Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-12-08
WASHINGTON OR HONOLULU?
lFrom the New York SUM

(From the New York SUM-
When Secretary Hay courteously in
timated to President" Dole of Hawaii
that it might be well for him to go
slow in the matter of selling public lands
in the Islands now belonging to the
United States, Mr.. Dole published an
interview rebuking the Secretary Of
State of President McKinley's Admin
isration for ignorance and presump-
ton.
Mr.. Hays polite letter as quite
vague" "Mr. Hay" as the former
President" proceeded to explain to
the American citizens in Hawaii, "is
new in his office and evidently not ia
miliar with the lines upon which we
have been working here since last Au-
gust. His letter showed that he was
not thoroughly informed on the sub
ject of public lands"
The question of the sale of public
lands in Hawaii by the temporary, tide
over Government of Mr.. Dole had been
referred to Mr.. Griggs. In July last
the law officer of Mr.. McKinley's Ad-
ministration had expressed the opinion
that these lands cannot be disposed
of except by special act of Congress. I"
Mr.. Hay, ignorant and presmuptuous
as he may seem to Mr.. Dole, was per-
fectly aware of this opinion when he
wrote cautioning the Hawaiian Exc
cutiye against unlawful sales of
United States property in the islands
we have annexed. Upon the receipt of
MIR. Hays letter, the Dole Government
merely altered the date of the advertis-
ed land auctions in Hilo. 1t did not
call off the sale. 1t postponed it until
November 4. full month before the
meeting of Congress, the body declared
y the Attorney General to be the only
authority competent to dispose of these
SINE public lands.
There Is nothing vague in the legal
status of the public lands Of Hawaii.
Nor is there the slightest ground for
questioning the soundness of Mr..
Griggs's opinion, much less for defying
its obvious mandate.
The joint resolution annexing Ha-
wall, commonly known as the New
lands resolution, provided definitely for
the cession to the United States of "the
absolute fee and ownership of all pub
Tic lands, Government or Crown lands"
In the islands annexed. This had been
the proposition of the Republic of Ha-
wall, Mr.. Dole's own Government, then
Independent and competent to cede
such property. The cession was accept
ed and ratified by our Government
when the Newlands joint resolution,
having passed the Senate and the
House of Representatives, was signed
by President Mckinley and became the
law of the United States. President
Dole of the defunct republic formally
yielded to the representative of the
Federal Government, on August 12.
1898, the sovereignty and public prom
erty of Hawaii. Therefore, when the
Newlands resolution became law the
hawaiian public lands became part of
the public domain Of the United States:
and when the flag was raised In Homo
lulu ON August IL of last year, the
United States Governments absolute
and exclusive ownership of these lands,
among other items Of public property
In Hawaii, was asserted and proclaim
ed. Mr.. Dole and his land agents have
no more power to sell this Government
property, and no more right to adyer-
tise 1t for sale, than they have to dis
pose OF Government land in Idaho.
Utah or Arizona.
The sole authority is in Congress, as
Mr. Griggs's opinion clearly declared.
The Newlands resolution expressly re-
served the question of the Hawaiian
public lands for legislative determine
ton In the future. Here is the exact
language of the act:
The existing laws Of the United