The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-08-13
Col. Macfar1ane Insists on
Rights as Citizen.
Permission Issued for Vessel to
Continue This Voyage Under
Hawaiian Flag.

The big steamer China is still III
against dock, like the man without q
country. The Cabinet met yesterday
and unanimously decided that Colonel
Macfarlane should not have the perma-
nent register, whirh he had demanded
the day before with some gusto. The
| Government decided, however to let
the Colonel down as easy as possible
steamer back under the British fiag-if
possible. There's always an if in mat
| ters of this nature, and where the Ad-
miralty laws of Great Britain are
touched the "ff' comes out in bold,
| black type.
The Government decided to endorse
Consul Hopkins now famous sea letter
and give the owner of the steamer a
| chance to get back her British register
| This endorsement provided for a voy-
| age to Hong Kong and return to San
Francisco or Honolulu, as the captain
might prefer, but the rights under the
letter ceased when the vessel reached
either port. 1t does not give the cap
tain the right to take the vessel to San
Francisco and back to Honolulu.
When this tender was made to Colo
mel Macfarlane he declined peremptor
lily and emphatically to receive it, and
said the engines should not turn over
until he had received permanent Ha-
waiian register The Government was
just as firm as the Colonel and volun-
teered an explanation. Then the Col
onel forgot for the moment that he held
the ownership of a vessel, worth in
round numbers, $1,5O0,000, for which
he had paid, according to Consul Hop
kins, just five jubilee shillings. When
told what this Government would do,
the Colonel remarked that he could not
accept until he had communicated
with the owners" This little discrep
ancy was noted by one Of the Ministers, |
and Colonel Macfarlane's attention |
called to it. Then he said he was ''act- |
ing under instructions"
The five shillings purchase price was
by Minister Damon, proba- |
bly, because he, as a fnancier, could |
not see the wisdom of anyone loaning |
100000 on piece of property for
which five shillings had been paid. |
Colonel. Macfarlane agreed that it was a |
little out of proportion, and consented |
to have the value set at 100000 |
which, with the mortgage at half that |
sum, makes it necessary for the owner |
to pay stamp duties in the sum of
50 800 for the transfer.
Up to the hour of closing the Gov |
ernment offices yesterday, neither Col
onel Macfarlane or his attorney, Cen
eral Hartwell, had accepted the Gov
ernment's offer, and it was rumored |
that a mandamus would be asked for |
this morning to compel the Govern
ment to issue the register on the |
ground that all points in the law had |
been complied with, and that the re- |
puted owner is an Hawaiian citizen.
This will go into the Circuit Court, |
and whichever side loses will at once |
appeal to the Supreme Court. Here it |
may linger three days or three weeks, |
and if Colonel Macfarlane carries out |
his intention mot to turn over the en-
gines until the permanent register is
issued" the passengers on the China
will have ample time and opportunity
to study the beauties Of Honolulu.