The Portland daily press., 1896-06-06
M'NILLlN EXCITED.
House Witnesses Most Disorderly
Scene Of Session.
GEN. GROSVENOR OTHER PARTY
TO THE AFFAIR.

Trouble Arose Over Contested Election
Case-Resolution to Adj ourn Monday
Referred Committee on Appro-
priations in the Senate.
Washington, June 5.-In the absence
of both Vice President Stevenson and
President pro tenn Of the Senate, Mr..
Frye of Maine, the chair was taken today
by Mr.. Platt, Republican of Connecticut.
The resolution offered last Wednesday
by Mr.. Morgan, Democrat OF Alabama,
in relation to United States citizens cap
tured on the American vessel Competitor,
in Cuban waters, and sentenced to death
or imprisonment, was laid before the
Senate. and Mr.. Morgan made an argu-
ment in support of the resolution. I'm
der the statute it was made the duty Of
the President to demand forthwith the
reasons for the imprisonment of Ameri-
cans under a foreign government and
to demand their release if such imprison-
nent seemed wrongful.
Mr.. Morgan proceeded with his speech.
He quoted further from the act referred
to, providing that in case suoh release
from Imprisonment is unreasonably de-
layed or refused, the President shall take
| such means, not amounting to war, as
he may think proper to effect it.
| A resoluUi on of the Senate last month
has asked the President TO send copies
of the correspondence on the subject;
and the President had replied on the 2Sd
of May, that in his Judgment it was in
compatible with the public service to fur
nish copies of the correspondence. Mr..
Morgan claimed that the Senate was en-
titled, under the mandatory law, to re-
quest the President again to furnish the
information asked for.
There was much obscurity as to the sit
uation on account of Spanish censorship
of the press and of the telegraph that of
course, the whole world Is in the dark
as to what transpires in Cuba. We hear
the groans and shrieks and outories. o.
| caslonally some missive is sent out by
private persons to the outside world
that informs US of the butoheries going
on in that terrible place. But so far as
information is concerned we have to re-
~, Is some measure. on mere rulnors as
we gather them from the press and 9TH
ar sources.
'fI want TO know from the President of
the United states,' said Mr.. Morgan,
''what the situation is before this Con-
gress adjourns and goes home"
Mr.. Morgan went on to say that he
deprecated the sending the Cubans arms
and munitions of war by American oiti-
zens. But it was physical, political and
moral impoHsibility to prevent 1t.
At the close of Mr.. Morgan's speech,
Mr.. Sherman moved that the galleries be
cleared: The motion was agreed to. and
the debate was continued in secret ses-
sion.
The doors were re-opened at LOS and
an effort was made by Mr.. Lodge, Re-
publican of Massachusetts,, 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 a motion made
to srallow Mr.. Morgan to continue his
remarks. That motion again provoked
a demand to have the doors closed. That
demand was enforced and the Senate
again went into secret session.
In the secret session the Morgan reso-
| luton was ordered to be placed on the