The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-22
SPEAK AGAINST AUTONOMY
STRONG PROTESTS OF THE CON-
 SERVATIYES OF HAVANA,

The Proposed Reforms Will Not Bring
 Peace to the Island-scnor Sagas Gust
 man Says McKinley's Message is Offen-
 sive to Spain and Indicates Early Inter-
 vention.
 Havana, Dec. 21.--At to-day's ro,..- ing of the conservative party, with over three hundred delegates, said to repre- sent eighty per cent. of the wealth -oe the island, present, several of the speakers said that the president, the Marquis of Apezteguia, should explain his conduct and utterances as publish ed in the newspapers of Madrid. The marquis during the course of two hours speech satisfactorily explained matters and denied the accuracy of the news published in Madrid.
 Tn all twenty-seyen speeches were made against autonomy, all the speak, CTS agreeing that autonomy will not
 bring peace to the island as proved by the protests of the members of the Gu ban junta of New York and the recent death of Lieutenant Colonel Ruiz and | five other Spanish commissioners who
 have been killed by the insurgents.
 Senor Sagas Gustman, former pres ident of congress, began his speech at half-past four this morning. He skill fully touched upon the patriotic senti- | ments of the Spanish people and. refer
 ring to President McKiniey's recent
 message to congress, ne protested against it, alleging that it was offcn- sive to Spain, to General Weyler and to the Spanish army. and holding that it indicated probable early Intervention,
 warning to a most naughty nation,
 which will not permit such a hunailia- l tion."
 | Senor Gustman eventually succeeded 1 in unifying the opposing factions in the party, thus avoiding the disruption which has been encouraged by the re- l formists In conclusion Senor Gustman i submitted a motion, which was unani- mously approved, expressing confidence | in President Apezteguia and the execu- | tive committee and confirming the po- | litical platform of the party, which Is essentially Spanish and centralist, as against home rule and withdrawing completely from political struggles while authorizing the executive com | mittee to determine when the condition of the country and the general in chief | demands the party's service.
 l The executive committee was further authorized to cabel a message to Gen. | eral Weyler, the substance of which was that at mass meeting of the re- | united union constitutional party the | policy of His Excelency was endorsed and the party assured the general he
 had it's support.
 | It was announced from the police to- | day that during the last ten days the 1 insurgents have lost 330 men killed and i that in addition the Spanish troops 1 have captured seventeen prisoners and
 sixty-nine armed insurgents have sur
 rendered. The troops, it is further an- nounced, have captured ninety-six
 firearms during this time. Among the
 killed are three insurgent leaders and
 three officers. The Spanish troops dur
 ing the same period lost three officers
 and thirty-three soldiers killed and had
 thirteen officers and soldiers wounded. It is reported here that the insurgent
 general Rodriguez, commanding in the
 province of Pinar del Rio, has been
 wounded near Arnajuez
 Madrid, Dec 21-Lieutenant General 1 Weyler is preparing to publish pro- n nF~T% %s.,1o