The herald., 1896-04-04
M CONGRESSIONAL HALLS
JnEsR0USE RESUMES DEBATE ON THE
CUBAN QUESTION
easlfgl4s liitt Of the Foreign Affairs Com init.
tesy Makes . Temperate and Logical Ad.
dress Advocating the Recognition Of the
BsjIigessney Of the cubans
Assssietsd Press spsc cisl Wire.


conference report on Cuban resolutions.
II was not expected that there would be
much debate, but Mr.. Boutelle, by his
vigorous opposition, prevented action
today and the chances are now that the
debate will run all day tomorrow. Mr..
mittee, in presenting the conference re-
port, made = very temperate speech, in
tho course of which ho expressed the
greatest confidence that the president,
although the resolutions, being concurrent,
had no binding effect on the executive,
would not "be go recreant to his duty as to
disregard the expressed wish Of congress-"
He, IN fact, refused to entertain the sug-
'gestion that Mr.. Cleveland might not rec.
.egnize the belixlerency Of the Cubans as
result Of the adoption OF tho resolutions.
In this connection, Mr.. Patterson Demo
ona Of the administration leaders on the
floor. made significant statement.
s'If the Cubans are united," he asked,
''in the cause of independence, they are
entitled to autonomy, and II the United
States would interfere to prevent Spain
from acquiring new territory in this hem
isphere, why should we not interfere to
prevent her from retaining territory by
, subjuqation?"
Mr. Boutelle, on the other hand, main
tanned that 1t was an open secret that the
administration was opposed to granting
several exciting incidents during the
speech.
The galleries of the house we're filled to-
oAy In anticipation of q renewal of the
Cunan debate in connection with the pre-
sentation of the conference report on the
Cuban resolution, but the attendance on
the floor was smaller than usual.
Murphy, Republican of Illinois, secured
unanimous consent for the consideration
Of the bill authorizing the construction of
the third bridge ac ross the Mississippi
river at St. Louis.
The bill was passed.
%, Pickler, chairman of the pension COM
mittee, demanded the regular order.
Hit, chairman of the foreign affairs
committee, thought he ought to antagonize
these bills, If they would entail debate, in
the interest OF the conference report on the
Cuban resolution.
SCUBA can watt" replied Pickler, "while
we pass these pension bills" Hit finally
avreed to withhold his motion if Pickler
would demand the previous question on
each bill d. 1t was called.
On one occasion, when MIR. Erdman
made the point of no quorum, the speaker
made the important ruling that 178 con-
stituted . quorum, thus deciding that q
majority Of the living members was a
quorum, instead of q majority of the full
In the kentucky senatorial flght). This
question had never been absolutely set
tied. In the fifty-first congress, Speaker
Reed held that . majority of . full house
was q quorum. Mr.. Richardson called at
tention to the importance of the ruling and
asked II the speaker intended to reverse
his decision in the flfty-flrst congress. The
speaker replied that he did. He added
that his former ruling was made hurriedly,
on the side of safety. After thorough ex-
animation he had concluded that q major
ity of living members was q quorum. He
tod <~kHA
that of Reverdy johnson.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Republicen OF Ohio) said
he desired at some future time to cite other
authorities.
At'2:25 p.m.. Mr.. Hit, chairman of the
foreign affairs committee, called up the
ttiOns.
The report agreed to the senate resoll-
tions, the first of which declared, in the
opinion OF congress, that a state Of public
war existed in Cuba and that the United
States should maintain strict neutrality
between the belligerents. and the second
requested the president to use his friendly
offices with the Spanish government for
the recognition OF the independence of
Cuba.
MIR: Hit moved the adoption of the con-
ference report. After explaining the par
liamentary. status and pointing out the
difference between the senate and house
resolutions, Mr.. Hit proceeded.
Mr.. Speaker. the two resolutions which
your conference committee have agreed to
and now report, propose first that we
should accord to the people of Cuba bellig.
offices to the Spanish government for the
recognition of Cuban Independence.
These resolutions passed the senate on ths
28th Of February by majority of SO
votes. On the End of March the house
adopted in place of them by 245 majority
thraC he -
posed the recognition of belligerent rights,
the second, the use of our good offices and
friendly influence in the establishment of
= government by the choice of the people
of Cuba; and third, that we should be pre-.
pared to protect the interests of American
citizens in Cuba by Intervention if neces-
sary.
at will be seen that each of the first
resolutions proposes recognition of bel
ligerency. The second resolution as we
adopted it, was in more cautious form than
the senate resolution, and Spain could not,
unless persistently seeking quarrel, have
resented such proposition, while the
resolution of the senate, proposing inde-
pendence. was more exposed to captious
objection.
"A proposition from one nation to an
other in ordinary. peaceful time to recog-
nize the Independence of q part of its terri
tory would be offensive; for example, a
proposition by Great Britain to our govern
ment to recognize the Independence of
New England or California. But when a
war between q parent government and
dependency has been going on for con-
siderable time and separation is the best
solution of the war, the mediation or
friendly counsel of another nation to end
the existing struggle by recognizing inde-
pendence may bc friendly act. In cases
almost precisely parallel, where Spain was
et war with her dependencies on this con-
tinent In the early part of this centAry, our
government did, in fact, take the very
! steps proposed in this second resolution.
During the presidency of Madison Spain
was at war with her American colonies.
Inc colonies refused to open any negotia-
tions unless the acknowledgment of their
Independence was made its basis. and
little later President Monroe said: "To
promote that result independence by
friendly counsels with other powers, in
cluQing Spain herself, has been the uni.
form policy Of this government"
In his message of 1921 he repeats this
language a second time, almost the lam
Guage OF this second resolution. Again,
during the ten-year struggle between Spain
and the people of Cuba from 1858 to
1873 Gen. Grant through our minister at
Madrid. offered the good offices of the
United States to bring that war to a close
On the basis OF Cuban Independence,
Spatn to be paid an indemnity which the
( United States should guarantee.
The uu mlfatakable voice Of the peopIe
Vt the United States ~ expressed in the