Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-04

HOPESFOR EXECUTIVE ASSENT
Chairman Hit Of the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs is sanguine.
PRESIDENT WILL RECOGNIZE cUBi
Patterson Drops n Significant Hint nj
the Purpose of MIR. cleveland,
but BonteIic Is GrimIy
Dubious.

WASHINGTON. April 3.-The house today
revived the agitation Of the question Of
Cuban belligercncy in connection with the
conference report on the Cuban resolutions,
1t vas not expected that there would be
much debate, but Mr.. Boutelle, by his Wig
orous opposition, prevented action today, and
the chances now are that the debate will
run all day tomorrow. Mr.. Hit, chairman of
the foreign affairs committee, in presenting
the conference report, made a speech in
the course of which he expressed the greatest
confidence that the president, although the
resolutions being concurrent had no binding
effect on the executive, would not 'be 90
r%ecreant to his duty as to disregard the ex-
pressed wish of congress-" He, in fact, re
fused to entertain the suggestion that Mr..
Cleveland might not recognize the bel
ligerency of the Cubans, as a result of the
adoption of the resolutions.
In this connection, Mr.. Patterson. who
is recognized as one of the administration
leaders Gu the floor. made a significant state
ment. "If the Cubans are united" he asked,
lin the cause of independence, they are en-
titled to autonomy, and If the United STATES
would interfere to prevent Spain from ac-
auiring new territory IN this hemisphere,
why should we not interfere to prevent her
from retaining territory by subjugation ?"
Mr.. Boutelle, on the other hand. main
tanned that it was an open secre, that the
administration was opposed to granting he'll
/ l~igeru1cy to the Cubans. There vera sew
eral exciting incidents dIr.ns his sreech.
Mr.. Murphy, republican Of Illinois. secured
unanimous consent for the consideration of a
bill to authorize the construction of a third
bridge across the Mississippi river at st.
Louis.
Mr.. Barthold. republican of Missouri, of
fered an amendment, which was defeated,
to compel the construction of the bridge at
least one and one-half, and not more than
two and one-half miles, below the Eads
bridge.
Mr.. Hepburn, chairman of the committee
on commerce., opposed the bill on the ground
that a third bridge within a distance of
two miles would greatly impede navigation
at st. Louis.
Mr.. Murphy and Mr.. Joy urged the pas
sage of the bill because Of the excessive
tolls charged by the present company. Mr..
Hepburn maintained that congress had the
power to prevent the extortion complained
Of. The bill was passed.
Mr.. Picker, chairman Of the pensions COM
mittee. demanded the regular order. This
being private bill day. he wanted to proceed
with the consideration of private pension
bills reported from the mmit of the
whole. Mr.. Hit, chairman of the foreign
affairs committee, thought he ought to an
solih pAilS IL thNy "oo'a iita Nv
bate in the interest of the conference report
on the Cuban question.
Cuba can watt replied Mr.. Picker,
while we pass these pension bills"
MIR. Hit finally agreed to withhold his
motion if Mr.. Picker would demand the
previous question on each bill as it was called
up. The democrats insisted hat there ought
to be debate and Mr.. Erdman. democrat of
Pennsylvania, promptly made the point of no
quorum en- the first bill, with the result that
.LN,1 ,,A.a 1nr,n Itlatnr ~ nm Tho
private bills and the speaker was compelled
to count a quorum on them.
DECIDED A III POINT.
On one occasion, when Mr.. Erdman made
the point of no quorum. the speaker made
the important ruling that 17S constituted a
quorum, thus deciding that a majority of
the living members was a quorum, instead
Of a majority of the full membership Of the
house Ga point raised in the Kentucky sena-
torial fight. This question had never been
absolutely settled. In the Fifty-frst con"
gress Speaker Reed held that a majority of
a full house was a quorum.
Mr.. Richardson called attention to the i'm
p~ortance of the ruling and asked if the
speaker intended to reverse his decision in
the Fifty-first congress. The speaker re-
piled that he did. He explained that his
former ruling was made hurriedly on the
side of safety. After a thorough examina-
ton he had concluded that a majority Of
living members was a quorum. He cited
several authorities, among them that Of
Reverdy Johnson.
Mr.. Grosvenor said he desired at some
future time to cite other authorities.
After thirty bills had been passed in some
thing more than an hour, Mr.. Erdman made
a novel point of order, demanding that after
a bill had been ordered to be engrossed that
that a copy of the engrossed bill be pro-
duced. AS this cannot be done. the bill
wap laid aside.
Then, at 2:25 p. M, Mr.. Hit, chairman
of the foreign affairs committee, called up
the conference report on the Cuban reso-
%lutions. The report agreed to the senate
resolutions. the first of which declared in
the opinion of congress that a state of
public war existed in Cuba and that the
United States should maintain a strict neu-
trality between the belligerents; and the
second requested the president to use his
friendly Offices with the Spanish govern
ment for the recognition of the Independence
of Cuba. The cOnferees originally agreed
on the house resolutions, the most impor-
tant of which favored intervention, If neces-
sary, but when the senate rejected the re-
port of the conferees the new conferees de-
cided to accept the senate resolutions.
Mr.. Hit moved the adoption of the con-
ference report and made an extended speech
in favor of his motion. Mr.. Hit was sew
eral times vigorously applauded.
Mr.. Swanson asked If these resolutions
would carry with them the recognition of
Sapdi iiiB
Mr.. Hit replied that they would not of
but he had no doubt that they
would lead to the recognition of the Cubans
by a presidential proclamation. Il do not
believe" said he that the president would
be 30 recreant to his duty as to disregard
the expressed wish of the representatives
of the people. / have faith that the presi-
dent Is the agent of the people and their
representatives, not their ruler" cloud ap-
plause.)
The conference committee, he explained
In answer to a question, had no power to
change the form, Of the resolution from con-
to joint, so as to compel affirmative
or negative action by the president.
DIVISION AMONG CUBANS.
In reply to Mr.. Patterson. who asked what
Of the 1000, 900 inhabitants of
Cuba were adherents or in sympathy with |
the cause of the reyolutionists, Mr.. Hit said
1t was hard to determine. Over CO. 900 men
had enlisted in the Cuban cause.
How many Cubans have enlisted In the
Spanish cause? p asked Mr.. Patterson.
1--WE are informed" replied Mr.. Hit, "of-
hcially Informed, that many Cubans are en-
rolled among the volunteers" The term
volunteers" Is much misunderstood. The
are Spaniards obligated to mill
Itary duty in Spain who elect to perform
that service in Cuba. They are among the
and most intensely hostile enemies
of the Cubans. They are the privileged