The record-union., 1896-02-28
The Sentiment Of Resolutions as Adopted
by the House Committee.
BY an Objection by Boutelle, Immediate
Consideration Postponed.
The Election Contest of Van Horn VS..
Tarsney Decided in Favor of the
Contestant, the Vote on the Substi-
tute of the Minority to Recount the
Ballots Being Defeated by Vote of
164 to liz.

| Congress that the Government OF the
United States should recognize the bel
ligerency Of the revolutionists in Cuba;
maintain an attitude of neutrality be-
tween them and the Spanish Govern
ments; tender its good offices to secure
Cuban independence, and to intervene
in the conflict progressing on that is
land, if necessary, to protect legitimate
American interests there. But the OBJ
lection of Boutelle (Rep.) of Maine pre-
vented the great majority of the House
from carrying out it's desire, and the
matter has gone over until later. The
incident was the climax of the proceed
ings of an important and interesting
| session.
The resolutions in full were as fol-
lows:
Resolved, By the House of Represen-
tatives the Senate concurring, that in
the opinion of Congress a state of pub
lie war exists in Cuba, the parties to
which are entitled to belligerent rights,
and the United States should observe
strict neutrality between the belliger-
ents.
Resolved, That Congress deploreS the
destruction of life and property caused
and believing the only permanent solu-
tion of the contest, equally in the inter
est of Spain, of the people of Cuba and
other nations, would be the establish
ment of a Government of the choice of
the people in Cuba, it is the sense of
Congress that the Government of the
United States should use its good offices
and friendly influence to that end
ID ~
not interviewed in the struggles between
any European Governments and their
colonies in this continent, but from the
very close relations between the people
of the United States and those of cuba,
in consequence of its proximity and the
extent of the commerce between the two
peoples, the present war is entailing
such losses upon the people of the
United States that Congress is of the
opinion that the Government of the
United States should be prepared to
protect the legitimate interests of Amer
leans by intervention if necessary
Resolved, That Congress pledges it's
support to the President in carrying out
the foregoing resolutions.
At once, after the reading of the
journal, the House proceeded to further
discussion of the contested election
case of Van Horn VS.. Tarsney, from the
Fifth Missouri District, and the debate
was continued until 4:30 o'clock, at
which hour, by previous agreement, the
vote was taken. Messrs. Prince of Illi-
nois, Long of Kansas and Johnson of
Indiana, all Republicans and members
of the committee, advocated the adop-
tion of the majority report, and Ma
guire of California spoke for the minor
ity. The vote on the substitute of the
minority, that the contest be reopened
and the Elections Committee instructed
to recount the ballots in certain pre-
cincts of Kansas City, resulted: Yeas
112, nays 164. The resolution of the
majority, declaring Van Horn entitled
to the seat, and that Tarsney was not
elected, was agreed to, and the con-
testant sworn in.
Early in the day there had been an
interruption of the debate to permit
Hit, Chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, to report the Cuban
resolutions, and at that time Meredith
(Dem) of Virginia asked unanimous
consent for their immediate considera-
ticn, declaring that they could be passed
in two minutes. Mccall Rep) of Massa-
chusetts objected then, and the subject
was dropped. In the course of the af-
ternoon, however, many members asked
Hit to call them up at the close of the
election case he being informed that
every Republican on the floor desired
to vote upon them at once. So as Van
Horn and his sponsor, Judge Burton,
were going up the aisle from in front
of the Speakers desk, Hit called atten-
tion to the fact that the resolutions
had been reported and asked that they
be then considered.
To this Boutelle, who had protested
against the haste with which the House
passed the bill authorizing the appoint
rBent of the Venezuelan boundary COM
mission interposed an objection He
demanded, over audible and advisable
signs of discomfort, that the House
should give to a subject of such vast
Importance, involving as it did possible
war with Spain, at least decent delib-
Grafton. There was nothing in the face
Of his objection to do but withdraw the
report, and that Hit did, the great body
of Republicans leaving the hall with a
sense of disappointment at the failure
to pass the resolutions.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-As soon as
the journal of yesterdays proceedings
was read in the House to-day the argu-
ment in the contested election case of
Van Horn VS.. Tarsney was resumed by
Prince (Rep) of Illinois. who concluded
his speech begun yesterday in support
cf the action and report of the majority
of Elections Committee No. :. He con-
tended that the contestee (Tarsney) was
not entitled to further consideration in
the case.
At the conclusion Of Princes remarks
an agreement was reached and an
nounced to take a vote upon the report
of the committee at 4 80 o'clock.
Long (Rep.) of Kansas asserted that
the ballots were not competent evil
dence, even if the committee desired
their recount. or ii any different reason
than that arrived at by the committee
could be reached by a recount.
The proceedings were interrupted at
this point by Hit Rep) of Illinois. who
reported the resolutions relative to
Cuba. They recite thar in the opinion
of Congress a state OF public war ex-
listed in Cuba, the parties to which are
entitled to recognition as belligerents
and between which the United States
s..ould maintain an attitude Of neutral
ity; that Congress deplores the destruc-
tion of property in Cuba consequent