Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-01-14
IT'S HANDS FULL.
Senate Committee on Foreign Re-
lations Holds Special Session.
Considers the Armenian and Cuban
Questlons-House Continues Con-
sideration Of New Rules.

Washington, Jan. 1.-THE senate
committee on foreign relations held
special meeting Saturday morning for
the purpose of considering the Armep-
ian and Cuban questions. There arc
more important matters before this
committee this session than there have
been in many years, owing to the many
recent foreign complications. The
Armenian question is considered by the
committee to be the most urgent and
some means will doubtless be devised
to bring about condition that will
afford Americans and their property
better protection under the Turkish
government. The committee has been
flooded with petitions and memorials
on the subject. How best to meet tho
situation is a question not easily
answered. The well-established policy
of the United States of avoiding en-
tangling alliances with foreign powers
will be respected by the committee.
Tho Cuban Question.
The Cuban question is one that is
also considered by the committee as of
immediate Importance. There is no
doubt that the ma jority of the commit
tee is in favor of the recognition of the
Cuban insurgents as belligerents, but
the committee does not think the time
is yet ripe for such recognition, that the
insurgents have not yet gained that
signal victory that will justify the
United States in extending to them the
recognition that will give them, SO far
as this country is concerned, belliger.
ent' rights.
Venezuelan Matter.
OF course the Venezuelan matter has
not been lost sight of, but there ap-
pears to- be no immediate necessity for
action on that question. The appoint
ment of the commission by the presi-
dent is considered motion for stay of
proceedings pending the finding Of
facts by the references who have been
appointed for that purpose.
Affairs relating to Hawaii Nicaragua,
ETC., are before the committee, and
several resolutions looking to i'm.
portant action on the part of this gov
eminent, especially the resolution of
Mr.. Lodge directing the committee to
make an investigation of the report
that the Danish government is willing
to sell her three islands in the Lesser
Antilles-St. Thomas, Santa Cruz AMI
st. John.
Continues Consideration of Rules.
Washington, Jan. 18th house re-
sumed consideration of changes in the
code of rules proposed by the commit
tee Saturday. At the suggestion of Mr..
Henderson (rep., Ia.) the paragraph reg
Uniting the counting of a quo1 um when
one fails to vote on any question was
temporarily passed.
MIR. Wheeler (dem., Aln) moved to
strike out the paragraph providing that
ION demand of any member, or at the
suggestion of the speaker, the names
| of members sufficient to make quo
rum in the hall of the house who do not
vote shall be noted by the clerk and re-
corded in the journal and reported to
the speaker with the names of the
members voting and be counted and an
nounced in determining the presence of
a quorum to do business
His first objection to it, Mr.. Wheeler
said, was that it was unconstitutional;
and If not unconstitutional it's opera
ton would permit the passage of bill,
or even the declaration of war in the
house by the votes of less than major
| ity of a quorum,