712-713

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Reports of Committee on Foreign Relations 1789-1901 Volume 6 pp712-713 300dpi scan (VERY LARGE!)

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arrived on the spot the rioting ceased. The British troops came shortly afterward. The riot started again; then we surrounded the buildings and arrested the leaders of the riot. After that, at about 10 or 11 o'clock that night, there were some stones thrown at the building, and we turned out and patrolled a portion of the town; and again, about 11 o'clock that night, a shot was fired, apparently at our sentry, which was returned by the sentry, and we again patrolled the town. But we could find nobody. From that time on everything was perfectly quiet.

The Chairman. What did you do with those persons who were arrested?

Mr. Moore. Turned them over to the Hawaiian authorities.

The Chairman. Were the arrests numerous?

Mr. Moore. I think possibly eight or ten ; I do not think more.

The Chairman. Were they the ringleaders of the rioters?

Mr. Moore. Yes.

The Chairman. Did your detachment carry flags along?

Mr. Moore. We did with our detachment.

The Chairman. Was there a flag raised over your camp when you went into quarters—United States flag?

Mr. Moore. Yes.

The Chairman. That flag was taken down when your troops returned aboard ship?

Mr. Moore. Yes.

The Chairman. During that period you say you heard annexation spoken of?

Mr. Moore. I heard annexation to the United States spoken of at that time; during our stay; not necessarily during this riot.

The Chairman. Was the subject generally discussed or not?

Mr. Moore. I can not say that it was generally discussed; but I remember its having been spoken of by some gentleman there as being the ultimate destiny of the Hawaiian Islands. And no later than during the past visit, Judge Widemann stated in a talk that he had with some of us, that he had predicted it prior to our visit twenty years ago.

The Chairman. So that it was in contemplation amongst the people who were speculating about the future?

Mr. Moore. It was.

The Chairman. Did you find during that visit, in 1874, any organized body of men for the purpose of promoting annexation?

Mr. Moore. None that I heard of.

The Chairman. It was merely a question that was one of the problems of the time, being discussed among the people?

Mr. Moore. A problem of the future.

The Chairman. We will come down to this other period. About what time of day did your ship, the Boston, return to Honolulu from its cruise down to Hilo?

Mr. Moore. After 10 o'clock a. m.—a little after that time.

The Chairman. Before the ship arrived, while you were at Hilo or Lahaina, had you heard that the ministry had been voted out of office?

Mr. Moore. I had.

The Chairman. Was there any statement made in regard to its having created commotion?

Mr. Moore. What I heard was that the ministry was voted out, the lottery bill passed, and the opium bill passed, and that there was great excitement in Honolulu.

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The Chairman. And before you left for this cruise had you heard any discussion of the lottery bill and opium bill?

Mr. Moore. I had heard them spoken of.

The Chairman. You knew it was a subject of legislative inquiry and action?

Mr. Moore. I did.

The Chairman. I suppose you knew nothing about the agents who were promoting these bills, the lottery and opium bills?

Mr. Moore. I heard them spoken of generally. But they were persons of whom I knew nothing, in any way.

The Chairman. When you returned to Honolulu did you ascertain that there was an agitated feeling there?

Mr. Moore. Yes; there was.

The Chairman. Did you go on shore?

Mr. Moore. I went on shore at about 1 o'clock p. m.

The Chairman. On Saturday?

Mr. Moore. On Saturday, the 14th.

The Chairman. Describe as nearly as you can what yon saw on your visit ashore on that occasion—the events that attracted your attention.

Mr. Moore. The men on the streets seemed to be gathered in little knots of 3 and 4 and more, discussing something, apparently the situation.

The Chairman. When you went ashore were you in uniform?

Mr. Moore. I was not. And there appeared to be more or less excitement; they were passing from one batch to another, asking, "What is the news?" "What is the latest?" "What is going to be done?"

The Chairman. You can describe it, I suppose, as an anxious state of feeling?

Mr. Moore. Anxious state of feeling. No one seemed to know what was going to occur, so far as I saw.

The Chairman. Did you see any large assemblage of men there at any place?

Mr. Moore. I did not; no larger, perhaps, than six or eight.

The Chairman. Did you attend either of the mass meetings that were held there?

Mr. Moore. I did not.

The Chairman. Did you see them?

Mr. Moore. No.

The Chairman. In these conversations was your attention attracted to anything that was said about the Queen; what she had done or was going to do in regard to the constitution of the Kingdom?

Mr. Moore. Yes; I was told that she had signed the lottery bill and the opium bill; had appointed a cabinet of her own liking, and had prorogued the Legislature; and it was rumored that she would that afternoon declare a new constitution.

The Chairman. Was that current rumor on the street?

Mr. Moore. It was current rumor on the street.

The Chairman. Could you state it as a common belief that she would do so, so far as you heard it?

Mr. Moore. I think that was a common belief that afternoon.

The Chairman. Did you hear any one contradict it?

Mr. Moore. No.

The Chairman. Do you recollect any of the individuals with whom you conversed on that occasion?

Mr. Moore. With Mr. McInerney and his two sons, and Mr. Wilcox


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