Jere Krischel at 17:15, 21 December 2005

2005-12-21T17:15:29Z

Jere Krischel at 18:47, 11 December 2005

2005-12-11T18:47:55Z

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572 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
the same privileges to them that I would ask for myself in the way of
voting.
Senator GRAY. What day did you go out of office?
Mr. JONES. I went out on the 12th of January.
Senator GRAY. That was Wednesday?
Mr. JONES. That was Thursday.
The CHAIRMAN. Allow me to inquire right there, what was the form
of the vote by which you were removed from office?
Mr. JONES. Mr. Kapahu, as I have said there, was the introducer
of the resolution, the one who proposed that a vote of want of confidence
be brought against the ministry.
The CHAIRMAN. In that form ?
Mr. JONES. Yes; and he then went on to laud Mr. Wilcox, Mr.
Robinson, and myself, and tell what good men we were—but brought
in this vote of want of confidence. That was seconded by Kauoa.
There was no discussion on it. There was a motion made to indefinitely
postpone that motion. That was lost. Then it went back
to the original motion, and the motion for want of confidence was carried
by 25 votes.
The CHAIRMAN. Against how many?
Mr. JONES. I think there were 45 members of the house. That matter
had been settled by the supreme court only a little while before.
There are 24 representatives and 24 nobles. They all sit together in
one house and vote together. There had been one or two vacancies,
and the matter was submitted to the supreme court. The question
was, how many votes constituted a majority of the vote of want of
confidence. The court decided that a majority of the whole house—48
members and the 4 ministers. In that vote the 4 ministers could not
vote, and that leaves 48 votes; and there must be 25 votes.
The CHAIRMAN. I want to get at whether that vote of want of confidence
had any relation to any particular measure.
Mr. JONES. NO.
The CHAIRMAN. It was a sweeping vote of want of confidence?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
Senator GRAY. YOU say this was Thursday?
Mr. JONES. The 12th of January.
Senator GRAY. That you went out of office?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
Senator GRAY. And you had no public function to perform, no public
duty again, until you became a member of the committee of safety ?
Mr. JONES. Minister of the executive council of the Provisional
Government.
Senator GRAY. Were you not a member of the committee of safety?
Mr. JONES. No, I was not.
The CHAIRMAN. The committee of safety was the advisory council.
Mr. JONES. Many of them afterward became members of the advisory
council.
The CHAIRMAN. The advisory council is still a separate body from
the committee of safety?
Mr. JONES. The committee of safety ceased to exist on the formation
of the Government.
Senator GRAY. You say you received a telephone message about
1 o'clock to go to some place, an appointed place. What day was that?
Mr. JONES. That was on Tuesday, the 17th.
Senator GRAY. About 1 o'clock in the day?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 573
Senator GRAY. Where did you go then; where was the appointed
place?
Mr. JONES. The appointed place was the office of W. O. Smith, where
the committee of safety and those who had agreed to take part in the
new Government assembled before going to the Government House.
Senator GRAY. Whom did you find there?
Mr. JONES. I found all the members of the committee of safety,
and Judge Dole, Capt. King, and W. O. Smith.
Senator GRAY. Those with you constituted afterwards the executive
council?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
Senator GRAY. Who else were there?
Mr. JONES. I do not remember any others. I think no others were
there.
Senator GRAY. After you got there, what did you do?
Mr. JONES. We read over the proclamation.
Senator GRAY. It had been prepared before you got there?
Mr. JONES. It had been prepared; yes, and signed. We all signed
it, and then went to the Government House.
Senator GRAY. Whom did you walk with; do you recollect?
Mr. JONES. I could not tell you now. It was a very exciting time,
you know.
Senator GRAY. Did the whole thirteen or fourteen march up in a
body?
Mr. JONES. No; part of us went one street and part another. I can
show you by the map.
Senator GRAY. Show me where you met in Mr. Smith's office.
Mr. JONES. Smith's office is right in there. [Indicating on diagram.]
Senator GRAY. Which street?
Mr. JONES. Fort street.
Senator GRAY. Near what?
Mr. JONES. Near Merchant—very near Merchant street. The Government
building is there [indicating]. Some of us went up Merchant
street and came in here [indicating]; some went up Queen street and
went into the Government building. I went by the way of Merchant
street. I think I walked with Judge Dole.
Senator GRAY. HOW many were with you and Judge Dole—immediately
with you, right together?
Mr. JONES. But we were perhaps half the number. I could not say
now. You see it was a very exciting time, and this shot had been fired
right up by Hall's corner, on Fort street—just above us.
Senator GRAY. What sort of shot was it?
Mr. JONES. It was a pistol shot. Here [indicating] is Hall's corner.
We were here [indicating], and this shot was fired right here [indicating].
Senator GRAY. Were there any crowds on Merchant street?
Mr. JONES. No.
Senator GRAY. This shot drew the people over toward the place of
shooting. That was after you had started, or before?
Mr. JONES. Just as we started. Just as we came out I saw the
flash of the pistol.
Senator GRAY. Was there any crowd around Mr. Smith's office when
you came out?
Mr. JONES. No.
Senator GRAY. Was there any up Queen street? Did you see up
Queen street?

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Jere Krischel at 17:15, 21 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 18:47, 11 December 2005