The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-01
PREF, ALEXANDER ON THE
ARCHIVES OF OLD Hawaii
1continued from PAGE ID

Alta California when under Spanish and
Mexican Jurisdiction.
The proposal removal of these ar
chives is il-advised. The purpose Of their
removal has not been made known
If it is merely to enrich the Congress
sional Library it is not satisfactory.
The proper place for these archives is
in this State, whose interests are bound
up in their preservation and accessible
ity They have figured already in the
most important litigation affecting Cali
fornia Land titles tried in the State and
Federal courts here. Their service in
this respect is not ended Questions are
constantly being raised in land suits
here which call for reference to the
original Spanish land grants or to some
other manuscripts contained in these
archives. While the archives, strictly
speaking, do not belong to the State,
they are so closely interviewer with eV-
erything pertaining to it's early history
that they should not be allowed to pass
out of it for any purpose.
The curious manner in which the In
terror Department has proceeded in the
untruthful report which the depart
ment's agent made regarding the con-
tents of the archives and the place of
their custody, suggest that the real mo-
tive for their proposed removal ie be-
ing concealed. If it is to facilitate the
work of some favored historian or book
writer in Washington, which is almost
suggested in the representations made
by Agent Worthington c. Ford that his
mission was to secure a list of all rec
/ ords bearing upon the history of the
/ United States. the motive is altogether
unworthy. Anyhow, the order of the
Secretary of the Interior for their re-
moval seems to be an exercise of I'M
warranted authority, in the light of the
fact that Congress specially directed
that the archives should be deposited
with the Surveyor General of Califor-
mia. To proceed regularly, he will nave
to obtain first the consent OF Congress
to make the transfer, which he has
not obtained thus far and which he
will probably be unable to get.
1.-THE argument of California is the
argument of Hawaii" said Prof. Alex
ander THE archives should never be
| allowed to be taken away from the ISL
ands. Questions of land titles are in
voIved in these archives, and in legal
matters we cannot depend altogether
on copies Washington is too far away
from Hawaii to refer to for the settle
ment of vexed questions of this char
acter."
| Prof. Lyons and Prof. Alexander ia
vor hall of records, fire-proof and set
apart especially for the storage of these
valuable papers. Rev. w. d. Wester-
welt also suggests that the valuable
| papers of the Hawaiian Historical So
ciety should be given space in such a
, building. The archives in the Capitol
/ Building, the survey records and Su-
preme Court records are exposed to
I danger of destruction by fire, and the
/ loss thereby would be irreparable. In
view of the threatened danger of the
removal of the archives these gentlemen
| believe that it is the duty of the Legts-
lature to provide for their safety, at
least from fire, by appropriating money
| for suitable building.
Prof Lyons wants such a building to
be put in the space between the Judi
ciary Building and Survey Building,
! connecting with each. In this structure
/ there should be room for storing away
all the records above named. Prof
Lyons stated that he has tried in times
! past to get a fireproof building but for
some reason the necessity for it was
never forcibly brought to the attention
| of the powers that be.