The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-04

WASHINGTON, April s.-The gall
lerles OF the house were iilled to-day IN
anticipation Of renewal Of the debate
on the Cuban question. In connection
with the presentation of the conference
report on the Cuban resolution, but the
attendance on the floor was smaller than
usual. Some preliminary routine busi-
ness was transacted
Mr.. PlcBler. chairman OF the pensions
committee. demanded the regular order.
This being private bill day. he wanted
to proceed with the consideration Of
private pension bills reported from the
committee OF the whole Mr. Hit,
chairman 10 the foreign AFFAIRS commit
tee, thought he ought to antagonize
those bills II they would entail delay in
the Interest OF the conference report on
the Cuban resolutions
Cuba can wait" replied Mr.. Plckler,
while we pass these pension bills.
Mr.. Hit finally agreed to withhold
his motion IL Mr. Pickler would demand
the previous question on each bill as 1t
was called up. The Democrats Insist
ed that there ought to be debate, and
| Mr.. Erdman (Dem., Penn.) promptly
I
| first bill, with the result that there were
some dilatory tactics on these private
| bills, and the speaker was compelled to
count quorum on them.
ImPorthnt Ruling.
on one occasion, when Alr. Erdman
made the point Of no quorum, the
speaker made an important ruling that
l7S constituted a quorum, thus deciding
that q majority of the living members
was a quorum, instead Of a majority
Of the full membership Of the house "a
point raised in the Kentucky senatorial
| fight. This question had never been
| absolutely settled. In the Fifty-first
Congress Speaker Reed had ruled that
/ a majority OF the full house was q
| quorum. Mr.. Richardson called atten-
ton to the Importance OF the ruling
and asked IL the speaker intended to
reverse his decision In the Fifty-hrst
Congress
The speaker replied that he did not.
He explained that his former ruling was
made hurriedly, on the side OF safety.
After thorough examination he had
concluded that a majority Of the living
members was q quorum. He cited sew
eral authorities, among others that OF
Reverdy johnson.
Then, at 2:25 p. M, Mr.. Hitt, chair
man OF the foreign AFFAIRS committee,
| called up the conference report on the
Cuban resolutions. The report agreed
to the senate resolutions, the first Of
which declared. in the opinion OF Con-
gress, that a siege OF public war existed
in Cuba and that the United States
should maintain a strict neutrality be-
tween the belllgerents, and the second
requested the President TO use his
friendly offices with the Spanish gov
ernment for the recognition OF the In
dependence OF Cuba.
The conferees originally agreed on
the house resolutions, the most tmpor-
tant OF which favored intervention, II
necessary, but the senate rejected the
report Of the conferees, and the new
conferees decided to accept the senate
resolutions
sIr. HITS speech.
After explaining the parliamentary
| status and pointing out the difference
between the senate and house resolu-
tions, Mr.. Hit said:
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
benlgerent rights, and. second, tender
/
| uent for the recognition OF Cuban iHde-
pendence. These resolutions passed the
sennte on the 2Sth OF February by q
majority OF 6S votes. on the second Of
March the house adopted in place Of
them, by Ab majority, three resolu-
tions, the FIRST OF which proposed the
recognition OF belllgerent 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 prepared to protect the inter-
| ests of American citizens in Cuba by In
terventIon, II necessary. 1t will be seen
that each of the first resolutions propose
| q recognition Of belllgerency.
The second resolution, as we adopted
Il, was in more cautious form than the
| senate resolution, Hnd Spain could not
unlega perslstently seeking q quarrel,
have resented such q proposition, while
the resolution OF the senate proposing
independence was more exposed TO cap
tiops objection.
* proposition by one nation to an
other in peaceful, ordinary times to rec
ognlze the independence OF part Of Its
territory would be Offensive: for exam
pie a proposition by Great Britain to
our governpent to recognize the inde-
pendence OF New England or California,
But when a war between parent coun-
try and a dependency has been going ON
for a considerable time, and when sepa-
ration Is the best solution OF the war,
the mediation or the friendly counsel Of
another nation TO solve an existing
struggle by recognizing Independence
may be a truly friendly net.
Parallel Cases.
In cases almost precisely parallel,
where Spain was at war with her de-
pendencles on this contlnet, in the early
part OF the century. our government did
in fact take the very step proposed In
this second resolution. During tho pres
ldency OF Madison Spain was Mt war
with her American colonies. The COLI
onles refused 10 open any negotiations
unless the acknowledgment OF their In
dependence was made It's basis and n
little later President Monroe said: no
promote that result undependcncc) by
friendly counsels with other powers, In
Guiding Spain herself, has been the uni
FORM pollcy OF this government" In his
message OF 1891 he repeats this Lam
r.unge q second timc--almost the lnn-
gtagc OF this second resolution. Again,
during the ten years struggle between
Spnln and the people OF Cuba, from 1865
TO ISIS, General Grant, through our min
letnr III Madrid, offered the good offices
OF the United States to bring that war to
close ON the basla Of Cuban lndepen-
dcncc. Spain to be paid an Indemnity
which the United states should guar
untee,
The recognition of thn belllgerency OF
the rtruRgllug Cuban people right now
IA a fnr Hiosc important and Immediate
iv nrnnlicni question. That u the point