The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-08-16
Col. Macfar1ane and Capt.
Seabury Questioned.
Interesting Answers on Owner.
ship of the Vessel-Hearing
Begins Today.

Who owns the China? 1t takes very
little time to ask the question. 1t took
| less time for Colonel Macfarlane, the
nominal owner, to say, Saturday,
that he did. He made the same reply
to the same question several times last
week The statement was made by
the officers of the steamship, on the
ships papers presented at the Custom
House, the Colonel himself made the
statement to the Cabinet when they
interviewed him on the subject and
offered to allow the China to sail under
the provisional sea letter, in order that
her passengers and the freight might
not be delayed. He made it again be-
fore Judge Perry of the Circuit Court
Saturday, when his and Captain Sea-
bury's depositions were taken.
The writ of mandamus to compel
Collector-General Castle to issue the
register was made answerable today.
AS a part of the proceedings, it was
likely that the testimony of both Col
onel Macfarlane and Captain Seabury
would be wanted, so it was taken Sat-
urday. The Coptic was due to sail for
San Francisco yesterday, and the Col
onel wished to return on her; it was
time that the China should proceed on
her regular trip to the Orient.
AS the controversy was being held
over the fate of the China, she was
tied up at the dock or swinging idly
with the tide, out beyond the reef. The
dancing waves flashed gay checkers
across the Honolulu, H. L. painted
on her stern, the colors of the Repub-
lie Strengthened out Smartly in the
breeze. But her coal bill was steadily
climbing up. The black columns of
smoke that occasionally wreathed out
of the tops of the tunnels were evil
dence of that. The passengers were
making raids on the ships larder with
appetites whetted by Honolulu sight
seeing.
The China sailed yesterday under
the sea letter, which her nominal
owner at first refused, because he con-
sidered he lacked sufficient authority |
to accept. Colonel Macfarlane sailed |
on the Coptic for San Francisco at IL |
o'clock. Before he went he spent an |
hour on the witness stand |
answering Minister Cooper's |
questions. They were adroitly put |
They were nearly all of them on the |
same topic, "Who owns the China?"
each differing somewhat from the /
other Sometimes Colonel Macfarlane's |
General Hartwell, objected, |
but the questions were nearly all an |
swered They brought out some in
teresting facts. Colonel Macfarlane is |
the nominal owner of the China, but !
he didn't pay cent for her. He is to !
receive none Of the profits, he is to /
pay none of the expenses, or stand any /
of the losses, provided there are any. !
He allowed his name to be used as the |
owner out of pure friendship for some |
of the members of the Pacific Mail |
Company, and the consid- |
Grafton of perhaps ESQ., as he put it, |
He didn't ask for it; they offered it"
Captain Seabury was first on the |
witness stand. He told what he knew |
about the China, her present owner |
ship. who her former owners were and |
what the vessel was worth. He was |
not sure about the last. His opinion |
was based on the hearsay evidence of /
the measurer in San Francisco, who |
placed her value at 100000. Outside |
the Court room the Captain stated that |
the China cost $40, 900. On the wit
ness stand he said he could not tell eX- |
actIy what she was worth today. He |
was of the opinion that she would not |
bring much of anything, unless some |
one wished to buy her for old iron or /
on Speculation" Lots of good steam
ers sold for small sums in San Fran
cisco. because they were worth moth !
ing to any one except the steamship /
Colonel Macfarlane was examined |
first by General Hartwell. 81 am the |
whole owner of the China" he said, |
there is no other part owner. I am |
the owner by bill of sale made July |