The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-03-01

charitable woman. as woman who's,
character and reputation had never beer
assailed by those who knew her but
only by those who did not know her
And furthermore they gave it as their
opinion, without dissenting voice. that
nothing could go so far to harmonic
matters i'll that new part of our country
as TO do something in the way of a
contribution to the Queen, not based on
any legal or equitable claim, il you
please.
MIR. Spooner Why do you not put it
in that way?
Mr. Mitchell That is the way we
do put IL That is the way the report
puts It, 1t was stated that nothing
would go SO far TO harmonic matters
and quiet matters i'll those islands.
Mr. Blackburn This Government
had nothing to dc with any loss that
the Queen sustained i'll the matter OF
any property belonging to herself in
fee. This Government had nothing to
do, IT is assumed by the committee in
its report, with the conversion OF the
rentals from the Crown lands, even to
the provisional government and the Re
public of Hawaii.
But, answering first the question sub
mitted by the Senator from Wisconsin.
! would say that it is not exactly the
case that he described, that so often TIN
fortunately occurs where people are
brought down from affluence to want.
In this case the poverty which overlook
| this dethroned monarch was not the
result OF any fault of hers. 1t was as
/ the result OF political revolution.
| Nnu. oIt ., e.. -, Al,
F., argument that this Government had
nothing to do with bringing about that
condition OF affairs; admitting for the
sake of the argument that this Govern
ment had no collision with or knowl-
edge of the intention and purposes that
, resulted in the dethroncment of this
Queen, still the fact remains that this
/ Government did become the recipient OF
| that very overthrow of government to
the extent of the rentals of these lands
from the date of the annexation OF the
Hawaiian Islands until now
Senator Hepburn here participated in
the debate. The Crown lands" said
the Idaho Senator, do not appeal to
me at all as the basis of any sympathy
or the foundation for making the APP
preparation"
Then | am afraid we can not reach
the Senator's sympathy at all res
pended Mr. Blackburn.
Senator Clay, of Georgia also made
some inquiries, as to whether the loss of
the Crown lands and the loss of the
rents thereof were not the entire basis
of the claim for an appropriation.
Senator Blackburn said that was not
true.
| have the petition here before me,
continued MIR. Clay, | will state to
the Senator.
] have the brief filed by her counsel,
retortcd Mr.. Blackburn, in my hand
That is not true Upon the contrary,
it is expressly set up, not as basis
upon which to predicate legal demand
against the Government, but as a matter
properly TO be considered, that all of the
property, OF the estate, OF the personally, !
of which she was possessed independent |
OF her right OF sovereignty, passed from
her possession and was taken forciblc
possession of by the Government that
succeeded the crown government.
Now, | have but one more thing to .
say, and that | have already said. There
is no ground here upon which to base
a legal claim. There is no ground here
upon which an action could be brought |
against government, even ii the gov
ernment would waive its sovereignty
and admit itself liable to be sued. There
is no ground here upon which bill
could be prcdicated in a court of equity.
That is all conceded. 1t is frankly adj
mitted that the only proposition sub
mitted to the Senate to determine is as
to whether in good conscience and fair
dealing this bill should not pass.
SPOONER AND MITCHELL DE
BATE.
Mr.. Spooner. Mr.. President, it is a
little difficult, because somewhat I'M
gracious, perhaps. for one to antagonize
a proposition SO persuasvely presented
as this is by the Senator from Kentucky.
He is a sympathetic man, and | think
most of us are sympathetic men.
have listened to all he has had to say,
and all the Senator from Oregon (Mr.
Mitchell) has had to say, and | can
not, for the life of me, see from their
statement upon what conceivable basis
this appropriation can be justified.
We are not appropriating our own
money. We are the conscrvators of the
money belonging to the United States,
raised by taxation in one form and an
other. We go to the limit sometimes
in appropriations out OF sympathy. Here
is a proposition to appropriate 100000
out OF the Treasury to Liliuokalani, the
dehroned Queen of the Ilawaiians
1t certainly is not enough to warrant
this appropriation that she is a woman
OF good charactcr-that, as far as |
am concerned, goes without saying-or
that she is woman OF literary taste
and ability. We have many a woman in
this country of fine literary taste and
ability struggling from day to day to
live, even, But the Government can
not appropriate money TO aid them on
any such ground as that, although kind
hearted people who are affluent might
well enough help, and they many times
n,,l l,,1, &c hal