Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-18

WASHINGTON, April 17.-After ex-
tended meetings an unanimous agree
ment was reached to-day by the Senate
and House conferees on the Hawaiian
government bill. The Senate confer
ess yielded to the House measure,
which passed as a substitute for the
Senate bill, as a whole, although a
number of amendments were made. In
the main the form of government was
finally determined upon is that pro-
vided by the House. The chief amend
ments are in providing a district court
instead of the Federal court organized
under general laws, and the striking
out of the House provisions postpon-
ing for n year the time for apply
ing the coaSting laws to Hawaii. The
prohibition of saloons in Hawaii as
provided by the House bill is retained
in a modified form, in effect leaving
the matter to local option. The
House provisions as to the land laws
are retained, including the amend
ment of Representative Newlands of
Nevada, restricting the amount of
land to be held by a corporation to one
thousand acres. The other News
lands amendment providing for a
commission 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 earnest difference, was finally
decided by leaving the appointment
with the President.
The bill establishes a complete form
of government for the island with a
governor and other executive officers,
a legislature of two branches and a
judicial branch consisting of a SUI
preme Court, Circuit Courts and infer
ior courts.
The bill provides that Hawaii shall
be represented in Congress by a del
CSoIC, WIN oudll nave d oCdL Ill IaC
House of Representatives with a right
of debate, but not a vote. The dele
gate to Congress is to be chosen at
an election of the people. There is no
tariff provision in the bill as the tariff
laws of the United States are exended
over the island and the territory of
Hawaii is specifically made a customs
district of the United States" with
ports of entry at Honolulu, Hilo, Ma
hukona and Kahului.
AS to the crown lands which have
been the source of some controversy,
it is provided: THAT the portion of
the public domain heretofore known as
crown lands is hereby declared to have
been, on August u, 1898, 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. 1t shall be subject to
alienation and other uses as may be
provided by law"
The Chinese on the island are given
one year to obtain certificates of resi-
dence, but the conferees struck out the
amendment inserted by Representative
DeArmond, of Missouri, providing that
"all Chinese and other ASiaticS'r arriy-
ing since the island was acquired by
the United States shall depart within
M year. or else be deported by the
government. This latter proposition
was omitted in view of the belief that
the Japanese have secured a treaty
status in Hawaii and that therefore
deposition by the United States would
invite a serious and needless breach
with Japan.