Evening star., 1898-12-06
Form of Government Proposed for
Hawaii.
BILLS FRAMED BY THE COMMISSION
Report Transmitted to Congress by
the President.
LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED

I
gfess the report of the Hawaiian commits
sion, consisting of Senators Cullom and
| Morgan, Representative Hit, President
| Dole and Justice Frear of Hawaii, together
with the text of bills drawn by the COM
mission for the government of the islands
as portion of the United States.
| Inc preliminary portion Of the report is
| mainly descriptive of the Hawaiian Islands
the inhabitants. the existing institutions,
the public domain. productions, climate har-
oors and shipping facilities and various
| conditions of general interest. The remain
| ing portion is mainly devoted to discus
| sion Of the legislation proposed by the COM
mission, giving in the appendix the various
reports or subcommitteeS and copies Of the
| bills suggested.
The Territory of Hawaii
Ihree bills are formulated for the con-
| slderaticn of Congress. The first and prin-
| cipal one outlines a general plan of govern
ment and the other two deal with e,,hor7i
nate questions. OF the main bill the COM
| mlssioners express the opinion that il will
| prove to be such q measure for the poy-
| erhment of Hawaiian Islands as will best
promote the interests of their people at the
| same time that it promotes the interests
| and mainains the sovereignty of the peo-
| pie of the United States"
IL provides for the erection Of the islands
INTO a territory of the United States to be
| styled the territory Of Hawaii" Tho hin
| contains provisions for the government Of
| the territory, giving it executive. legisla-
! i've ana Judicial officers. A governor sec
y tsidFy OF the territory, United States dis
| trict Judge, United States district attor-
ney and United States marshal are TO he
| appointed by the President and an internal
| revenue district and a customs district are
| created.
The offices of president. minister of for
elsn affairs, finance, public instruction.
| audltor general, deputy auditor general
surveyor general and marshal are abol-
lShed me officers OF the territory under
| tne new regime are an attorney general,
| with powers and duties similar TO those
| now possessed by the attorney general of
| the republic of Hawaii. with a few excen-
| llcns; treasurer, with powers and duties
| similar TO the present minister of finance
and such powers and duties regarding Ii
| censes, corporations and companies and
| partnerships and registration of prints la
| bells ind trademarks a. are now Dossessad
| by the minister of the interior except as
| changed: also superintendent of public
| works. superintendent of public instruc-
! uon, an auditor and a deputy auditor a
| surveyor, with the powers and duties OF a
| surveyor general, and a chief sheriff to
| succeed to the duties of marshal of the re-
| pubic, all 70 be appointed by the governor.
The Question OF Citizenship.
| Probably the most important portion of
! the bin is section I, defining citizenship,
which provides that "all white persons in
! cluding Portuguese and persons of African
| descent and all persons descended from
| the Hawaiian race, on either the paternal
| or maternal side, who We're citizens of the
| republic of Hawaii Immediately prior to
| the transfer Of the sovereignty thereof to
| the United States are hereby declared to
! be citizens of the United States"
The Legislature.
| Provision is made for a legislature TO
| consist Of two houses, a senate, to consist
| of fifteen members as at present. and a
house of representatives, consisting of
| thirty members, double the membership Of
| the house under the Hawaiian republic
| The members are to be elected at a general
election, to be held on tn Tuesday after the
| first Monday in November, 1879, and bien-
| nially thereafter.
| The supreme court is to be the sole Judge
| of the legality of election to seat in either
house in of contest.
No member of The legislature is 10 be
eligible for appointment or election to any
office of the territory, and no officer or en-
ploye, notary pubic or agent of the terri
tory Is to be eligible TO election as a legis-
| lator. There is also a provision that no
person who, having been entitled to qualify
and vote prior to October, 1897, and since
July, 1894, failed to register as such voter,
shall have a vote unless he shall take
| oath to support the Constitution of the
| United States. The sessions of the legisla-
| ture are limited to sixty days IN duration,
| and each member is allowed Io0 as salary
| and 10 cents a mile for travelling expenses.
| senator is required to be a male citizen
! OF the United States, thirty years of age,
| TO have resided in the territory three years,
| be the owner in his own right of 1000
| worth of property. or TO have during the
preceding year received $1,000 income.
representa- tdtiYeS must be twenty live
years old, male citizens; must have lived
| three years in Hawaii. and must either own
| 5000 worth of property or have an income
| OF 800 a year.
| Qualifications of Voters.
| Voters for representatives, are required 10
| be male citizens, twerty-one years old, and
of one years residence in the territory: to
| have registered, TO have paid all taxes due
the government and TO be "abe under
standingly to speak, read and write the
English or Hawaiian language"
To be qualified to vote for senators. a
person must possess all the qualifications
and be subject 10 all the conditions re-
quirad for voters for representatives and
| in addition, own in his own right real prop
erty worth $1,000, upon which valuation
legal taxes shall have been paid for the
year preceding that in which he offers to
register, shall have actually received a
money income of not less than 5000 during
the previous year.
Five registra ton districts are provided
and the governor of the territory is author
lied to appoint regstra ton boards with the
advice of the senate.
Representation in Congress-
The bill also provides for the election of a
delegate to the House of Representatives in
Congress by the voters qualified to vote for
representatives in the legislature, this dele
gate to possess the same powers and privi-
leges accorded to other delegates in
Congress.
The governor is to appoint a chief justice
and two associate justices of the supreme
court, the Judges of the circuit the
| members of the board of health commits
sioners of public instruction prison in
spectors, boards of registration. inspectors
of election, and other public boards that
may be created by law, and all officers
whose salaries exceed 81, coo per annum.
Other provisions of the bill are as follows:
| The governor is to possess the veto power
but his veto may be overridden by a two
thirds vote of both houses of the legisla-
| ture.
The legislature is authorized to create
town. city or county municipalities.
Foreign goods and articles imported into
| the islands after July Z. 1888. are If after