The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-11
COMMISSION HEARS
POLITICAL SIDE
Continued from Page 81

main of the United States of America.
My deprivation of said lands and of the
rents, issues and profits thereof by the
said Provisional Government and the
said Republic of Hawaii and the as
sumption of title to and control of the
same by the United States of America,
and my deposition as Queen of the Ha-
waiian Kingdom and my deprivation of
the franchises, privileges. dignities,
rights, emoluments and perquisites Of
my said royal station, was caused prox-
imately. directly and efficiently by the
action of the Minister Plenipotentiary
of the United States above set forth,
and could not have been accomplished
without such action on the part of the
said Minister Plenipotentiary.
Ir common with the native Hawaiian
population of the Territory of Hawaii,
have accepted in good faith the con-
ditions of government which have ex-
listed in these islands since the annexa-
ton thereof by the United States, and
am now loyal citizen of that great
country, yielding implicit obedience to
its constitution and laws. Confidently
believing that the United States will
mot disregard the rules of reason, mo-
rality, humanity and justice upon which
my claim is founded, and that will be
considered and dealt with in a spirit of
luminous equity, I humbly pray that
the Congress of the United States may
by appropriate and apt legislation de-
clare me to be the owner in fee of all
that portion of it's public domain situat
ed in the Territory of Hawaii and COM
monty called and known as the crown
lands or If it be deemed inimical to the
best interests of the United States to
convey said lands to me in kind, that I
be, by appropriate and apt legislation,
paid the value of said lands in money,
and that I be suitably and reasonably
compensated for the loss of my Sover-
eighty fees. emoluments, and perquis-
ties as Queen of the Hawaiian King
dom.
And I respectfully request this Hon
orable Committee TO make such en-
quiry and to receive and hear such tes-
timony in the premises as will enable
it to report upon the subject matter
thereof.
l have the honor to remain,
Your obedient servant,
LILIUOKALANI.
CLARENCE w. DE KNIGHT,
HUMPHREYS, THOMPSON & WAT
SON,
Counsel.
The demands were then read. That
directed to Secretary Cooper asked that
he present to the commission all cor
lrespondence between the Provisional
Government and as agents in Washing
ton during it's life and as well CORE
spondence between the Republic of Ha-
wall and its agents in Washington
during it's life. That directed to Land
Commissioner Boyd directed the pro-
| duction of all the leases, records OF
| sales, and the records of rents and all
revenues derived from the crown lands
| up to the present time.
When he mad finished he said that he
| wished that there might be set day
for the hearings and the arguments
Senator Mitchell asked how long he
would take and he answered that he
could not tell how long il would be, as
there would arise questions for which
| he was not prepared, and the develop
ments might be of a nature requiring
time. He thought at first that there
would be two days for the argument
but later decided that it would be best
to put it at two days for the argument
| and evidence. He thought the papers
asked for might be produced in thirty
/
given the originals and these with
drawn when copies had been made.
| Senator Mitchell remarked: Il no.
tice that the petition says that the
lands belonged to the queen in fee"
Humphreys: THAT is the position
| take
| Senator Mitchell "Then at her death
she could have devised them.''
| HumnhrPvS. +ha 10
that she could dispose of the lands
could ALLEVIATE them, and that the fee
was therefore in her"
| Senator Mitchell dropped the matter
saying he would take it up with the
commission and communicate with the
attorneys later.
| Judge George D. Gear was sworn and
made a statement as to the courts
He said that the business now could
| be done by one circuit judge on account
of the law which permits only one tc
hold court, but that a first judge wa:
necessary owing to the fact that there
! We're certain duties laid upon that of.
fetal. He explained also that the
penal laws made trivial cases go to the
circuit courts, ana this was a burden
TO the calendar and caused much work
He said also that the system Of
filling the Supreme bench by calling il
lawyers was wrong, and that there was
nothing in the Federal law justifying
such action.
He then suggested the right of appea
TO the United States Supreme Cour
from the local courts as in other state:
and territories
He took up what he termed the pecu
lar circumstances under which the
courts worked, saying that Presiden
Mckinley had purposely appointed the
circuit judges from among men oppos
ed to the Governor
He claimed that the courts had beer
attacked for their extravagance. though
this was general and not specific: fol
decisions. and in every way held up Il
rld1cule and contempt. He recited the
case of the three judges sending al
editor to jail and his being hardened