The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-26
], F. BROWN
INQUIRY ON
CONTINUED from Page 81


would become destroyed. 1t was In re-
gard to this also that we wished for
some information as to what it meant.
Mr. Gnfllan-They have done nothing
in the way of law at all to give you
help?
The Governor-In Congress?
Mr.. Gnfllan-Yes.
The Governor-No; they have not done
anything. After Mr.. Brown was on his
way, almost as soon as he had left the
CITY | had a letter from Secretary
Hitchcock enclosing a letter from Mr..
Vandeventer, Assistant Attorney Gener-
al for the Interior Department, which
took the opposite of Mr.. Baird's conten-
tention.
When United States Attorney Baird
made this point, l sent letter to Mr..
Hitchcock the Secretary of the Interior,
and this was in reply thereto. Mr. Baird
had forwarded his opinion to the Attor-
ney General, and MIR. VandeVenter said
there was nothing in the contention Up
on receipt OF the letter the question was
sufficiently clear, so that the most i'm
portant object of Mr.. Browns trip was
disposed of before he got there.
y" Immediately upon Mr.. Browns arriv-
al In Washington he wrote the following
letters. which I received January 18TH
1.-THE Raleigh"
Washington, D. c., Jan. 2, 1901
Sanford B. Dole, Esq, Governor of the
a Territory OF Hawaii.
Sir: I beg to notify you of my arrival
in Washington yesterday CNew Years
Day. l presented your letter to the Sec
rotary of the Interior this morning, ex-
pressing my desire to furnish any infor-
nation In my power relating to Hawaii
an land matters, as occasion might arise.
The Secretary assumes that I would
cooperate with our Delegate in any such
matters, and I shall at an early date see
Mr.. Wilcox with a view to learning II
possible what changes or legislation he
may be seeking in that direction.
Desiring to know the present status as
to our land matters, I waited upon Mr..
Vandeventer. Assistant Attorney Gener-
al for Interior Department, and was
gratifed to know (what you are already
informed on that final approval had
been given to the transactions July Z,
1893. to September 30. 1899. and that Mr..
Vandeventer's opinion the points
raised by Mr. Baird in Honolulu had
been given entirely in support of our
contention
It ia not possible at this time to ex-
press any opinion as to what may come
up during the session, but it will evil
IDENTIFY be a crowded one with small time
for consideration of our local matters.
1 met Mr.. Haywood today and under
stood from him that he had already sent
agreeable news relative to the Kahn"
bill regarding lepers.
With the compliments of the season,
remain. yours respectfully.
J. F BROWN.
The Governor--I replied:
Honolulu, Jan 16. 1901
Mr.. ], F. Brown. The Raleigh, Washing
ton, D. c.
Sir: Your letter of January has been
received.
The settlement of the contention rails
ed by Mr.. Baird relieves the situation as
to part of the grounds on which l deem
ed it important that you should visit
Washington
The main point remaining relates TO
the provision In section IS of the Organic
Act, that no corporation, domestic or
foreign. shall acquire and hold real es-
tate in Hawaii in excess of 1000 acres, "
with the penalty OF escheat for such ex-
cess.
There is feeling Of uncertainty here
as to the meaning and application OF
this provision for instance. do the
words. acquire and hold" mean title IN
fee or do they include interests we'll
This Is the most important question as
the latter construction would result In
the rapid reduction of the areas Of land
occupied by various, perhaps the major
ity, OF the sugar plantations, to the Sc
suiting In the total failure Of such en-
terprises
1t seems important TO obtain an au.
thoritative construction of the provision
on this point and If the result is that
corporations may not hold more than l.
900 acres OF land either in fee or under
lease. relief should be afforded by Con
gTess
The policy of raising these issues al
present can best be decided by those In
touch with Congressional work. If you
should conclude that 1t is inadvisable tc
do anything in this matter at this SEES
sion and no other public business relat.
ing to Hawaiian land matters requires
your attention, I would advise your i'm.
mediate return.
I think it would be well before leaving
Washington, for you to talk with Mr.
Hermann of the Public Land Bureau OF
the subject Of the Hawaiian Public
Lands. and ascertain as far as yon may
be able, his views and plans in relation
thereto. Very respectfully,
SANFORD 3. DOLE.
The Governor-A further letter from
Mr.. Brown dated January 19. was re
ceived. which reads:
Washington, D. c., Jan. 10, 1901.
Sanford B. Dole Esq, Governor of tn
Territory of Hawaii.
Sir: Since my first letter, writer
shortly after my arrival here, bill o
which I think you have been informed
has been introduced In the Senate b,
Hansbrough of Dakota to extend tn
United States land laws to Hawaii. 1
has been referred to Committee on Pa
cific Islands and Porto Rico, but n
hearing has yet been had on the same
1 think the chance of its passage 1
slight, the session Is pretty well ad
vanced and the pressure of other work
and precedence of numerous other bill
will probably make it go over. 1 hav
had some intimations also that the mat
ter would not be pressed. Whatever tn
disposition of the introducer of the bill
however, I have. far as possible, urg
ed on such members as / have met tn
inadyisability of radical changes, with
out study of the conditions by som
competent and disinterested person oil
the ground, and this view seems TO com
mend itself. / have had an interview O
some length with Commissioner Herman
of the general land Office, pointing GU
to him some of our peculiar situation
and difficulties L have never though
that he specially favored our land sys
TEN, but I do not think that he woulC
approve haphazard change.
Senator Clark Mr. Mondell CushmaI