the composition of the document, which was drafted by Mr. Thurston, who had temporarily returned from his duties as Hawaiian minister to the United States. But by whomsoever written, the facts presented and grouped with a master hand, the arguments framed, and the close, severe, and frank yet thoroughly courteous presentation of the case of Hawaii before the American administration and at the bar of public opinion, were principally Mr. Dole's own, and won him many warm praises, not only at home but throughout the United States and to some extent in foreign countries. His reply is considered one of the strongest and most effective state documents ever prepared.

The minister also needed several days in which to attempt an adequate reply, which on the 19th of January was forwarded to President Dole. He declined answer to the several specifications bringing in transactions previous to his arrival at the islands, but gave full and fair discussion to the other allegations, remarking at the close:

"While duly respecting the doctrine of non-interference by the representatives of another government with your domestic affairs, I shall rejoice to know that anything I have done or said now or heretofore has tended to a better understanding of recent events in your history and of motives and of intentions as to which there may be, as you state, 'mutual apprehension'."

Minister Willis had, of course, been invited, as representative of the presumably best friend of Hawaii among the nations, to participate in the observance of Abrogation Day on the 17th of January. His action in the matter was important, since that of several other foreign ministers was contingent upon it. On the 16th he made formal reply, saying to President Dole:

"With due appreciation of your courtesy, and with no disrespect to you or your government, I am, I regret to say, unable to accept the invitation extended."

The British, French, Portuguese, and Japanese diplomatic representatives, learning the intention of Mr. Willis, also declined to appear at the public exercises or presidential reception; and indeed, following the example of the British minister, Major Wodehouse, they returned no answer to the official invitation. Under direction of Mr. Willis the American warships in port gave the day no notice by display of flags, salutes, or otherwise; and their crews, as well as those of the British and Japanese vessels, were refused shore leave. The indignation of the provisional government over

"snubs" was very great, and a special session of the ex

ecutive council was called to consider the action proper to be taken in view of them. In his report of the celebration to Secretary Gresham, the minister said:

"The representatives of foreign governments acted upon the instructions of their own governments and upon their own responsibility, with the distinct disavowal upon the part of the representative of the United States that its action was either intended or desired to control theirs."

On February 2 Mr. Willis advised the state department that he had received notice from a number of leading citizens of Honolulu, including two judges of the courts, that the use of their names on the lists of the queen's friends and advisers furnished to him by ex - Marshal Wilson was entirely unauthorized and unwarranted;" and he adds, "It is doubtful whether any of those whose names are on the lists were informed of the fact."

On Febuary 5, President Dole, acknowledging a former communication from the minister, assures him that it

clearly shows to the government Mr. Willis'

"desire that no interpretation be placed on any of the events or matters referred to which is inconsistent with the friendly attitude of himself and the United States government toward the government of Hawaii, and insisting that his own course had not been such as to arouse anxiety in this community concerning the intentions of the United States government."

On the 14th Mr. Willis notified the president that he had been advised from Washington that his special instructions had been fully complied with. On the same day Mr. Dole sent a long letter to the minister in further

explanation of some points in his "specifications" of January 11, closing as follows:

"I beg to assure you that I have never intended to put upon your excellency the sole responsibility for the matters under discussion, as the correspondence will show, and to assure you of my sincere appreciation of the friendly nature of your reply to my letter of specifications, and to join you in the expressed hope that there may be a speedy, honorable, and satisfactory adjustment of all pending questions.'

The correspondence and other transactions of the minister since, so far as they were reported in this country to the close of the quarter, possess little public interest or permanent value.

Hawaii in Congress. Our record for 1893 brought the official and congressional incidents at the national capital relating to Hawaii up to the 27th of December, when the sub-committee of the senate committee on foreign relations, appointed under the resolution of Senator Morgan to inquire into the transactions between the two countries relating to the revolution of January, 1893, began its secret sessions. On January 3, 1894, Mr. Frye offered in the senate a resolution declaring that, pending the investigation by the committee on foreign relations, there should be no interference on the part of the United States government, by moral influence or physical force, for the restoration of the queen or the maintenance of the provisional government in the Hawaiian Islands. A resolution was subsequently submitted by Senator Turpie, as a compromise between the denunciators and supporters of the administration policy. It declares, primarily, that in view of the existing diplomatic and political relations between this country and Hawaii, annexation is not advisable, but it asserts with equal emphasis that the provisional government is the sole legal and recognized power in the islands, and must be allowed to develop its own policy as it sees fit without interference from the administration here; while it insists, further, that intervention on the part of any foreign government will be regarded as an act unfriendly to the United States.

