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is by majority vote, and it goes to the next Legislature, and by a two-thirds vote it becomes an amendment to the constitution.
Mr. 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
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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. I 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 hearing?
Mr. Jones. No. I was not at any of those meetings until Tuesday.
SWORN STATEMENT OF ZEPHANIAH SWIFT 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 56—was born September, 1837.
The Chairman. When did you first go to Hawaii?
Mr. Spalding. I was sent out to Hawaii in 1867 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
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