New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-29
TOOK THE LEAD.
fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE rkIBUNE.l

fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TKIBUNE]
Washington Feb. 2S--The Senate to-day
sensibly discarded all the confused and contra
dlctory resolutions for the recognition OF the
belligerency Of the Cuban INSURGENTS which nave
been put forward In tha last two weeks. and
passed with practical unanimity. brand-new
declaration. agreed On al special meeting this
morning Of the Committee on Foreign relations.
The resolution finally accepted-the third ofereo
within a month by the Foreign Relations COM
mittee-was a compromise between the views OF
Mr.. Sherman, Mr.. Morgan and their followers
and the more radical programme advocated py
Mr.. Cameron. The new resolution retains the
concurrent form. and consequently lacks prae-
tical legislative force or authority Yet, COM
pared with some previous declarations Of the
committee II possesses the decided merits OF
brev,ty and clearness and directness. and al
though its trainers have laid themselves open 10
the charge Of seeking to avoid responsibility by
concealing attempted legislation under the con-
yenient parliamentary guise OF mere express
sion OF opinion, the purely formal and advisory
character OF the action contemplated by Congress
is at least confessed with unmistakabe frank
ness The text Of the resolution accepted by the
Senate this afternoon bi vote OF "a TO 6. Is as
follows:
Resolved by the ssn.te CHE Houss Of r. Representa-
res Of pSc war exists btween the Govern
ment of Spain and the Government proclamed ana
nope rSr lef % uba and that the United States Of Amer
lea should maintain strict neurany H R ,Se sb, tn
Of belligerents in the ports and territory OF the
sS Ts.i Be sh. It pnssasn is hereby
10 interpose his friendly offices with ne spanish
Of Cuba.
A GENERALLY SATISFACTORY COMPROMISE.
At meeting Of the committee this morning.
only the first section Of the resolution was au-
thorized to be presented with the committees
sanction But 80 great was the pressure for
some additional action looking toward the recog-
milton not only Of the begerency Of the Cuban
revoutionists. but also Of their established IN
dependence as Government. that before the
time came for VOTE Mr.. Sherman. acting for
the committee. accepted the second section and
incorporated II as part OF the committees SUB
stitute. The generally satisfactory character OF
the Sherman Cameron compromise resolution
ia we'd the way for its easy triumph In the Senate
ard robbed the votes on the many conflicting
propositions pending Of a large share OF their
promised interest.
The only serious point Of conflict left by the
committees action was whether the declaration
to be passed should not be converted into
Joint resolution thus forcing the President 70
treat 1t as actual legislation and approve or dis
snnrove H. or whether II should be allowed TO
remain In tie concurrent form in which II could
be construed only mere expression OF the
wishes and opinions Of Congress Mr. Sherman
and the advocates Of concurrent action cleverly
turned the tables at the last moment the
friends Of the joint resolution form by showing
that under the rules joint resolution could not
be offered as a substitute for concurrent one.
This put the opposition wholly out Of court, and
Mr. pas Mr
the advocates Of joint action, finally acknowl-
edged the hopelessness Of their parliamentary
predicament and reluctantly abandoned their
Joint resolution substitutes.
A CUCKOO" RESOLUTION DEFEATED.
The other hostile concurrent resolutions were
easily disposed OF. Mr.. Sherman moving to lay
them on the table successfully. The White sub
stitute which was supposed to voice the views
and wishes Of the President and which confined
itself to u verbose expression OF sympathy with
the Cuban revolutionists. the first to be side
tracked Only twelve Senators supported Mr..
Whites resolution among them several Of the
leading "cuckCos" on the Democratic SIDE while
ffty-seven voted to lay the California Senator's
substitute the table. The twelve who voted
IN the negative on this roll-call were Messrs
Bate, Caffery. George. Hale Hill. Morrill,. Per-
kins Roach Smith. Villas Wetmore and White.
Mr.. Allen Of Nebraska. who had changed his
Joint resolution Internationally recognizing
Cuban Independence to the concurrent FORM next
tried his strength against the committee and
was beaten by almost equally decisive odds.
Fifty-two Senators voted to lay his resolution
IN the table and only seventeen were recorded
In Its favor Those who were willing to go to the
extreme Of recognizing the Provisional cuban
Government as an Independent Power were
Messrs. Allen. Baker Butler, Call Cannon Du-
bois Gallinger. Jones, of Nevada; Kyle. Mantle,
Mitchell, OF Oregon: PETER. Quay. Squire. Stew
art, Teller and Vert.
ONLY SIX VOTES AGAINST 1T.
On the defeat of Mr. Aliens amendment all
opposition was abandoned and vote was taken
on accepting the committees compromise reso-
luton. Only six Senator's resisted It's adoption.
Messrs. Caffery, Chiffon George. Hale Morrill,
and Wetmore. Mr.. Villas, who was present. was
paired against the resolution. The full strength
OF the opposition to the recognition OF the bellig-
erent rights Of the insurgents was therefore
seven. Sixty-four votes were cast in favor OF
the committee resolution
SPIRITED DEBATE.
The three hours debate which preceded the
vote was spirited and Interesting Mr. Shermans
speech naturally attracted the most attention.
He denounced most vehemently the present mill
tary policy Of Spain in Cuba and declared that
II IL continued the United States could not avoid
Intervening 10 end It's barbarities. Mr. Sher-
mans suggestion that Cuba be annexed to Mexi-
CO as the best solution OF the present difficulty
made sensation as much through Its novelty
as by reason Of the personal weight attaching TO
the utterances Of the Ohio Senator. A detailed
account OF the debate will be found below.
In view Of the position taken heretofore by the
President and the Secretary of State toward all
propositions to recognize the belligerency Of the
insurgents the decision Of the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations TO express the sentiments
and wishes Of Congress In the form Of a concur
rent resolution instead Of shaping 1t as a joint
resolution has undoubtedly given qualification to