The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-18
GOVERNMENT FOR HAWAII.
UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT HAD BY
THE CoNFEREEs.
Provisions of the House Bill SUBJ
stantiaily Accepted. with several
Important Neutrality-suspicious. OPP
ton to Determine Liquor Ira ffic.

WASHINGTON, April l7.-After ex-
tended meetings a unanimous agreement
was reported today BY the house ant
senate conferees on the Hawaiian gov.
eminent bill. The senate conferees yield
ed to the house measure, which passed
as a substitute for the senate bill as a
whole, although a number OF amend
ments were made. In the main the form
OF government as finally determined upon
Is that provided by the house.
The Principal Amendments.
The chief amendments are providing a
district court instead OF the federal court
organized under general laws, and the
striking out Of the house provision post
poning for one year the time for apply
Ing the coasting laws to Hawaii The
prohibition of saloons in Hawaii as pro-
vided by the house bill is retained in a
modified form, In effect leaving the mat
ter to local option.
The house provisions as to. the land
laws are retained including the amend
ment OF Representative Newlands. of Ne
vada, restricting the amount OF land
TO be held by a corporation to 1000 acres.
Inc other Newlands amendment provid-
ing for a committee to investigate the
labor question in Hawaii is changed so
that Commissioner OF Labor Wright will
conduct the inquiry. The appointment
OF circuit judges. which was the subject
OF rather serious difference, was finally
decided by leaving the appointments with
the president.
Form of Government.
The bill establishes a complete form OF
government for the islands with n gov
ernor and other executive officers, a legis-
latnre of two branches and a judicial
branch consisting of n supreme court.
the circuit court and inferior courts The
Dill provides that Hawaii shall be repre-
sented In congress by a delegate, who
shall have a seat In the house OF repre-
sentatives, with right 20 debate but not
vote. The delegate to congress Is 10
be chosen at an election OF the people.
Ihere Is no tariff provision in the bill as
the tarln laws of the United States are
extended over the island. and the terri.
tory OF Hawaii is specifically made a
customs district OF the United States.
with ports of entry at Honolulu. IHlo.
Mahukona and Kahului
Disposal OF Crown Lands.
AS to the crown lands which have been
source OF some controversy, IL is pro-
vlded:
That the portion of the public domain
heretofore known as crown lands Is here
by declared to have been, on August y.
1888, and prior thereto. the property of the
Hawaiian government and to be free and
clear from any trust of or concerning the
same, and from all claim Of any nature
whatsoever. upon the rents, issues and
profits thereof IL shall be subject To
alienation and other uses as 01ay be pro-
vlded by law"
Chinese Question.
The Chinese on the island are given a
year TO obtain certificates of residence,
but the confcrees struck out the amend
ment inserted by Representative De Ar
mond OF Missouri, providing that "all Chi
nese and other Asiatics" arriving since
the island was acquired by the United
States shall depart within one year or else
be deported by the government This lat
ter provision was omitted In view of the
hehef that the Japanese have secured
treaty status In Hawaii. and that their
forcihle deportation by the United States
would invite a serious and needless
breach with japan