Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-27
ACTION OF CONGRESS.
Breckenridge Impugns the Presidents
Motives.

Motives.
WAsnfxGToS, Jan. 26.-The cruel war
is over-as least so everybody IN Wash
Ington thinks today. The new turn OF
affairs 10 based upon the prevailing
opinion of the truthtulness Of the cable
from Chill stating tnss the Malta note
and the request for Minister Egan's re-
cal will be withdrawn and that re-
quest will be made for submitting the
baltimore affair 10 some neutral nation
or to the United States supreme court.
No corroboration has been received At
the state department.. But this is not
surprising. The government of Chill
has probably not formulated its reply.
The report Is supposed to be due to the
leaking of some Que of the Chilian cab
met.
Representative Breckenridge, the
silver-tongued and ver-hAired orator
from Kentucky, offered . resolution TO
the house today asking the president II
~ the time he sent the message to con-
gress he had any lntlmatlon of'wnat
Ch.lis reply would be. The galleries
were flied. aud while Mr.. Brecken-
ridge spoke in support OF his resolution
the spectators bent forward to catch
every utterance, and many members
left their seats and gathered in the
semnciTcie IN front of the seats to listen.
Mr.. Breckenridge disclaimed any IN
tentlon of doubling the good will of the
president. but he thought that under
the circumstances II was not too great
n presumption to indulge III the
thought that the president would not
have ueed the strong language he did
in his message had he not had an init
nation of what CbIs, Intended to do
He characterized the message and the
correspondence as the most important
that the house had had occasion TO act
upon for yesrs.
Mr.. Blount (Georgia,) chairman Of
the committee on foreign affairs, re-
gretted exceedingly the introduction
OF the resolution, as he feared il might
precipltate upon the house the Chil.an
affair. This, be declared, would be .
most unfortunate thing. The commit
tee OF foreign affairs had charge Of the
message and correspondence and
would DO ts duty.
Mr.. BreckinrIdge IN his reply. re-
peated that ne offered the resolut on
In good faith. He deprecated haste
because he feared that war might pos
slbly he brought upon the country. a.
SO many seemed to desire it. but when
Mr. Blouht again requested that the
resolution DC referred 10 his committee
Mr.. Rrecklurldge made 40 more OBJ
lection and on a vote il was referred.
The senate committee met To discuss
the Chihau matter this afternoon. The
two committees will report by JOINT res
olutioa and Il "a believed thstwhatever
they reToFt congress will adopt.
should the committee not believe the
message substsntisted by the cores
pondeuce they will report to lay the
whole thing on the table aud pTonahsy
recommend an investigation of the
wnoie affair. If they believe the mes
sage substautiated they will indorse
the message. and should the reply
from Chill not IN the meantime be re-
received setting the imbFoglio the
committees may recommend that the
president send th. ultlmatum OF the
government tns. tas question be sub
mitted 20 arbitration, or they may even
recommend that war be declared.
There - beiived. however. 20 be little
likelihood OF the Committees recon-
mending war.
The house comm tee on foreign sf-
fairs held spec a meeting this meet
ing this mornrg. and began the dis
cussgou Of tie Cnjlan .tusaon. The
correspondence relative 10 the matter
vas presented to me,roers ia printed
form. aud together WITH the presidents .
message was lard before the committee
bv Chairman blount. The correspond
snee forms quite a volume. aud ~ il is
new 10 the committee Il vii Be- care
fnlly gone over and considered before
auv definite action on the nstser =