Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-04-28
Council Of State Adjourned


w. \. GONSALNES.
w. r. ALLEN
w. G. ACHI.
JOHN MOTT.
NJ. u. ROBINSON
Honolulu, April 23d. 1900.
At 3:i5 the Council adjourned with
out day.
Tuesday, April "a
The Council of State met for the
last time probably yesterday at p
m. There were present President Dole
Ministers Mott-Smith. Young and Da-
mon, and Councillors Isenberg, Achi
kaulukou, Allen, Gonsalves, Robert
son, Jones, Gear Bolte, Kennedy, Ka-
ne, Mott and Robinson.
The minutes of the previous meeting
were read and approved.
Mr.. Gear asked the Minister of For
cign Affairs for the correspondence of
the Washington State Department
about the disposition of the claims Of
aliens imprisoned as suspects in 1895.
Minister Mott-Smith replied that af
ter annexation the correspondence with
foreign representatives terminated and
the settlement of the matter was re-
erred to Washington. Hon. II. NJ.
Sewall had been furnished with full
memoranda of the matter and the lat
ter gentleman had handed him n note
in reference thereto as follows:
Il have tn ehonor to advise you that
| am in receipt of instructions from the
Secretary of State to the effect that
all claims existing against Hawaii in
favor of the subjects or citizens of
foreign lands prior to and at the time
of its annexation to the United States
are referred back to the local Hawaiian
government for its consideration an
settlement"
Mr.. Gear asked If this was all of the
correspondence which passed.
Minister Mott-Smith replied that one
| letter had since been received In which
! the additional word determination
had been inserted and the clause of the
instructions reIating to the claims now
stood so that they were referred to tho
Hawaiian Government for "considera-
ton, determination and settlement"
Mr.. Gear asked what the occasion
was for the second letter and why had
the word determination" been added
! to the instructions. Had the local gov
eminent written to Washington and
drawn out the addition.
Minister Mott-Smith replied that nc
did not now remember whether the
government wrote directly or whether
the inquiry was made through Mr.
Hartwell. who knew what was wanted
Mr.. Gear asked IL Mr.. Hartwell was
the Special Agent of the Foreign Office
at Washington.
Minister Mott-Smith replied that ht
was not, but was the special agent o
the Hawaiian Government and was
paid out of the Consular and Diploma
tic appropriation.
Mr.. Robertson asked If Mr. Hartwel
had found out about the matter Of
claims.
Minister Mott-Smith replied that the
instructions, as amended. were doubt.
less the reply to Mr.. Hartwell's inquiry
Mr.. Gear moved the adoption of The
resolution regarding the Court OF
Claims, which was published in yes
terdays Bulletin.
Mr.. Robertson said he would vote
against the resolution. He did moi
think 1t was the proper function Of tn,
Council of State to ask President Nc
kinley to give advice to the local gov
eminent; it was not proper under the
terms of the Constitution. We should
not bother President Mckinley with
the details Of our local affairs. He had
too much respect for president McKin.
ley to ask this OF him. He should b
sorry to see the Council of State get
ting down to such little work. Besides
| he thought that some of the statements
made were inaccurate. He cited the
claims paid during the cholera time
when some garden and taro patches
were destroyed. II anything else was
destroyed and paid for he did not know
what, and did not think anybody else
did. He held the resolution was be-
yond the province of the Council OF
State and was impertinent.
The resolution was adopted, all the
Councillors, except Mr. Robertson, vot-
ing in the Affirmative.
At 1886 p. m. the Council adjourned
sine die.