The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-16
.CULLOM BILL
IN COUNCIL
1t Will be Enlarged
And Changed.
CAUSE OF TARDY ACTION
The Bitter and Foolish Attacks of the
Little CaypIess Wilcox
Moreno Outfit.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-The House
Committee on Territories Is unusually
diligent in its consideration of the Ha-
waiian bill. General Hartwell and Mr..
w. o. Smith are constantly in attend
ance and are freely called upon for in
formation. During Sunday, the 28th,
the information required by the COM
mittee kept the typewriters for the
Hawaiian representatives at work
nearly all night. The bill before the
House which had been referred to the
committee, repealed in a general way
many of the present Hawaiian laws,
and IN the same way enacted other ex-
listing Hawaiian laws. 1t was evident
that in the debate ON the floor of the
House, members would ask for the
meaning of the provisions stricken out,
or enacted. 1t was therefore the wisest
policy to amend the bill so that it could
be seen at glance what the provisions
meant. This course will prevent con-
fusion and delay suspicion. The bill
will, therefore, be greatly enlarged, and
will make it materially different from
the Senate bill
AS an illustration of the bitter and
foolish attack made upon the admins
tfation of the land laws of Hawaii by
Moreno, Wilcox, Little and Caypless,
the following is brief summary of a
part of Littie's speech before the COM
mittee. After repeating his assertion
that there was no chance for Americans
to obtain land, unless they had pull
or were related to members of the gov
ernment, Mr.. w. o. Smith rose and
interrupted him, asking him to give a
single instance of the misconduct of the
government in this respect. He
promptly replied Certainly | can.
| applied myself to the government for
a piece of land containing a few acres
near Cocoanut Island, close to Hilo; l
wanted lease of it. 1t was refused.
But another man, named Brown. i'm
mediately got it without any difficulty.
| hadn't any pull; the government was
down on me and l wasn't related to
any member of It,"
A member of the committee asked
what sort of title Brown got. Little
replied, lease. Little was asked il it
was lease under the homestead law.
He said, "Oh, no." He was then asked
II leases did not have to be sold at pub
lie auction, why he did not bid on 1t?
Little replied, "Oh well, Brown didn't
get anything in writing but held the
land as sort of tenant at will" Mr..
Smith then said, that if he recalled the
case correctly, 1t was one affecting some
land which the government thought
should be retained because it was ad-
jacent to Hilo harbor; that Brown
merely occupied it and was allowed
to remain on from month to month.
Little could not remember any other
cases where a pull" haa obtained
land.
AS the committee is pressed with
work the time occupied by Little, Cayp-
less, Wilcox and Moreno. has DELAYED
the consideration of the bill. But at
the same time these incidents and in
temperate speeches have increased the
confidence OF the committee in the
honesty of the local government. be-
cause 1t has forced Mr.. Hit to make a
strong defense of it, with the force and
authority of an eyewitness.
The business men and residents of
Honolulu must realize the fact that
bold charges Of fraud made against the
government and planters, repeated con-
stantly before committee and urged
privately upon some members of It,
make an impression and create a tenn
porary mistrust in the minds of men in
Congress who are Indifferent to Ha-
wall. These men have no means of as
certaining forthwith the standing in
the Islands of the persons who are
charging the government and the
judiciary. with fraud The result is a
most unfortunate delay in reaching
conclusions. The Committee on Ter
ritories Is extremely anxious to make
a unanimous report of the Hawaiian
bill. hut II is difficult to do so when
several members of the committee h-s'-
tate to join in the report. because they
believe there may be something" in
the charges Of corruption.
moreover. 1t raises a new iesve wher
Ten naturally Influenced Fy thee hold
rerrese1tat'ors. say so it seems to ho
4 fact that the whole arnavqtinn busi
~ess. tie establishment Of the Panubl,r
hos been done bv a set of raecallv arf
"Orrrnt Americans. What guarantee
's there that those who are now urgin~
Cnn m fsn11r aIc