The record-union., 1897-08-22
ALL IS QUIET
IN HAWAII.
The American Flag Has Not Been
Raised Over the Islands,
Despite Rumors That II Would be Done
on August I'd.
The Government Refuses to Grant
the Hawaiian Flag to the Mail
Steamship China-Only Vessels
of American Bottoms Privi-
legged to Such Registry.

HONOLULU, Aug. 15-The Ameri-
| can flag has not yet been raised over
Hawaii, and there is no indication that
| it will be- Just before the last steam
er left for San Francisco, on July 9th,
it was rumored that on August I'd the
United States Minister would take pos
session of the islands. He was to re-
ceive definite instruction on the steam
| er Moana arriving at Honolulu July
29th, but evidently they failed to come.
as the raising of the flag has not been
| talked of.
The Hawaiian Government has de-
clined to grant a permanent register
under the Hawaiian flag for the Pa
| cific Mail steamship China.
The China arrived from San Fran
cisco on the 11th, flying the Hawaiian
flag under provisional registry, issued
by Hawaiian Consul Hopkins at Lon
| don. AS soon as the steamer docked
! G.. w. Macfarlane, who claims to be the
owner, called on the Collector of Gus
toms and requested that the vessel be
given permanent register. The Col
lector refused to do SO.
Colonel Macfarlane then decided to
| take the matter into court, and on the
/ 18th q writ of mandamus was issued.
| The dispositions of both Macfarlane and
Captain Seabury were taken yester-
| day. The latter testified that the
steamer had been running in the Pa
cific Mail line between American, Ha-
waiian and Oriental ports. The vessel
cost S750,000, he said, but could be built
to-day for $500, 900. He could not ap
praise her value, but he had heard Cap
tain Metcalf, Lloyd's surveyor at San
Francisco, remark in his presence that
the China was not worth more than
100000.
| Macfarlane then took the stand and
repeated the history of how he pur-
chased the steamship, giving a mort
gage of 5000 600 on the vessel how he
had secured a provisional Hawaiian
register for her in London, and how
he had applied to the Collector here for
a permanent register, meeting all the
| requirements of the law in every par
ticular. He stated that he had not
signed an agreement to transfer the
China back to the Pacific Mail Com
pany nor had he signed any mortgage
than the one mentioned.
Colonel Macfarlane gave the forego-
ing information in answer to questions
put by his attorney, but when cornered
| by Minister Cooper during the cross ex-
| animation he admitted that he was
only the nominal owner and he.was to
receive the sum of $3.50 if the vessel
succeeded in securing a register. Peo-
pie who know Macfarlane claim that
$4,000 is nearer the proper figure.
The matter has created a. great deal
of interest in Governmental circles here,
and it is believed that the court will
sustain the stand taken by the execu-
tive The day after the steamer ar
rived the Cabinet met and considered
the matter. After the meeting Min
lister Cooper said: 1.-THE Executive has
authorized me to extend the sea letter
of the China, issued to Colonel Macfar-
lane by Consul Hopkins in London, un-
til that steamer can reach San Fran
cisco; then the sea letter will expire.
The Hawaiian Government has fully
determined not to grant the China a
permanent register
Captain Seabury stated this morning
that he would accept the sea letter and
would depart for the Orient at o'clock
to-day. If the decision of the court
was against the vessel, he felt conf
dent that the case would be taken to
the Supreme Court He also stated
October 1st, although not scheduled to
do so
AS early as 1893 the Hawaiian Con-
suls were notified that under no cir
cumstances should provisional registers
be issued to any but American bottoms.
Again in July of this year these instruc-
tions We're sent out again The sea let
ter was issued to the China on July I'd
in London; the China arrived at San
| Francisco on the 25th of the same
month, and remained there until Aug
ust 9th before it was announced that
she would fly the Hawaiian flag.
When the annexation treaty was in
the hands of the Foreign Relations
Committee that body wanted to rec
ommend that no foreign vessels, other
than American, should be granted Ha-
waiian registers while the treaty was
pending, and refrained from inserting
the clause only upon the assurances of
this Government to Minister Sewal,
| which were wired by him to Washing
ton. This Government intends to keep
faith with the administration, and will
not grant register to the China.
In an interview with Macfarlane, he
said: This story about rushing the
China under the Hawaiian nag, IN or
der to get her under the American
through annexation is all nonsense. We
have been after a Hawaiian registry
for very long time, but could not get
Mr.. Huntington's consent until last
| May. Why, instead Of opposing it,
the Government ought to be well
pleased, as it secures for US a powerful
ally in Mr.. Huntington, who will now
array his forces for annexation"
Colonel Macfarlane says that the rea-
sons given him by the Hawaiian Gov
ernment for refusing to grant the reg
lister is that the sale of the China is not
a bona-fide one, and that this Govern
ment will not issue registers to foreign
built ships.
1t is claimed that this Government is
| willing to let the matter rest until it
can ascertain the feelings of the people
at Washington. The Government gave
/ assurances that no foreign vessels
| would be given a Hawaiian register.
These assurances were repeated in July,
but the application for the register of