The record-union., 1896-12-30
Nor Has Spain Promised to Grant Re
forms in the Island,
Under the Guarantee of the United
States That Hostilities Would
Cease--Also Semi Officially Denied
That Spain Has Questioned Great
Britain, France and Italy, Regard
ing Their Attitude in the Event of
War With This Country.

NJ
semi-official denial is given to the state
ments cabled here as coming from the
Washington Post to the effect that
Secretary of State Olney and Senior Du-
puy de LONE, the Spanish Minister to
the United States, had practically
terminated their negotiations on the
Cuban question, and detailing the ex-
tent of the reform that Spain would
grant to Cuba under the guarantee Of
the United States.
1t is also semi officially denied that
the Government has questioned Great
Britain, France and Italy regarding
their attitude in the event of a war
With the United States.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-While it is
mot true that the Spanish Government
will not accept the mediation of the
United States in giving autonomy to
the Island of Cuba, it has been known
for some weeks that the Spanish Minis
try purpose giving the Cubans a larger
measure of home rule than they have
heretofore enjoyed. President Cleve-
land has been repeatedly assured that
these reforms will be inaugurated when
the Province of Pinar del Rio has been
pacified 1t was in this province that
u
been located for the last year, and since
Maceo's death the work of pacification
has been considerably expedited. The
time is not far distant when the home
rule reforms will be instituted there,
and also in the Provinces of Matanzas
and Havana, where the insurgents have
never secured a foothold.
1t has been frequently asserted by
i,,t~ I
have been put in operation two years
ago but for the instruction, and that
the insurgents started the rebellion in
order to prevent the reforms. These
reforms embrace the election of a Gu
ban Congress, instead of a mixed Con-
gress of fifteen elected members and
fifteen appointed by the Queen Regent.
and also a complete control by Cuba of
her tariff
The Spanish Ministry is now under
stood to be engaged in drafting the
proposed reform, but thus far the only
knowledge regarding them is of gem
eral nature. 1t is believed that they
viii be completed within the next fort
night. and it is not unlikely that copy
will be cabled to Secretary Olney by
permission of the Spanish Government
before their publication on the CONT
nent.
STILL BELIEVE MACEO ALIVE.
NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-An officer of
the steamer Vigilancia. which arrived
from Havana yesterday, said that
while the vessel lay ait Havana he
learned from several Cubans in that
city that the belief prevailed there
among the adherents to the Cuban
He is now planning a coup d'etat in
Mantanzas. They base their belief on a
story told by a passenger on a train
which skirts the boundary of the
province of Mantanzas, who declared
that he saw General Maceo passing
near the train with his troops as the
train moved slowly along.
ADVANCE OF THE SPANISH CON
VOY
NEW YORK. Dec. GA dispatch to
the Herald from Havana, Cuba,
says: A correspondent at Manaznilla
details the march of a convoy under
General Rey for Bayano. The convoy
consisted of 165 carts and a company Of
pack mules. The convoy left Mama
milo on the 18Th and arrived without
hindrance at Neguita, midway to Ba-
yano.
The Spanish column escorting the
convoy consisted OF $500 infantry
armed with Mausers 200 guerrillas,
hir'ty-eight cavalry and a section with
two pieces of artillery, a total of 2,400
men. among whom We're $50 young re
cruits just arrived from Spain.
General Rey obtained information
that Calixto Garcia with a large rebel
force was emcamped on the borders Of
the Malay River to prevent the pass
age of the convoy. and If possible. to
capture It, With this view Garcia had
dug trenches and built breastworks
lined with barbed wire. He had also
placed dynamite torpedoes at convent
ent distances.
Hardly had the rear vanguard |
got half @ league from Veguita, the
Vanguard being at a place named Ri
vero when the Spanish opened fire
on the enemy. fierce combat fol- |
lowed In this action Pidio fell. |
Scarcely an hour had elapsed, the con-
Noy still slowly advancing, when the
vanguard renewed the fire. but the reb
els. entrencehd in their splendid posi-
tons, repeated their attacks, and the
encounter again became fierce. In or
der 10 dislodge them from their strong
hold il was necessary TO send a section
CT sharpshooters to the bushes to force
the rebels to dispense. There Lteuten-
ant Milvan was mortally wounded and
Lieutenant Esteez. who replaced him, /
was also mortally wounded and died
later
The convoy passed the River Buey. |
near Caimao, always under brisk fire, |
ard. arriving at Barrancas. they es-
capped. AT sunrise ON the 18th they
started to march, when the enemy at
once opened fire upon both TANKS. /
which continued for two hours. The /
column then advanced and stopped at
the nights of Barancas. In passing
these later. at the junction OF the
Rayamo and Peralejo roads. another
engagement occurred. in which Lieu |
tenant Sesi was fatally wounded.
After the column entered the plains