Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-07

MISSION OF THE ISLANDS AS A
TERRITORY TO BE KNOWN AS
THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII
AND PROVIDES FOR THE PRIN-
/. CTPAL FEATURES OF a TERRI
TORIAL GOVERNMENT
Washington, December 6.-The Pres
ident to-day transmitted to Congress
the report of the Hawaiian commls
sion, together with bills drawn for the
government of the islands. The pre-
1mlnary portion is mainly de .cciptive
OF the Hawaiian islands, Inhabitants.
existing institn;Qus. public au,nain,
productions, climate rarbors. shipping
facilities and various conditions of gen
eral interest.
Three bills are offered to Congress
The first and principal one outlines a
general plan of government, and the
other two deal with subordinate ques-
lions. 1t provides for the admission
of the islands as a territory to be
styled "The Territory of Hawaii" The
bill provides for a governor, secretary
of the territory, a United States dis
trict judge, a United States district
attorney and United States marshal,
to be appointed by the President, and
an internal revenue district and Gus
tom district are created.
The officers of the territory under
the new regime are an attorney gener-
al, treasurer, superintendent of public
works, a superintendent of public in
struction, an auditor and a deputy aud
succeed to the duties of marshal of the
republic, all to be
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.
The bill defines citizenship. "All
white persons, including Portuguese
and persons of African descent, and all
persons descended from the Hawaiian
race, on either the paternal or matern-
al side, who were citizens Of the repub-
lie 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"
Provision Is made for a legislature
to consist of two houses, a senate to
consist of fifteen members, and house
of representatives, consisting of thirty
members.
The members are to be elected on the
first Tuesday in December, 1899, and
biennially thereafter The Supreme
Court is to be the supreme authority
as to legality of election in case of con-
test.
A Senator is required to be male
citizen thirty years old, to have resid-
ed in the territory three years, be the
owner in his own right of $4,000 worth
of property, or to have during the pre-
ceding year received $1,000 income.
Representatives must be twenty-five
years old, must have lived three years
in Hawaii and must eeither own $500
worth of property or have an income
of $3.50 a year.
Voters for representative are reQuir-
ed to be male citizens, twenty-one
years old and of one years residence
in the territory, to have registered, to
have paid all taxes due the govern
ment and to be "able understandingly
to speak, read and write the English
or Hawaiian language"
To be qualified to vote for senator's,
a person must in addition, own real
property worth $1,000, upon which
legal taxes shall have been paid, or he
shall have actually received a money
income of not less than $500 during the
previous year 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 legisla
ture, this delegate to possess the same
powers and privileges now 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 Cir
cult Court. the members of the board
of health, commissioners of public in
struction, prison inspectors, boards of
registration inspectors of election and
other public boards that may be Great
ed by law, and all officers whose sal
aries exceed 81 900 per annum.
Other provisions OF the bill are as fol-
lows:
The Governor is TO possess the veto
power. but his veto may be overridden
by a two-thirds vote of both houses of
the Legislature.
The legislature is authorized TO create
town. city or county municipalities.
Foreign goods and articles imported into
the islands after July l. 1899. if afterwards
brought into the United States. to pay the
same duties charged upon like articles
when imported from any foreign coun-
try
The bill also provides that the constitu-
ton and laws of the United States.
locally applicable shall have the same
force and effect in the territory of Hawaii
as elsewhere in the United states.