Home: The Annexation Of Hawaii: A Collection Of Document
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HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 235 No. 14. The Hawaiian special commissioners to Mr. Foster. WASHINGTON, D. C., February 4, 1893. (Received February 4.) SIR: In accordance with the statement this day made by you to us that, by order of the President, you had confirmed the recognition of the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands already extended to such Provisional Government by his excellency John L. Stevens, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America at Hawaii; and in accordance with your further statement, then made, that you accepted the credentials presented by us as special commissioners from the said Provisional Government to the Government of the United States of America for the purpose of negotiating a treaty between the said two governments by the terms of which full and com- plete political union may be secured between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Islands, arid that you are now prepared to receive from us as such commissioners proposals in connection with the formation of such treaty for your consideration, we have the honor to state that, although we are invested by our Government with full dis- cretionary power as to the terms of such treaty, subject to its final rat- ification, it is the desire of our Government that certain terms and con- ditions shall be incorporated in such treaty, and we hereby submit to you a general outline of such terms and conditions, viz: (1) That such treaty may secure full, complete, and perpetual political union between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Islands. (2) That the form of local government to be established in the Hawaiian Islands shall be substantially the form now existing in Ter- ritories of the United States, with such modifications, restrictions, and changes therein as the exigencies of the existing circumstances may require and as may be hereafter agreed upon. (3) That all appointments to office in the Hawaiian Islands shall be made from among persons who have lived in said islands for a term of not less than five years. (4) That the payment of the Hawaiian national debt, including the amounts due by the Government to depositors in the Hawaiian Postal Savings Bank shall be assumed by the Government of the United States of America. (5) That the lauds located at the said Hawaiian Islands heretofore known as government lands and crown lands and all other government property, and all the proceeds thereof and receipts therefrom shall continue to be the property of the local government of the said islands, under whatever form it maybe established, and all the proceeds thereof devoted to the purposes and uses of such local government. (6) That within a given period, say one year, or such other period as may be mutually agreed upon, the Government of the United States of America shall lay and thereafter maintain a telegraphic cable between the Pacific coast of the said United States of America and the Hawaiian Islands. (7) That the United Stales Government shall, so soon as is reasona- bly practicable, open the entrance to Pearl Harbor and establish a coaling and naval station adjacent thereto. (8) That articles, the produce or manufacture of the Hawaiian Islands, shall in all respects be treated and considered as products of the United States.