The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-13
HAWAIIAN BILL Approved.
SENATE COMMITTEE ACTS ON IT
FAVORABLY.
Confirms Land Sales Made Since An
nexation and Gives Supreme Court
Judges Tenure for Nine Years.

WASHINGTON, January 4.-The
Senate will dispose of the Hawaiian
question without delay. The Commit
tee on Foreign Relations today filed its
report on the Cullom bill, which is the
measure drafted by the Hawaiian Com
mission, consisting of Senators Cullom
and Morgan and Representative Hit,
who visited the islands in the summer
of 1898. The report is favorable to the
bill as it stand and recommends only
two or three minor amendments.
Chief among the amendments is the
following section: "Al sales, grants
leases and other disposition of the pub
lie domain and agreements concerning
the same and all franchises granted by
the Hawaiian Government in confor-
nifty with the laws of Hawaii prior to
September IL, 1899, are ratified and con-
firmed."
1t is probable that this amendment
will be subjected to close scrutiny be-
cause of certain legislation that was
passed by the Hawaiian Legislature in
July, 1898, while Congress was consid-
ering the question of the annexation of
the islands. Other amendments of i'm
portance are that the Chief Justice and
Justices of the Supreme Court shall
serve for nine years and not during
good behavior, as was provided in the
original bill. The committee also re-
commends the appointment of a United
States District Judge at salary of
$4,000 year the President in addition to
the other Federal officials named in the
bill. Other amendments recommended
by the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions have to do only with matters of
legal phraseology and the simplihca-
ton of the provisions of the measure.
1t is probable that as soon as the
Senate shall have disposed of the cur
rency bill it will take up the Cullom
bill providing a government for the
territory of Hawaii, and it is a fore
gone conclusion that the bill will pass
the House and the Senate without
amendments of Importance.
The Senate Committee on Commerce
also reported favorably today two bills
introduced by Senator Frye providing
for the extension of the laws relating
to commerce, navigation and merchant
seamen over the Hawaiian islands and
Porto Rico.
The report on the Hawaiian bill states
that about rs per cent of the trade be-
tween the islands and the United States
is carried on in American vessels, or
29O, 766 tons in American bottoms and
1O1, ,264 tons in foreign bottoms. 1t re-
commends that all vessels owned by
citizens of the Hawaiian islands be ac-
corded registration in the United States
as was done at the time of the acquisi-
ton of Alaska and Louisiana. 1t dis
approves, however, of the registration
of vessels admitted to Hawaiian regis
| try since admitted to this country
Both the Hawaiian and Porto Rican
bills provide that coasting trade be-
tween those islands and any other por-
tions of the United States shall be reg
ulated in accordance with the provi-
sions of law applicable to such trade
between any two great. coasting dis
tricts.
Representative Grosvenor of Ohio,
chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries, has In
! troduced in the House bills identical
with the Frye bills, according American
registry to Hawaiian and Porto Rican
| vessels.