Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-22
NO SPECIAL EXCITEMENT
Manifested Over the Joint Reso-
luton
DECLARING CUBA FREE.
Morgan Submits an Additional Report on the
Cuban Question.
VEST OFFERlasaTH SECRETARY oLusY
Presents ss2,sOlution Which Refutes Tha
GentS ans Statement as to Au-
q tity-Grover is Not King
Dull Day in tho House.
DECLARING CUBA FREE
VEST OIFFER,saTH SECRETARY oLNEY

Washington, Dec 21-No special ex-
citement was manifested today either by
senator's or by the general public in the
matter of the joint resolution acknowl-
edging the independence of the republic
of Cuba. The galleries were not occu-
pied to the extent of two-thirds of their
capacity. The proceedings were of q
formal and uninteresting character
They consisted merely of reporting the
joint resolution by Mr.. Cameron from
the committee on foreign relations, and
of the offering of various substitutes for
it on the part of the senators.
MIR. Vest presented a resolution declar-
ing that the exclusive power to determ-
inc when the independence of a foreign
people struggling to establish a govern
ment for themselves should be recog-
nized is vested by the constitution, not
in the president of the United States. but
in congress, and he gave notice that he
would adrdess the senate tomorrow in
support of that declaration.
Mr.. Hill offered a substitute for the
committee joint resolution declaring that
state of war exists in Cuba; according
belligerent rights to the Cubaus, and
announcing that the United States Will
preserve state Of neutrality between
the belligerents.
=
resolution asserting that the question
of recognition of any people as a free
and Independent nation is question eX-
clusively for the determination of con-
gress and does not appertain to the ex-
ecutiVe department. And still another
resolution was offered by Mr.. Chiffon,
Dem.,) of Texas, declaring that a con-
dition of public war exists between the
government of Spain and the government
which has for some time been maintain
n n nv laGar 10 sarT ~
ba, and that the United States will MAIN
tain strict neutrality between the con-
tending parties, according to each all
the rights of belligerents in the ports and
territory of the United States.
These various resolutions and subst-
tutes were either laid on the table with
the foreign relations committees report
or were referred to the committee on the
judiciary The whole subject however,
will be open to discussion tomorrow when
Mr.. Vest calls up his resolution.
On behalf OF himself and Senator Mills
Senator Morgan submitted an additional
report on the Cuban question, which Mr..
Morgan did not conclude until after he
entered the chamber at noon. 1t indorses
the action of the committee, but takes
more advanced ground. Mr.. Morgan
submits as appendices to this report the
report to the senate made by Sldell in
1859; the speeches of Senator j. p. Benja-
min on that report; the case of Cuba as
pi tSCHlSd " lilG bltlG bGpetI lIltlll ny
Palma, and that part of the Presidents
message relating to affairs in Cuba.
Mr.. Calls resolution referring to the
alleged imprisonment of American citi-
zens in Spanish penal settlements was
passed. 1t directs the secretary of state
to send to the senate q report of all
naturalized citizens OF the United States,
of whose arrest and Imprisonment, trial
or conviction, or sentence, either to i'm
prisonment at the penal colony of Cuba
or elsewhere he has any information, and
that he shall inform the senate in such
report of the persons now held in con-
finement at Cuba and of the charges,
briefly stated on which they were con-
demned and the nature of the evidence
so far as the same appears on the files
of the state department.
The senate, after a short executive ses-
sion, at 1920 p. m, adjourned till tomor-
row,