let or hindrance by reason of any action
of the Government of the Republic of Hawaii in respect to such grants
and contractual obligations initiated by the said Government of the
Republic of Hawaii prior to and incomplete at the time of the yielding
up of the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States;

Now, therefore, I, John Hay, Secretary of State of the United States, do
hereby express on the part of "the United States State Department" its
disapproval of the contract stipulated in the said Indenture to the end
that the same shall not take effect.

[SEAL.]

Given under my hand and the seal of the Department of State of the
United States, in the city of Washington, D.C., this thirty-first day of
December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
ninety-eight.

JOHN HAY.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas it is provided by section twenty-four of the act of Congress,
approved March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, entitled, "An
act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes," "That the
President of the United States may, from time to time, set apart and
reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in
any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or
undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations,
and the President shall, by public proclamation, declare the
establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof;"

And whereas it is further provided by the act of Congress, approved June
fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, entitled, "An act making
appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the
fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight,
and for other purposes," that "The President is hereby authorized at any
time to modify any executive order that has been or may hereafter be
made establishing any forest reserve, and by such modification may
reduce the area or change the boundary lines of such reserve, or may
vacate altogether any order creating such reserve;"

And whereas the public lands in the State of California, within the
limits hereinafter described, are in part covered with timber, and it
appears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart and
reserving said lands as a public reservation;

Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States, by
virtue of the p