The Portland daily press., 1896-04-04
HOUSES TURN now.
The Cuban Resolutions Brought
Up by MIR. Hit.
SPEECH BY HIM FAVORING THEIR
ADOPTION.

Congressman Boute1le in a Long Address
Opposes--Says that There is no State of
War in Cuba-That Resolutions We're
not Intended to Force President to
Acknowledgements Have a Little Scrap
With the Speaker.
Washington, April 5.-In the House,
during the consideration of the bills re-
ported from the committee OF the whole,
Mr.. Talbert, Democrat of South Caro-
lima, rising to parliamentary inquiry,
asked If under the existing condition
The Speaker-"The gentleman will
confne himself to parliamentary in
quiry.''
Mr.. Talbert-"I will try to do so, but
was just laying down my PREMISE
The sSpeaker-"The Chair will answer
a parliamentary inquiry, but not pre-
mise'
Mr. Talbert-"W it be in order to
ask to lay aside the bill on the ground
that 1t is an outrage2"
The Speaker-''It will not F"
Mr.. Talbert was continuing to de-
nounce.som bills, but the Speaker sharp
~ raped him to order, and sternly noti-
fed him to take his seat, when declared
to be out Of order.
Upon the passage of the pending bill
Mr.. Talbert asked, if it was in order to
move to amend the title. 1t was, and
he moved it be made to read a "bill not
TO Dension Mollie Crandall
''Oan be heard On that motion, Mr..
Speaker" he asked.
''Not under the rules of the House,
was the response. (Laughter.)
The amendment was rejected. Mr..
Erdman, Democrat of Pennsylvania,
finally succeeded in heading off one bill
by demanding the engrossed copy. 1t
could not be furnished of course and had
to be laid aside. Thirty eight bills passed
in an hour and half.
Then at 2.90. Mr.. Hit called up the
report of the conference committee on
the Cuban resolutions.
Mr.. Hit Immediately took the floor,
but was interrupted by Mr.. Patter son,
Democrat of Tennessee, who asked what
prop ortion of the 1900, 900 population in
Cuba was engaged in the movement to
secure the independence OF the island.
NIL dluU ShlL Gu6 StCT6litry vi SUdt6S
communication to the House showed that
in August there were 30, 900 troops in
the field. Since coming to the House to-
day he had been handed a statement by
Mr.. Rappleye, correspondent of the New
York Mail and Express, just returned
from Cuba, which showed that the Cuban
| army numbered over 10000 men.
Mr.. Patterson said that if the people
OF Cuba with substantial unaniminity
desired their autonomy, and indepen-
dence they ought to have it. Spain
should not be permitted to hold the terri
tory of such people by subjugati n.
| (Applause.)
Mr.. Hyde. Republican of Washington,
asked Mr.. Hit to state IL the President
solutions, whether they would be entire
ly nugatory, except as merely as an ex-
preston of sentiment.
Mr.. HIT replied that he could not re-
cognize the possibility of suoh a.condition
of affairs, and declined to express an
opinion.
Mr.. Boutelle, Republican of Maine, re-
ferred to the fact that when this subject
was first brought before the House on
February n, he interposed an objection
against the hurried and inconsiderata
| action then proposed. He did not suppose
luou oudb u6 WAS pn0 only m6mD6f VINO
| opposed suoh hasty action, but the press
of the country had given him wide prom
inence in connection with what it termed,
"arresting action" on the Cuban resolu-
tions.
He.did not complain OF that prominence
| then,a and did not now, for, if any vindi-
| cation of his position was needed, 1t was
furnished by the appearance of these reso-
| lutions in the HOUSE more than month
| later for further consideration.
Mr. Boutelle expressed the opinion that
it was not the intention of movers of the
| resolutions to commit Congress to any
definite and decided policy. Congress,
he said, had the power to put the resolu-
tions in such form as to compel the Pres
ident to act upon them, but that had been
carefully avoided. 1t was we'll known
| that the President did not believe q
state of belligerenoy existed in Cuba.
Referring to the matter of public SEN
timent alleged to be supporting the reso-
lutions, Mr.. Boutelle said that be did not
claim to speak for the entire American
public, but he had not received in the
course Of the discussion a single letter
| from a man of reliable, thoughtful,
considerate Judgment, expressing an
opinion in favor of the United States
| embroiling itself in this contention.
An interruption to Mr.. Boutelle's
| speech was permitted to allow MI. Hoker,
| Republican of New York. to report the
| river and harbor appropriation bill for
| the year ending June 80, 1897.