The San Francisco call., 1898-05-04
DOLE LOSING
 POPULARITY Defeated at Every Turn in the Hawaiian Leg
 iSlature. The Opposition Is Confident of Victory in the Next
 Election.
Payment of the First British Claim Growing Out of the 1905
 Rebellion.
Er Special Correspondence of The Call.


 HONOLULU, April 27.-The Maripo- ea arrived this morning and will prob ably sail before the Alameda, from San Francisco, arrives in port, consequent 1y Honolulu is on the tenter-hooks of expectation of important news.
 The Minister of the Interior, Captain J. A King, returned in excellent health by the Mariposa. It is understood that he will make a report in connection with a large dry and repairing dock that the Government feels inclined to recommend the construction of in the vicinity of the Nuuanu stream, or Eva side of the harbor, but it is scarcely probable that an appropriation will be made at this session of the Legisla- ture, except perhaps for the cost of preliminary examinations and reports, as the unsettled condition of the ques- Aion of annexation interferes with such contemplated improvements. Fur ther1nore, the Government is being pes tered with questions and reports on the work already done in the line of harbOr improvements. The outlook is that it has earned tedious and costly litiga- tion fin several matters in this connec tion. including the Oahu Land and
 
 In one controversy-that in regard to the erection of the C. L. Carter memo rial in Palace Square-the Government has been very sorely handled by both houses of the Legislature, which adopted almost unanimously a concur rent resolution compelling the removal Of the memorial fountain, the cOnStruc- tion of which had already been com menced with the illegal sanction of the Government
 In any other country the numerous defeats sustained by the administra- ton, especially by Ministers Cooper and Smith, would have enforced it's re- tfrement from office, but under this republican" constitution votes of cen sure are powerless and unavailing to remove.
 The opposition does not desire a change of administration until the elections next year, when it hopes the popular will as expressed at the ballot box will be sufficiently appreciative of the disastrous policy of the Government to relegate it to political oblivion.
 Out of the wreck of political ambi- lions unsatisfied the only apparent probability is that the Minister of Finance will receive the nomination for President to succeed MT. Dole. He is thought to be the only man who could break the threatened deadlock in the Senate at the next Presidential election, when eight votes in the Sen ate will control the situation.
 If MT. Damon is not having his wires installed for this nomination, then the politicians of all parties are much de- ceived- So far his policy has been in ternal developments. coupled with economy; regard annexation as pos sibility, not a probability; be just and generous to the HaWaiians; forgive and forget the past rather than irritatingly a. .Io,- < Afc h critics and trust them as friends and equals, not with suspicion and dis trust.
 The British steamer Mogul arrived fin port on Monday last with 643 Japa- nese contract laborers-511 men, 128 women and 4 children.
 The Government has published a de- tailed account of the taxes assessed, collected and delinquent for 1897, from which are culled the following items, showing the nationalities of the tax payers: Hawaiians and half castes, American and European, $131 1884 51; delinquent, $5916 3S. Portuguese, s2S,- 224 43; delinquent, $2626 35. Chinese $119,602 72 delinquent. $5761 59. Japa- nese, s95,719 AT; delinquent, 1862 40 Various nationalities, $S32 90; delin- Quent. $75 10. American and European corporations, S230,170 S5; delinquent $162 57. American and European firms. S40,SS5 10; delinquent, s223 20; or a total of assessed taxes of $796, 752 S4; collected s759,7O3 9S and delinquent $37,- GAS O6-not a very bad showing for ''hard times" and political disturbance.
 President Dole has signed the first bill for the payment of an indemnity to @ British subject, native of Jamaica. for illegal Imprisonment and cruel treatment during, as the special service certificates of the Government term 1t, "the rebellion against the re- public of Hawaii during the month of January, 1895.
 Tn very short time now the action of the British Government will be known in regard to nine other claims for which specific demand has been made and refused by the Hawaiian Government.
 The importance of this question of compensation lies in the fact that sev- eral other governments are awaiting the action of the British Govern iment, and that it has been intimat- ed on fairly reliable authority that the Washington government desires to see its claims settled by Hawaii before an- nexation IS consummated.