Ken Conklin: /* SWORN STATEMENT OE ZEPHANIAH SWIFT SPALDING. */

2005-12-28T04:45:58Z

SWORN STATEMENT OE ZEPHANIAH SWIFT SPALDING.

Jere Krischel at 05:42, 22 December 2005

2005-12-22T05:42:46Z

Jere Krischel at 18:49, 11 December 2005

2005-12-11T18:49:54Z

New page

592 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
is by majority vote, and it goes to the next Legislature, and by a twothirds
vote it becomes an amendment to the constitution.
iVlr. JONES. Yes. There were one or two amendments to the constitution
of 1887 at the last Legislature. That is, the former Legislature
voted and it was confirmed by the present Legislature.
The CHAIRMAN. But there has been no original vote on an amendment
of the constitution or an original amendment by the people?
Mr. JONES. NO.
Senator FRYE. The present constitution takes from the Queen practically
all power, does it not, and vests it in the cabinet?
Mr. JONES. Yes. There is no act of hers that is valid without the
signature of one of the ministers. The ministers are directly responsible,
and she is not responsible.
Senator FRYE. I understand that; we have the constitution. Now,
when you went into the Government building to take possession the
Queen's ministers disappeared, as I understand?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
Senator FRYE. And you immediately took possession of the various
offices of the building, the archives, the treasury, and everything?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Now, when you were at that mass meeting at the
armory building, was not information conveyed to that meeting that
the Queen was going to postpone that new constitution, and was not
the question asked that meeting whether that would do?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
Senator FRYE. What was the reply?
Mr. JONES. The unanimous reply was, "No, no." They would not
believe in it. Kalakaua tried the same dodge.
Senator FRYE. In Mr. Blount's report he speaks of the Queen having
six or seven hundred troops and sixteen cannon, etc. Did the Queen
have any such people there?
Mr. JONES. NO. There were about, as far as we were informed,
fifty or sixty men down at the station house, and there were seventy or
eighty troops at the barracks.
Senator FRYE. What are those Hawaiian troops—the Queen's
Guard?
Mr. JONES. Yes; around the palace; do palace duty, do the reviewing
on state occasions, and things of that sort.
Senator FRYE. That Queen's Guard and the police at the police
station made no attempt during all these proceedings against your
meeting or toward taking possession of the Government building?
Mr. JONES. NO.
Senator FRYE. Were your people armed at the public meeting?
Mr. JONES. Many of them may have had pistols on them, but not to
my knowledge. I saw no arms.
Senator FRYE. Was any attempt made to disperse that meeting?
Mr. JONES. NO. The only attempt made was by getting up a
counter meeting to draw people away from attending. But the house
was packed.
Senator FRYE. NOW, as to the landing of troops. You were there
shortly after the troops were landed? You were in Honolulu?
Mr. JONES. Yes, I was in Honolulu.
Senator FRYE. DO you know where the troops were located and why
they were located and how ?
Senator GRAY. Of your own knowledge.
Mr. JONES. Oh, yes. I know that there was a squad stationed at
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 593
the American minister's, and another one at the American consul's, and
the balance of them at Arion Hall.
Senator FRYE. And Arion Hall was off to the east or west of the
Government building?
Mr. JONES. West of the Government building.
Senator FRYE. A street between?
Mr. JONES. Yes.
Senator FRYE. Do you know whether or not any attempt was made
to obtain other locations?
Mr. JONES. I think there was an attempt made to secure the Music
Hall, just in front.
Senator FRYE. That failed?
Mr. JONES. That failed.
Senator GRAY. Of your personal knowledge? '"
Mr. JONES. All I know of that is, I have read the reports of it. That
is the way I obtained the knowledge.
Senator FRYE. You were at the Government building frequently.
Did you ever see, during this revolution, any of the American soldiers
marching on the streets?
Mr. JONES. NO.
The CHAIRMAN. Did you, as a member of the new Government, expect
to receive any assistance from them?
Mr. JONES. NO.
The CHAIRMAN. DO you know whether or not your fellows were looking
for any help?
Mr. JONES. 1 never knew that they were.
Senator FRYE. AS a matter of fact, did they give any assistance to
the revolution at all?
Mr. JONES. NO.
The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask you right there, is it your belief that
that revolution would have occurred if the Boston had not arrived in
the harbor?
Mr. JONES. I believe it would have gone on just the same if she had
been away from the islands altogether.
Senator GRAY. Was anything said in your conferences that day or
the next in regard to the troops—anything said about that at all in
your heaiing?
Mr. JONES. No. I was not at any of those meetings until Tuesday.
SWORN STATEMENT OE ZEPHANIAH SWIET SPALDING.
The CHAIRMAN. You are a native of the United States?
Mr. SPALDING. Yes; I was born in Ohio.
The CHAIRMAN. What is your age!
Mr. SPALDING. I am 50—was born September, L837.
The CHAIRMAN. When did you first go to Hawaii?
Mr. SPALDING. I was sent out to Hawaii in 1807 by Secretary
Seward.
The CHAIRMAN. AS an official of any character?
Mr. SPALDING. Yes, I was what was termed secret or confidential
agent of the State Department. I was bearer of dispatches to the
minister at Washington and under pay from the State Department,
from its secret-service fund.
S. Doc. 231, pt 6 38

@@ Line 146: / Line 146: @@
 Mr. {{sc|Jones.}} No. I was not at any of those meetings until Tuesday.
-==SWORN STATEMENT OE ZEPHANIAH SWIFT SPALDING.==
+==SWORN STATEMENT OF ZEPHANIAH SWIFT SPALDING.==
 The {{sc|Chairman.}} You are a native of the United States?

Template:592-593 - Revision history

Ken Conklin: /* SWORN STATEMENT OE ZEPHANIAH SWIFT SPALDING. */

Jere Krischel at 05:42, 22 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 18:49, 11 December 2005