The herald., 1897-01-02
THE SPANISH QUEEN REGENT
Signs DEGREES Granting Porto
Rico Reforms
WILL BE APPLIED IN CUBA
As Soon as Conditions In the Island
Will Permit
Weyler Announces That the Province of
Pinar del Rio Has Been Paci-
fied-Rebels Lack Valor
A Aasociated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
MADRID, Jan. 1.-The preamble to
the eight DEGREES signed by the queen
regent yesterday relative to reforms In
Porto Rico announces that they will be
amplifled and applied to Cuba as soon
as the conditions in that island will per-
nit.
FL Dia, referring to the attacks of the
Herado and Impartial on Captain
General Weyler, says 1t is possible they
| may result in a cabinet crisis. Many
people believe there should be change
of policy.
| A meeting of Spanish generals was
held last evening to consider these news
paper articles, the full text of which was
not allowed to be telegraphed abroad.
It is persistsntly asserted that de-
cision was reached to relieve Weyler,
| but the premier suspended the order.
! All the ministers met at the premiers
residence last evening to discuss the
matter. A feeling of general public In
dignation prevails. 1t Is asserted that
the soldiers are suffering from hunger
! exposure and lack of medical care, While
| nobody seems to know what becomes of
| the money sent from Spain.
| OFFICIAL NOTICE
! WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-The Spanish
minister at Washington was today in
| formed by a cable from Madrid that the
queen regent had signed the decree in
augurating governmental reforms in
| Porto Rico. These reforms were out
| lined in the Associated Press dispatches
| from here last nighth They are es-
ly significant at this time because of the
| avowal of Spain that they will be ex-
| tended to Cuba when the island has
| been pacified.
HEADED FOR CUBA
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. 1.-The
steamer Commodore, which cleared
| from this port Thursday might. bound for
| Cuba with arms and ammunition,
grounded in the ST. Johns river at Com
| modore's point few miles below this
! city and remained there all night. The
| revenue cutter Boutwell, started down
the river this morning and threw the
Commodore line and pulled it off, af-
| forwards towing the boat down the river
until steam had been gotten up. The
Commodore crossed the bar about
O'Clock and headed for Cuba. The gum
ner from the Boutwell, has been with
drawn from the Three Friends by Capt.
Kilgore, acting under instructions from
| Washington. District Attorney Clark
steamer and it is now free from the
custody of the government.
FILIBUSTERS WRECKED
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. 1.-The
filibusters who left Fernandina on the
steamer Three Friends about three weeks
ago bound for Cuba, and who after the
failure of the expeditions were landed on
No Name key, have been in distress and
at least two of them have died because
of the privations they have been COM
PEELED to endure. No Name key is
about sixty miles northeast Of Key West.
The steamer Dauntless, which left this
port Tuesday afternoon, has reached
the key where the men and cargo were
left, and succeeded in taking them
aboard, and they are supposed to be on
the way to Cuba again.
WEYLER'S CLAIMS
HAVANA, Jan. 1.-Col. Coavis, while
on a reconnoitering expedition, sur
prised and dispersed an insurgent camp
Of 100 men at the Heights of Gener In
the Matanzas.
The insurgents have again attacked the
village of Cobre In the province of San
tiago do Cuba.
They were repulsed with loss. The in
surgents have blown up the railroad
near the village Of Cristo. The insur-
gents attacked the train but were re-
|
The war correspondent of the la Ln.
cha of this city, Senior Canarte, has tel.
egraphed to his paper the substance OF
an interview which he had yesterday
with Captain-Gener Weyler, whose
column he Joined in Cristobal. The
captain general assured The correspon.
dent that there were only about 500 insur
gents in the province of Pinar del Rio
adding: II am able to say that tht
province of Pinar del Rio is pacified
) Sickness, bullets and hunger will ter,
!; inmate the revolution. I will treat the
leaders with consideration if they sur
render all, or nearly all, of their follow
ers."
, Nobody can consider himself tn,
owner of the cattle in the mountains ant
woods which were born last year an,
l allow the soldiers and the poor t,
gather them together and get what ben
eft they can from them. l have ais
provided for the establishment of cult
waited zones in order to avoid famine an,
! I congratulate myself upon the suppress
! sion of the revolution in Pinar del Rio
The rebels are lacking in valor and othe
| elements to make the uprising a success
with the assistance of the commercial
chambers I hope to establish cultivate
zones in the province OF Havana be
tween the two railroad lines, but can
not allow people to build houses outsid
refuge for bandits.
"Rius Rivera (the name hitherto spell
ed Ruis Rivera) is disregarded by tn
Cuban partisars, and Is lacking in tn
qualities that go to make an insurgen
commander. and neither Quirtin Bande
ras nor CaliXto Garcia has as much pres
tige as Antonio Maceo."
At San Cristobal General Weyler join
! ed forces with those OF General Obrego
| from Candelaria.
Captain General Weyler will continu
encamped at Bayate until tomorrow.
Weyler ordered a double ration 0
food and wine to be served to the troop
today.
Senator elect Money of Mississippi
who is a member of the committee o
, foreign affairs of the United States sen
l ate, paid a visit today to the palace, nc
companied by United States Consl
} General Lee and Vice Consul Geners
Springer. The Marquis Ahumada. act
ing for the captain general, was absen
and an aide -de-camp informed the Wis
itors that General Weyler would soon re
: turn to Havana. Mr. Money exprsse
! his regrets at not seeing the Marquis
: of Ahumada and at being unable I
hn ra<sr - l.