The San Francisco call., 1896-06-06
Imprisoned Members Of the Crew
of the Competitor Should
Be Released.
ARGUED IN SECRET SESSION.
But the Resolution Is Placed on the
Calendar and There 1t May
Remain.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 4.-The
resolution offered last Tuesday by Nor
gan of Alabama requiring the President
to communicate to the Senate all facts
and proceedings relative to the trial by
court martial, sentence and imprisonment
of citizens of the United States who were
captured on board the American vessel
Competitor in Cuban waters, was taken up
IN the Senate to-day and its adoption
urged by Morgan. The resolution omitted
the usual phrase, ''if not incompatible
with the public interests" and was based
upon section 2001 of the Revised Statutes,
which makes it the duty of the President,
whenever any citizen of the United States
has been unjustly deprived of his liberty
by any foreign Government, to demand
forthwith the reasons for such imprison-
ment; to demand the release of such citi-
zen if his imprisonment is wrongful; to
use such means, not amounting to acts of
war, as he may think necessary and
proper to effectuate the release and to
communicate all charges and proceedings
to Congress as soon as practicable.
Morgan was very emphatic In express
ing his views. He considered it absolutely
necessary before Congress adjourns to aid
the President in sending ships of war to
Cuba to secure the release of those ,Ameri-
can prisoners. He was so earnest IN this
and other declarations of like character
and the matter itself was such a serious
international one that Sherman of OHIO,
chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, suggested that the debate should
not be continued in open session. The
galleries were accordingly cleared, the
doors closed and Morgan finished his
speech in secret session.
He spoke until the morning hour ar
rived, and then, under the rules, the reso-
luton went to the calendar, from which it
cannot be taken up without majority
vote of the Senate.
At the close OF Morgan's speech Sher-
man said the subject was one which should
not be debated in public, and he moved
that the galleries be cleared. That motion
was agreed to, the galleries were cleared
and the doors closed, and the debate was
continued in secret session. In the secret
session Morgan appealed to the Senate to
pass his resolution looking to the bellig-
erency of the insurgents, and to take such
steps as would protect American citizens
on that island.
During the course of the discussion
Sherman and Lodge, who had waited
upon the President as a subcommittee of
the Committee on Foreign Relations, in
formed the Senate that the only question
now was the protection of American cit
izens. Without stating what the Presi-
dent had to say, they both agreed that
that matter should be left in the hands of
the President, especially in view of the
lateness of the hour and the impossibility
of framing legislation between now and
adjournment. When Congress again met
would be ample time, they said, to take
up the subject again.
The doors were reopened at Los and an
effort was made by Lodge (R.) of Massa-
chusetts to have the immigration bill
taken up, but it was evident that the
Cuban question had not been definitely
settled in the secret session, for there was
motion to allow Morgan to continue his
remarks. That motion again provoked a
demand TO have the galleries cleared and
the doors closed. That demand was en-
forced and the Senate again went into Sc
cret session.
In secret session the Morgan resolution
was ordered to be placed on the calendar
so that it cannot be taken up again unless
a majority of the Senate shall vote to take
it up.
After the doors were opened for the Sec
ond time the immigration bill was taken
up, Lodge having stipulated that he would
not ask for vote on the bill before Mon
day next.
The immigration bill was laid aside tenn
porarily in order to permit Mitchell (R.l
of Oregon to address the Senate ON his
joint resolution for constitutional amend
ment for the election of Senators by the
people instead of by the Legislatures. He
said, however, that he could not ask action
upon it until next session.
The proposed reform was also advocated
by Perkins (R.) of California.
Aldrich (R. } of Rhode Island at 1886 P. M.
offered in the Senate q resolution provid-
ing for the final adjournment of Congress
on Monday next. He stated that the ap-
bills would probably be
through by that time, and certainly Tues
6ou