its con-
ditions.
| propose that the contract and all
rights Hereunder shall lapse unless
within two years from its date suiJ-
marine cable communication be estab-
lished between Hawaii and California.
Allow me to refer to the formation
of the Pacific Cable Co. here in 1889.
and to the fact that while president
of that company | proceeded to Wash
ington in December 1890 with a cable
franchise granted to me by the Gov
ernment.
While there ! obtained within two
months the passage in the Senate of
a cable measure, which received
good vote from both parties, also n
strong report in favor of cable bill
10y the House Committee of Foreign
Affairs. The bill was voted down in
the House by the expressed wish of
Mr.. Hit Chairman of the Committee,
in order that it might go to a Confer
ence Committee, by which it was be-
lieved the bill would be agreed upon
The conference failed to agree and
the cable measure was lost by a very
close chance. Its opponents fully eX-
pected its passage. Major Mckinley,
who favored it, told me the day before
the end of the session that it would
undoubtedly pass.
| enclose copies of the Senate and
House Bills and of the House Commit
tee Report, and of the correspondence
between myself and Mr.. Thurston,
Minister of the Interior in 1899. of the
Charter of the Pacific Cable Co. with
the prospectus of its promoters ard
their names.
When in Washington in July 1890,
at the suggestion of Mr.. Adee, Second
Assistant Secretary of State, | wrote
him letter, of which copy. is here
with enclosed, on the subject of a
cable, in which subject Mr.. Blaine eX-
/ pressed great interest. This was my
/ first interchange of views with the
/ Washington Administration.
/ In 1891 while DR.. Mott-Smith was
/ in the Foreign Office, he wrote to the
/ German and Russian Consuls here, to
I the Hawaiian Consul in Yokohama
and the Hawaiian Minister in Wash
ington. letters in furtherance of plan
| suggested to him for an internation-
al cable agreement, of which enclose
a copy.
/ DR.. Mott-Smith, who shortly after
wards was our Minister at Washing
ton, wrote to me in 1892, that Mr.
Blaine was enthusiastic about the pro-
/ posed action, and that he, DR.. Mott
Smith, wished me to go there to as
I sist in carrying it out
1 was, however, seeking to obtain an
arrangement by which England and
Germany would promote the cable
from Honolulu to Auckland on condi.
/ tion that the United States would pro.
mote a California line, and | did not
/ finally learn that this was impractic.
able until the latter part of 1892
! The year of 1893 was not deemed tc
he favorable for any action about the
cable. In March of last year, 1 in.
formally asked yourself and Cabinet
for a hearing on the subject, but the
request was inadvertently ignored
The subsequent granting to another
of the franchise now outstanding fol
! lowed
If the contract which I now request
shall be made to take effect in case the
existing franchise shall lapse. | an
ready to undertake the work anew
and think that | can command sucl
facilities as will secure the long de
sired cable.
| take the liberty of enclosing