Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-04-04
REPORT
Of Conference Commit
tee Of the House
rAvons THE ADOPTION OF THE
SENATE RESOLUTIONS ON
CUBAN QUESTION.
HIT MAKES A PLEA
ron THE ADOPTION OF THE con-
rEnEEs' REPORT.
The River and nnrbor Appropria-
don Mn !. Ready to be RE-
ported to the House.
HIT MAKES A PLEA
ron THE ADOPTION OF THE con-
FERnEs' nEroRr.

Washingto ton. April 2.-House The
galleries were wen filled today In anti
cipation OF n renewal OF the Cuban de-
bate in connection with the presenta-
tior of the report on the Cuban resolu-
ticn. but the attendance on the floor
was smaller than usual. Some prellm-
injury routine business was transacted
Mr.. Murphy Rep., lll.) secured the con-
I s'deratlon OF bill to build a bridge
across the Mississippi at 81. Louis.
| Mr.. Barthold offered an amendment
which was defeated, to complete the
construction OF a bridge at least one
and a half and not more than two and
O half miles below the Eads' bridge.
MIR. Hepburn. chairman Of the commit
tee on commerce, opposed the biil on
the ground that a third bridge within
distance OF two miles would greatly
impede navigation at st. Louis Mr..
Murphy and Mr.. Joy urged the passage
OF the bill because OF the excessive tolls
OF the present bridge company. Mr..
Hepburn maintained congress had
power to prevent the extoriion COM
planned Of The bill was passed.
Mr.. Pickler, chairman OF the pension
committee, demanded the regular or
der. This being private bin day hc
wanted to proceed with the considera-
lion OF private pension bills reported
from the committee OF the Whole. Mr..
Hit, chairman OF the foreign affairs
committee. thought he oiiRltt TO an
| tngouize those bills " they would entail
debate in the interest Of the conference
| on the Cuban resolutions. Cuba eau
wait" replied Mr.. Plclsler. while we
| pass these pension bills"
MIR. Eitt finally agreed to withhold
his motion n Mr. Plckler woulL;,'rr
mand the previous question on each
! bill as II was called up. The Demo-
! Gratis Insisted that there ought to be
/ .I.l f. IV~Js A
promptly made the point of no quorum
on the fret bill, with the result that
there We're some dil0tory tactics on
these bills and the speaker was com
PEELED to count n quorum on them. On
| one occasion Mr.. Erdmau made the
point Of no quorum the speaker made
the important ruling that 17S constitu-
led quorum. thus deciding that
majority of the of the living members
was quorum instead of a majority of
! the full membership OF the house.
After thirty bills had l,een passed in
something more than an hour, Mr.. Erd-
man made n novel point OF order, de-
harding after the bills had been order
ed to be enRroased that a copy Of the
ensrossed bill be produced. Az this
could not be done the bill was laid
aside.
Then Mr. Hit called up the confer
ence report on the Cuban resolutions.
The report agreed to the senate reso'u-
tlons, the first of which declare that in
the opinion OF congress state OF pub
lie war existed In Cuba md that tha
United States should maintain strict
neutrality lbetwecn the belligerents.
and the second requested the president
to use his friendly offices with the Span
ieh government for the recognition Of
the Independence OF the cubans. The
conferees originally agreed on the
house resolutions, the most important
of which favored intervention II neces-
sary but when the senate rejected the
report OF the conferees, the new con
ferees decided 10 accept the senate
resolutions.
Mr.. Hit moved the adoption OF the
conference report. After explaining
the parliamentary statutes and point
ing out the difference between the
senate and house resolutions Mr. Hit
made sterling plea FOR the adoption Of
the senate resolution. and In conclu-
sion said:
when this vote has been given. as II
will be, overwhelmingly by this house,
concurring with the senate in express
ing the Will OF the people OF the United
States, we cannot doubt that the ex-
ccutive viii act and obey the voice OF
the nation and that we will speedily
hear that the president has recognized
the belligerepcy OF the Cubans. The
parent from week TO week FOR two
months past. II Will not be long until
we shall have an end Of all The bonn
bastic pretension and denominations OF
Weyler's savage operations against the
Cubans."
Mr.. Swanson Oem) OF Virginia asked
" tho resolutions would carry with
them the recognition OF belligerency.
Mr.. Hit replied they would not OF
themselves. but he had no doubt they
would lead to the recognition OF the
Cubdns by proclamation II do not be-
lleye.r said he. the president will be
so recreant 70 HIS duty ms TO disregard
the expression OF the Representatives OF
the people. have faith that the presl-
dent will agree with the people"
The conference committee he explain
cd IN answer 10 a question, had no pow
from concurrent 70 point SO as 10 COM
pei affirmative or negative action by
the president
Az Mr.. HIT concluded Mr.. Hyde
CRep.) Of Washington asked him whath-
er II the president refused to take my
action on the resolutions their effect
would be nil
Mr.. Hit replied that he declined TO
entertain rueh an hypothesis re-
aponse that was greeted with applause.
Mr. 8outelle Rcp) OF Maine. who has
rtrndlly onnosed the pnaangf OF any
Cuban resolntiona. then took the floor.
The resolutions hnd no legal effect. he
said. They amounted 20 nothing. That
had born proclaimed IN the senate and
was well Understood Tho chairman ~
~ forrivn relations committee In the
senate admitted that the resoIutlpns
were as dead as Julius Caesar. They