The Portland daily press., 1898-03-10
GIVE HAWAIIANS CHANCE.
Proposed Amendment to Annexation
Treaty.
TO SUBMIT III TO VOTE OF
ELECTORS OF ISLAND.

Amendment Submitted by Senator Davis
Under Instructions of Committee on
Foreign Affairs-Nothing Definite AS
To When Final Vote May Be Taken.
Washington, March 9.--Acting in ac-
cordance with the instructions of the
committee on foreign relations, Senator
Davis today moved an executive session
of the Senate for the purpose of taking
up the Hawaiian annexation treaty. Af-
ter some nominations had been consid-
cred he moved that the treaty be taken
and the Senate proceeded to the considera-
tion of an amendment offered by Senator
Bacon providing for the submission of the
treaty to vote of the electors of Hawaii
This amendment reads as follows:
sThat this act shall not be operative and
of binding effect upon either the United
States or the republic of Hawaii till the
same shall have been consented to and
approved by the majority of the voters
voting at an election to be held In the
Hawaiian islands, at which election
all male natives of said island aged II
years and all naturalized male persons
in said Islands of the age of q years
shall be duly qualified voters. The said
election shall be held at a time and in
the manner and under regulations to be
prescribed by the President of the United
States.
Senator Bacon objected to the immedi-
ate consideration of his amendment, say
Ing he had received no notice OF the in
tention of the committee to ask to have
it taken up at this time, and that he de-
sired some opportunity to prepare himself
for. the presentation of the reasons for
submitting the treaty to popular vote OF
the Hawaiian people. he proceeded to
say in a general way that he thought the
Hawaiians should be consulted In q
matter which concerned them SO deeply
as the change of their government aid
to show that they were opposed to annex
alton. He referred to protest
aga inst annexation which had been
sig.sd by $4,000 natives of the islands
ana which he said had been presented to
the Senate by Senator Hoar. He referred
to the Massachusetts, senator's attitude in
reference TO the treaty and said it must
have changed since the presentation of
this petition.
This remark brought Senator Hoar to
his feet with q declaration that there
was nothing inconsistent between the
presentation of the petition and his sup
port of the treaty.
Senator Bacon asked for additional
time and also put the question to Sena-
tor Davis whether 1T was the intention of
the committee on foreign affairs to press
the treaty to a vote.
To this inquiry Mr.. Davis replied that
he was not prepared to say what course
the committee would pursue with regard
to vote on the treaty beyond the fact
that they did not want to deprive all
sena tors who might wish to speak of an
oppo tunity of doing SO. He said that
while he was willing to submit to what
appeared to be the popular desire that
the Senate should adjourn after the pas
sage of the $50, 900, 0o0 bill he would
again tomorrow. If opportunity permit
ted, move an executive session of the
senate for the purpose of going on with
the treaty and would pursue these tao
tics from day to day SO far as the busi-
ness of the Senate in other lines would
permit.
:. The Senate then adjourned till tomor-
row.