The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-10-15
ACQUISITION Of HAWAII
WASHINGTON STAR DISCUSSES
THE FUTURE.
Provisions Being Made for the Gov
crnmcnt of the Territory. After An
neNation Takes Place.

Ratification of the annexation trca-
~. says the Washington star, is but
the preliminary step in eitecting the
political union between Hawaii and
the United States. \ great deal of
hard work by the legislative branch
of this government will he required to
shape a measure for assimilating this
acquisition of territory and peoples.
In his message transmitting the trea-
ty to the Senate the President said:
1.-THE organic and administrative de
tails of incorporation are necessarily
left to the wisdom of congress, and
| cannot doubt. when the function of
the constitutional treaty making pow
er shall have been accomplished. the
duty of the national legislature in the
case will be performed with the larg-
est regard for the interests of this
rich and insular domain and for the
welfare of the inhabitants thereof"
The treaty itself prescribes the first
move to be made after ratification. Ar
ticle 3 says, i'm part: Until Congress
shall provide for the government of
such islands all the civil. judicial and
military powers exercised by the Of
ticers of the existing government in
said islands shall be vested in such
person or persons and shall be eXer-
cised in such manner as the President
of the United States shall direct: and
the President shall have the power to
remove said officers and fill the vacan-
cies so occasioned."
1t is this feature of the case, it is
said. which is now under considera-
ton by the President. Considerable
time must elapse between the ratif-
cation of the treaty and the action of
Congress in providing Il stable form
of government. During that interval
the sovereignty OF the existing Haw l.
iian republic having been ceded by
the treaty, "absolutely and without
reserve to the United States. there
will be no general form of civil, Judi
cial or military government fp Ha-
wall except as the President rc ~ snip
ulate.
1t is considered possible by some
that the President will reinvest power
temporarily in the existing judicial
and executive authorities Cf the is
lands. The treaty provides tia: the
municipal control shall remain as IL
now exists and that the cras mt Gus.
tom laws of the United States hall be
extended by act of Congress.
Having provided a temporary form
of government for the new territory,
the next step to be taken in the Iro-
ceedings is stipulated by article 8 of
the treaty as follows
"The President shall appoint five
commissioners, at least two of whom
shall be residents of the Hawaiian Is
lands. who shall as soon as reasonab-
ly practicable recommend to Congress
such legislation concerning the terri
tory of Hawaii as they shall deem nee
essary or proper.
Even after this duty is performed
there is to be further consideration
of the matter in committee. The act
for the government of the new terri
tory will probably be presented to the
House and Senate by the committee
on territories of the respective houses.
The passage of the act will undoubt-
eddy be facilitated it is thought by the
work of the special commission, as
their recommendations will have IA
tendency to reconcile the differences
of oninion likely to arise between the
Senate and the House over the ways
and means of government