230 



CONGRESS. (OTHER INTERNATIONAL MATTKHS.) 



lorn before us which is consistent with American hon- 

 or, inteirrity, and morality. 



(IKCVKK Cl.K.VKI.ANI). 



EXECTTTIVK MANSION, Dec. IS, /<s:/,;. 



Various documents bearing on the subject 

 were submitted with this message, and subse- 

 quently the President sent to ( 'ongress whatever 

 matter of importance bore upon the controversy 

 over the progress of Hawaii to independent re- 

 publicanism and a permanent government. The 

 topic was debated at great length, diverse reso- 

 lutions were offered, and elaborate reports were 

 made by Senate and House committees, that of 

 the former being especially valuable. In the 

 House of Representatives the following curious 

 resolution was passed, Feb. 7, 1894, by a vote of 

 177 to 75: 



Resolved, First : That it is the sense of this House 

 that the action of the United States minister in em- 

 ploying United States naval forces and illegally aid- 

 ing' in overthrowing the constitutional Government of 

 the Hawaiian Islands in January, 1893, and in setting 

 up in its place a Provisional Government not repub- 

 lican in form and in opposition to the will of a ma- 

 jority 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 the principle 

 announced by the President of the United States, that 

 interference with the domestic affairs of an independ- 

 ent nation is contrary to the spirit of American in- 

 stitutions. 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 inex- 

 pedient ; that the 

 had absolute freedom 



their own line of policy ; and that foreign intervention 

 in the political affairs of the islands will not be re- 

 garded witli indifference by the Government of the 

 United States. 



In the Senate a resolution against the policy 

 of annexation was tabled by a vote of 36 to 18, 

 May 29 ; and on May 31 the following resolution 

 against foreign interference with Hawaii was 

 adopted : 



Hi-solved, That of right it belongs wholly to the 

 people of the Hawaiian Islands to establish and main- 

 tain their own form of government and domestic 

 polity ; that the United States ought in no wise to in- 

 terfere therewith; and that any intervention in the 

 political affairs of these islands 'by any other govern- 

 ment will be regarded as an act unfriendly to the 

 United States. 



Toward the close of the session resolutions 

 were introduced congratulating the republic of 

 Hawaii on its establishment. 



Other International Matters. A measure 

 was passed by the Senate, April 3, 1894, and by 

 the House of Representatives, April 5, and was 

 signed by the President April 6, to enforce the 

 provisions of the articles of award of the Tribunal 

 of Arbitration at Paris in regard to the protec- 

 tion of seals in Bering Sea. 1 ts text is as follows : 



he people of that country should have 

 eedom and independence in pursuing 



.\<>H\ tli<-nf<'<\ be it enacted by the <SY;m7V <tn<l 

 niixi of lti'i>rtx< : ntatir<<x <>f '.lie. United /States Of 

 AiiH-rifit in. <'(njr<-M <txM>i,l>lcd : That no citizen of 

 the United States, or person owing the duty of obe- 

 dience to the laws or the treaties of the United States, 

 nor any person belonging to or on board of a vessel of 

 the United States, shall kill, capture, or pursue, at any 

 time or in any manner \vhate\er, outside of territorial 



waters, any fur seal in the waters surrounding the 

 Pribilov Islands within a zone of 60 geographical 

 miles (t',0 to a degree, of latitude) around said islands, 

 exclusive of the territorial waters. 



SKC. '2. That no citizen of the United States, or per- 

 son above described in section 1 of this act, nor any 

 person belonging to or on board of a vessel of the 

 United States, .shall kill, capture, or pursue, in any 

 manner whatever, during the season extending from 

 the 1st day of May to the ;',lst day of .Inly, both in- 

 clusive, in' each year, any fur seal on the' h it'll seas 

 outside of the zone mentioned in section 1, and in that 

 part of the Pacific Ocean, including Bering Sea, 

 which is situated to the north of the thirty-fifth decree 

 of north latitude and to the east of the 'one hundred 

 and eightieth degree of longitude from Greenwich 

 till it strikes the water boundary described in Article 

 I of the treaty of isiJT, between the United States and 

 Russia, and following that line up to Bering Straits. 



SKC. o. No citizen of the United States, or person 

 above described in the first section of this act, shall, 

 during the period and in the waters in which by sec- 

 tion 2 of this act the killing of fur seals is not pro- 

 hibited, use or employ any vessel, nor shall any vessel 

 of the United States be used or employed, in carrying 

 on or taking part in fur-seal fishing operations, other 

 than a sailing vessel propelled by sails exclusively, 

 and such canoes or undecked boats, propelled by 

 paddles, oars, or sails as may belong to and be used 

 in connection with such sailing vessel ; nor shall any 

 sailing vessel carry on or take part in such operation's 

 without a special license obtained from the Govern- 

 ment for that purpose, and without carrying a dis- 

 tinctive flag prescribed by the Government for the 

 same purpose. 



SKC. 4. That every master of a vessel licensed under 

 this act to engage in fur-seal fishing operations shall 

 accurately enter in his official log book the date and 

 place of 'every such operation, and also the number 

 and sex of the seals captured each day; and on coin- 

 ing into port, and before landing cargo, the master 

 shall verity, on oath, such official log" book as con- 

 taining a full and true statement of the number and 

 character of his fur-seal fishing operations, including 

 the number and sex of seals captured ; and for any 

 false statement willfully made by a person so licensed 

 by the United States in this behalf he shall be subject 

 to the penalties of perjury ; and any seal skins found 

 in excess of the statement in the official log book shall 

 be forfeited to the United States. 



SEC. 5. That no person or vessel engaging m fur- 

 seal fishing operations under this act shall use or em- 

 ploy in any such operations any net, firearm, airgun, 

 or explosive: Provided, kowever,Th&t this prohibition 

 shall not apply to the use of shotguns in such opera- 

 tions outside 'of Bering Sea during the season when 

 the killing of fur seals is not there prohibited by this 

 act 



SEC. 6. That the foregoing sections of this act shall 

 not, apply to Indians dwelling on the coast of the. 

 United States, and taking fur seals in canoes or un- 

 decked boats propelled wholly by paddles, oars, or 

 sails, and not transported by or used in connection 

 with other vessels, or manned by more than five per- 

 sons, in the manner heretofore practiced by the said 

 Indians: Frnrnh'J, however, That the exception made 

 in this section shall not apply to Indians in the em- 

 ployment Of other persons, or who shall kill, capture, 

 or pursue fur seals outside of territorial waters under 

 contract to deliver the skins to other persons, nor 

 the waters of Bering Sea or of the passes between 

 Aleutian Islands. 



SKC. 7. That the President shall nave .power 

 make regulations respecting the special license and 

 the distinctive flag mentioned in this act, and regula- 

 tions otherwise, suitable to secure the due execution of 

 the provisions of this act, and from time to time to 

 add to, modify, amend, or revoke such regulations, as 

 in his judgment may seem expedient. 



SKC.' H. That, except in the case of a master making 

 a false statement under oath in violation of the pro- 



