The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-03-08

WASHINGTON, February 26.-The
senate committee on appropriations
has completed consideration of the sun
dry civil bill as passed by the house,
and reported to the senate. The most
important amendment is a provision
for a cable to Honolulu. The amend
ment provides that the cost of the ca
BILE shall not exceed S2,5OO,OOO. The text
of the amendment follows:
That there shall be constructed by
the United States, under the secretary
of the navy, for military, naval and
postal purposes, a submarine tele-
graphic cable and connecting land lines
from Pacific port in the state of Cal
ifornia, to be designated by the presi-
dent, to the city of Honolulu, in the
Hawaiian Islands.
That the secretary of the navy is
hereby authorized, empowered and di-
rected to detail one or more vessels of
the United States for the purpose of
making surveys and taking careful
necessary soundings in order to deter
mine the most practicable line for said
cable.
That the construction of such cable
or cables shall be under the general
control and direction of the secretary
of the navy, and he is hereby empow-
cred, and required, Immediately after
the passage of this act, to prescribe
and cause to be prepared plans and
specifications for the construction and
laying of said line of telegraphic cable,
to be constructed and put in operation
at the earliest possible moment. Con-
tracts for the construction and laying
of said line of Geographic cable and
for supplying the necessary instru-
ments and appliances connected there
with, except work as can be advanta-
geously and efficiently done by the
Il p-N, l,,l 1, I
and executed by the lowest possible
bidder or bidders after such notice by
advertisement for sealed bids as shall
| be deemed reasonable and sufficient by
the secretary of the navy. Provided,
that in all advertisements for bids It
shall be provided that all appliances
and material shall be of the best quail
ity, adapted for the highest efficiency
| That when such telegraphic cable is
completed the operation of the same
/ shall be under the control of the post
master general who shall establish a
rate of toll for commercial messages
not exceeding 25 cents per word to
Honolulu, and for press messages at a
rate not exceeding one-third of the
above rate.
! And the sum of $500, 900 is hereby APP
| propriated toward the construction of
said cable, and the total cost of said
line shall not exceed $500, 000 to be
| paid for from time to time, as appro-
priation shall be made by congress.
SACRAMENTO, February AT
the request of the san Francisco Cham
| Der of Commerce and the Manufacture
er's Association, Senator Wolfe intro
duced in the senate this morning the
following resolution which was unani-
mously adopted:
Resolved, by the senate and assem-
bly, jointly that our senators in con-
Sress be instructed and our represen-
tatiVes therein be requested and urged
/ to vote for and use all honorable means
! to secure the passage of a bill requir-
| ing the laying of such a cable and al
| so requiring that the cable be made by
| an American company in the United
| states, and be it further
Resolved, that a copy of this reso-
luton be forwarded by telegraph to
George c. Perkins, and that he be re-
quested to deliver a copy of the same
to each member of the California del
egation in congress" 80