I have the honor to state further that Admiral Walker and staff arrived
last Thursday morning, and at 10 a.m. this (Saturday) morning the
exchange of command took place with the customary ceremonies, the
foreign war vessels firing the usual salute.
The U. S. S. Adams, Capt. Brice, leaves at 8 a.m.
to-morrow for Port Town send, which will leave here three war vessels,
the Philadelphia, the Champion, and the Takachico, the other
Japanese cruiser, the Naniwa, having returned to
Japan.
[Inclosure with No. 51 from
Hawaii.—Commercial Adviser of April 10, 1894.]
resolutions.
Whereas the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands has called
a convention for the purpose of preparing and promulgating a
constitution for these islands, and has, in the act calling such
convention, provided that the same shall consist of 37 members, to
include the 19 self-appointed and nonrepresentative members of the
executive and advisory councils of said Government, and 18 members
to be elected; and
Whereas said act provides that voters for delegates to such
convention, and such delegates, shall first take an oath to bear
true allegiance to said Provisional Government, and to oppose the
reestablishment of monarchy in the Hawaiian Islands, thereby
unreasonably restricting the people, and such convention, in their
choice of a permanent form of government, and makes no provision for
the submission of the constitution, which shall be so prepared, to a
vote of the people; and
Whereas there is now pending unadjusted before the Government of the
United States of America the protest of the constitutional
government of Hawaii against the action of those by whom said
constitutional government of Hawaii was deposed, on the 17th day of
January, 1893: Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by us, the loyal people of Honolulu,
in mass meeting assembled, on the evening of this 9th day of
April, 1894, That we will and do decline to take said oath,
or to register or vote for delegates to such convention as
aforesaid; and we further decline to participate or cooperate in any
project of said Provisional Government to extinguish the Hawaiian
constitution of 1887, or to adopt a form of government other than
that sanctioned by said constitution, until a definite and final
reply to said protest of the constitutional government of Hawaii
shall have been received from the Government of said United
States;
Resolved, That we regard the said act, passed
by the said Provisional Government, and especially the provision
thereof which makes the members of said councils also members of
said convention, thereby assuring a majority of nonrepresentative
members therein, as being calculated and intended to prevent a full
and fair representation of the people in such convention; and we
regard the oath thereby prescribed as a practical disfranchisement
of the Hawaiian people, and of all who, with them, remain loyal to
the form of government here existing from time immemorial.
Resolved, That we appeal to our compatriots
and sympathizers throughout the land to stand firm in their refusal
to take said oath, or to register or vote for delegates to such
convention.
Resolved, That the chairman and secretary of
this meeting are hereby instructed to forward a copy of these
resolutions to his excellency the minister plenipotentiary of the
United States in Hawaii, with a request that he will forward the
same to his Government.
