King, who had spent the night at a cottage near the seaside, to come up and proclaim the old constitution of 1864. The Household troops in the barracks remained neutral, and the palace was held against the insurgents by Lieut. Robert Parker, with thirty men by the King's orders. The King, who did not fully trust the conspirators, retired to his boat-house in the harbor to await results. Meanwhile the volunteer riflemen promptly turned out, and many other citizens took up arms for the Government. Patrols were set about day-light, and a cordon formed later on, so that the insurgents were isolated from the populace outside. At the request of the United States Minister, Mr. Merrill, a body of marines was landed and marched up to the Legation, on the hotel premises, where they remained during the day. The insurgents brought over four field-pieces and ammunition from the barracks, and placed them around the palace.

The Ministry drew up a written summons to them to surrender, which was served on them at the front palace gate, by the Hon. S. M. Damon, but they refused to receive it. A conflict immediately commenced between them with three of their field-pieces and the Government sharpshooters, who had occupied the Opera House and some other buildings commanding the palace grounds. The result was that their guns were soon silenced, and they were driven with loss into a wooden building in the palace grounds, called the "Bungalow," where they were besieged during the afternoon. Towards night a heavy rifle fire was opened upon them from all sides,

and the roof of the "Bungalow" burst in by giant-powder bombs, which forced them to surrender.

Unfortunately, this was by no means a bloodless affair, as seven of Wilcox's deluded followers were killed and about a dozen wounded. It was afterwards learned that 10,000 rounds of ammunition had been loaned by the U. S. S. Adams during the day to the Hawaiian Government.

The chief conspirators were afterwards put on trial for treason, with the result that Loomens, a Belgian artilleryman, was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for life, while Mr. R. W. Wilcox was acquitted by a native jury, on the theory that what he had done was by and with the King's consent. He now became a popular idol, and had unbounded influence over the Honolulu natives for a time. The Princess Liliuokalani, however, disowned him, and denied all knowledge of the conspiracy. This deplorable affair was made the most of by demagogues to intensify race hatred. The license allowed the native press was almost incredible.

THE PROPOSED COMMERCIAL TREATY.

A project of a new commercial treaty with the United States was drawn up in the fall of 1889 by the Ministry in conjunction with Hon. H. A. P. Carter. Its terms provided for complete free trade between the two countries, the perpetual cession of Pearl Harbor to the United States, and a guarantee of the independence of the Kingdom by that power. In con

sideration of this guarantee, the Hawaiian Government was to bind itself to make no treaty with any foreign power without the knowledge of the Government of the United States.

By working on the King's suspicions, Mr. C. W. Ashford, the Attorney-General, induced the King to refuse to sign the preliminary draft of this treaty. The other members of the Cabinet invited him to resign, which he declined to do.

The question having been brought before the Supreme Court, it decided that the King under the Constitution was bound by the advice of a majority of his Cabinet. But the AttorneyGeneral advised the King that this was only an ex parte decision, and encouraged him to defy the court. A copy of the proposed treaty, (including an article which had been rejected by the Cabinet, and which would have authorized the landing of United States troops in certain emergencies), was secretly furnished by the King to a native newspaper for publication, and the party cry was raised that the ministry was "selling the country" to the United States.

THE SESSION OF 1890.

On account of the circumstances mentioned above, and of dissensions in the Reform party, the combined elements in opposition elected a majority of the Legislature of 1890, and on the 13th of June, 1890, the Reform ministry went out of office on a close vote.

As the parties were so nearly balanced, a compromise cabinet, composed of conservative men, was appointed June 17th, viz., Hons. John A. Cummins, Minister of Foreign Affairs; C. N. Spencer, Minister of the Interior; Godfrey Brown, Minister of Finance; A. P. Peterson, Attorney-General.

The King at first tried to revive his old project of a tenmillion loan bill for military and naval purposes, but met with no encouragement. He then published a pamphlet entitled "A Third Warning Voice," in which he urged the establishment of a large standing army.

Another project advocated by the reactionary papers and favored by the King, was that of calling a revolutionary convention, to be elected by the voters of the lower house, to frame a new constitution, in which the foreign element should be excluded from political power. With considerable difficulty, and by the exercise of much patience and tact, this dangerous measure was defeated, and certain constitutional amendments were passed through the preliminary stage. The most important of these was one lowering the property qualification required of electors for nobles. After a stormy session of five months, the Legislature adjourned Nov. 14th, 1890, without undoing the reforms made in 1887.

ACCESSION OF LILIUOKALANI.

In order to recruit his failing health, the King visited California in the United States cruiser Charleston, as the

guest of Admiral Brown, in November, 1890. He received the utmost kindness and hospitality, both in San Francisco and in Southern California. His strength, however, continued to fail in spite of the best medical attendance, and on the 20th of January, 1891, he breathed his last at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. His remains were removed to the Charleston with impressive funeral ceremonies, and arrived at Honolulu January 29th, where the decorations for his welcome were changed into the emblems of mourning.

In spite of his grave faults as a ruler and as a man, he had been uniformly kind and courteous in private life, and there was sincere grief in Honolulu, when the news of his death arrived.

Serious apprehensions were now felt by many in view of the accession of his sister, Liliuokalani, which, however, were partially relieved by her promptly taking the oath, to maintain the constitution of 1887. Notwithstanding her despotic ideal of government, and her past record, there were not a few who hoped that she had enough good sense to understand her true interests, and to keep her oath to the constitution. They were destined to be disappointed. On the morning of her accession, Mr. S. M. Damon had an interview with her, in which he remarked that what was needed was a responsible ministry. "My ministry," she replied, "shall be responsible to me," and abruptly closed the interview. She had no sooner taken the oath, than a constitutional question was raised between her and the existing cabinet. On the one side,

the cabinet claimed that under the constitution no power could remove them but the Legislature. On her side it was claimed that they were the late King's cabinet, and "died with the King." This dispute was referred to the Supreme Court, which decided in favor of the Queen, Judge McCully dissenting. This gave her an opportunity to exact conditions. from the incoming ministers, and thus to secure control of the patronage of the Government.

The new cabinet appointed February 26th, 1891, consisted of Hons. S. Parker, Minister of Foreign Affairs; C. N. Spencer, reappointed Minister of the Interior; H. A. Widemann, minister of Finance; and W. A. Whiting, Attorney-General, The first condition exacted by the Queen of her appointees was that Mr. C. B. Wilson should be appointed Marshal of the Kingdom, with control of the entire police force of the islands. It was universally believed that he exercised as much influence on the administration of public affairs as any member of the cabinet. At the same time, grave charges were made against the administration of his own bureau. The Marshal's office was said to be the resort of disreputable characters, while opium joints and gambling dens multiplied and flourished. The Marshal openly associated with such adventurers as Capt. Whaley, of the famous smuggling yacht Halcyon, and the Australian fugitives from justice, who visited Honolulu in the yacht Beagle.

To put an end to this state of things, and to other evils growing out of personal government, was one of the chief