judicial, and military powers theretofore exercised by the officers of
the Government of the Republic of Hawaii should continue to be exercised
by those officers until Congress shall provide a government for the
incorporated territory, subject to my power to remove such officers and
to fill vacancies. The President, officers, and troops of the Republic
thereupon took the oath of allegiance to the United States, thus
providing for the uninterrupted continuance of all the administrative
and municipal functions of the annexed territory until Congress shall
otherwise enact.

Following the further provision of the joint resolution, I appointed the
Hons. Shelby M. Cullom, of Illinois, John T. Morgan, of Alabama, Robert
R. Hitt, of Illinois, Sanford B. Dole, of Hawaii, and Walter F. Frear,
of Hawaii, as commissioners to confer and recommend to Congress such
legislation concerning the Hawaiian Islands as they should deem
necessary or proper. The commissioners having fulfilled the mission
confided to them, their report will be laid before you at an early day.
It is believed that their recommendations will have the earnest
consideration due to the magnitude of the responsibility resting upon
you to give such shape to the relationship of those mid-Pacific lands to
our home Union as will benefit both in the highest degree, realizing the
aspirations of the community that has cast its lot with us and elected
to share our political heritage, while at the same time justifying the
foresight of those who for three-quarters of a century have looked to
the assimilation of Hawaii as a natural and inevitable consummation, in
harmony with our needs and in fulfillment of our cherished traditions.

The questions heretofore pending between Hawaii and Japan growing out
of the alleged mistreatment of Japanese treaty immigrants were, I am
pleased to say, adjusted before the act of transfer by the payment of