The Turpie resolution was reported favorably from the committee on foreign relations on January 23. Meanwhile, on receipt of information that the surrender of the provisional government had been requested by the minister of the United States, Representative Hitt introduced into the lower house a resolution reading as follows:

"Resolved, That the president be requested to communicate to the house of representatives, if not inconsistent with public interests, all

information received since his message of December 18, 1893, or not transmitted therewith, and now in his possession, touching recent reported events in the Hawaiian Islands, and any attempts to overturn the republican government thereof and erect a monarchy in its stead, and especially whether any representative, officer, vessel, or armed forces of the United States took part in such recent attempts to subvert a friendly government, and if so, by whose orders they acted."

This was referred to the house committee on foreign affairs, which had already under consideration the resolutions introduced by representative McCreary. On January 25 the committee, by a strict party vote, authorized Mr. McCreary to report favorably his resolutions, as fol

lows:

"Resolved, First, That it is the sense of this house that the action of the United States minister in employing United States naval forces and in illegally aiding in overthrowing the constitutional gov ernment of the Hawaiian Islands in January, 1893, and in setting up in its place a provisional government not republican in form, and in opposition to the will of the majority of the people, was contrary to the traditions of our republic and the spirit of our constitution, and should be and is condemned.

Second, That we heartily approve of the principle announced by the president of the United States that interference with the domes tic affairs of an independent nation is contrary to the spirit of American institutions.

And it is further the sense of this house that the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to our country, or the assumption of a protectorate over them by our government is uncalled for and inexpedi ent. That the people of the country should have absolute freedom and independence in pursuing their own line of policy, and that for eign intervention in the political affairs of the islands will not be regarded with indifference by the government of the United States."

The Republican minority of the committee also submitted a report and resolution as a substitute for the McCreary resolutions. Animated debate followed from time to time, and a vote was not reached until February 7, when the majority report was adopted by 177 to 75. The affirmative vote was cast altogether by three Populists and the Democrats. Three Democrats voted in the negative, with sixty-six Republicans and six Populists. Mr. Boutelle then moved his privileged resolution of December 23, declaring as the sense of the house that any intervention by the executive of the United States, its civil or military representatives, without authority of congress, in the internal affairs of a friendly recognized government, to disturb or overthrow it, and to aid or abet the substitution or restoration of a monarchy therefor, is contrary to the policy and traditions of the republic and the letter and

spirit of the constitution and cannot be too promptly or emphatically reprobated. It was defeated by a vote of

91 to 161.

The Morgan Report.-The most voluminous and, on the whole, important document yet in evidence in the Hawaiian affair was submitted to the senate February 26th by the committee on foreign relations, being the report of its sub-committee formed under the resolution of Senator Morgan, as follows:

"Resolved, That the committee on foreign relations shall inquier and report whether any, and if so what, irregularities have occurred in the diplomatic or other intercourse between the United States and Hawaii in relation to the recent political revolution in Hawaii; and to this end said committee is authorized to send for persons and papers and to administer oaths to witnesses."

Under this authorization the subcommittee had examined a large number of witnesses, including citizens of Hawaii, spectators and participants in the revolution of January, 1893, officers of the United States navy, and

others possessing desired information. Their testimony, with the reports and appended documents, make an octavo volume of nearly 800 pages, to which a number of valuable maps form an appendix. The majority report was signed by Senator Morgan, Democrat, and all the Republican members of the committee, Senators Sherman, Frye, Dolph, and Davis. It justifies ex-Minister Stevens' action during the revolution, except in proclaiming a protectorate; and while it finds nothing irregular in the appointment of Commissioner Blount, says in effect that