The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-12
AMERICANS
Their Rights Upheld by Secretary
0lney's Vigorous Action.
NO INDEMNITY FOR WALLER.
Administration Has No Doubt
of His Gulf

iC@'f w.
ton from the president was received in the
sen ate yesterday, which, on breaking the
seal, proved to be the ~long-expected report
on the Waller case.
This included a report from Secretary
Olney, and all the correspondence in tho
case of John l.. Waller, ex- United States
consul TO Tamatave, and now confined In .
French prison under conviction of treason.
Secretary Olney says that Waller was
unquestionably guilty OF the offense
charged, and that the penalty inflicted
would be considered exceedingly moder-
ate, but the French government made an
effort to release Waller from further i'm.
prisonment and to pardon his offense on
condition that the affair be thereby termi-
mated rs between the two governments,
and that the United States should make
no claim for damages in behalf of the ac-
cused ex-consul, based on his arrest. con
viction and imprisonment.
Ambassador Eustis, 1t appears from the
correspondence, has been instructed to
give notice 10 ths French governments Of
the acceptance by the United States OF
these conditions, and to exchange the
notes necessary TO carry out tho arrange
ments Waller, however, as had been in.
timated, acting under the advice Of his
wife and his brotber.in-law, who are here,
has not consented TO the arrangement, and
still insists that he shall receive compensa-
tion from France.
he charged that he had received ill-treat-
ment while being taken from Madagascar
to France, and demanded indemnity.
Secretary Olney says. should he desire to
resort To an action in the French courts TO
sustain this claim, Mr.. Eustis could fur
nish security, n therefore there seemed
to be nothing which ought To stand In
the way OF the offer OF the French gov.
eminent for his immediate release. Mr..
Eustis has been instructed to furnish
Waller with means to reach the United
States, should he desire to come here.
With reference TO the Waller rubber
concession, which he claimed was confs.
Gated by France, Secretary Olney says
there Is no proof OF the nature, extent, va
lidity or value Of the concession. and that
IL Is certain that the French authorities
have always held the concession to be
without any validity.
The communication was referred with
out opposition or debate to the committee
on foreign affairs.
Cuban C-orrespondsnco.
The president has transmitted TO the
house such correspondence relative 10
Cuba as he deems not incompatible with
the public interest. This is In response to
a house resolution. The papers are vol
luminous, and include over 2000 letters
which passed between Secretary Olney
and Senior de LONE, the Spanish minister;
Consul General Williams and others.
The letters Of the secretary OF state to
Mr.. de LONE, the Spanish minister, In
sisted upon the right Of Mr.. Williams, our
consul general at Hsbana, to protest
against the action of General Campos,
then governor general of Cuba, in CON
fning American citizens and otherwise
transgressing on American rights. Gen.
eral Campos had denied this right.
Mr.. Olney, under date of Sept. 20, 1895,
insisted on this right under the treaty Of
1870 in vigorous terms. Mr.. de LONE, In
reply, was inclined to evade the issue,
pleading that General Campos did not In
tend to give ~offense. This part of the cor
r~espondence concludes with IA cable from
Mr.. Taylor, our minister at Madrid, dated
Oct. 81, announcing that tho minister of
foreign affairs had agreed to recognize the
rights claimed for consuls under the treaty
of 1870.
The correspondence under the head of
the progress of the Instruction includes
the reports made by Mr.. Williams, our
consul general; Mr.. Hyatt, consul at San
tiago de Cuba; Mr.. Barker, commercial
agent at Sagua la Grande: Mr.. Casanova,
consul at Cienfuesos, and other consular
officers.
AS early as April 4, 1895, Mr.. Barker, in
+ o report, described the great advantage of
the insurgents in being able To harass the
regular troops, predicted the ravages of
fever among the Spanish troops and the
decreasing OF the Spanish chances Of sub
DUNG the Insurgents as each day went by,
and prophesying that unless the subjuga-
tion was accomplished before the crop was
finished the accessions of The Insurgents
would be SO great that SPANS dominion
over the island would be Tin great jeop-
ardy, IL not lost" The skirmishes, bat
ties, victories, defeats. losses and captures
are duly chronioled
In the large amount of matter relating
TO the projection Of American property in
Cuba is a letter from Acting Secretary
Z Uhl to Vice Consul Springer at Habana.
The letter says in part: "Iti is "a generally
accepted principle of international law
that "A sovereign government is not re-.
sponsible 10 alien residents for injuries
that may be received within Its territories
from insurgents whose conduct IL cannot
CONTROL"
Congressional Doings.
The senate session was brought to n
close yesterday by two vigorous speeches
from Mr.. Wolcott and Mr.. Lodge, severely
n%rraigning the power of patronage. The
early part of the day In the senate was
given TO Mr.. Blanchard's speech, favoring
n vigorous American foreign policy.
The house spent the greater part Of the
day In the consideration Of District OF
Columbia matters. About 4 o'clock the
debate on the bond bill was resumed.
Concurrence was opposed by Messrs. Hill
tRep., Conn., Lacy tltep., Ia and Bur
ton Crop, MOI Messrs. DcArmond
Dom. MOI and Ogden (Dem., La spoke
Ina its favor.
Sure of n Battle.
FL PAso, Tex, Feb. l2-Dan Stuart
remains confident, md declares that the
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