Evening star., 1897-05-17
Senate Takes Action Without
Delay.
BLOCKED FOR A WHILE IN THE HOUSE
Believed to Be No Doubt About
Passage.
CABINET IN CONFERENCE

The President this afternoon sent the fol-
lowing message to Congress:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives Of the United States:
Official information from our consuls in
Cuba establishes the fact that a large num-
Der Of American citizens in the island are
in state OF destItution. suffering for
want of food and medicines This applies
particularly to the rural districts of the
central and eastern parts
The agricultural classes have been forced
from their farms into the nearest towns,
where they are without work or money.
The local authorities of the several
towns however kindly disposed. are TN
able tc relieve the needs of their own peo-
pie, and are altogether powerless 20 helm
our citizens
The latest report of Consul General Lee
estimates six to eight hundred Americans
are without means Of support. l have as
sured him that provision would be made at
once to relieve them. To that end I recon-
mend that Congress make an appropriation
Of not less than $4,000 to be Immediately
available for use under the direction of the
Secretary OF State.
1t is desirable that a pSrt OF the sum
which may be appropriated by Congress
should, in the discretion of the Secretary
CT State, also be used for the transporta-
ton of American citizens who. desiring TO
return to the United States, are without
means to do so
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion. May L. 1897.
4 Special Cabinet Meeting.
Before O'Clock this morning President
Mckinley had begun work on the Cuban
message, which was sent TO Congress at
noon. He lid not decide whether he
would send the message until this morning.
On reaching a decision he went TO work.
Then he dispatched messages to members
of the cabinet to attend a special cabinet
meeting. Messages were also sent TO Sem
ator Davis, chairman of the Senate COM
mittee on foreign relations, and to Chair
man Hit of the House foreign affairs COM
mittee. Between 9:30 and 10 O'Clock five
members of the cablnet-Messrs. Sherman,
Alger, Gage, Long and Mckenna-had
reached the White House together, with
Chairman Hit arrived after 10 O'Clock.
The absent members of the official family
were Secretary Bliss. who is in New York;
Secretary Wilson and Postmaster General
Gary, who stopped i'm Baltimore their
return from Philadelphia. All callers and
there were a large number. were turned
away with the information that the Presi-
dent could not see anybody. This. even
early in the morning, was considered in
dicative of a message.
1t was early ascertained that the cabi-
net not in session to determine the
question of whether message should be
sent TO Congress, but to consult with the
President as To the one he had written.
From what is learned there were few sug-
gestions as to changes of verbiage, and
none to changes in tenor. In the lam
guage of a friend, the message is that
of William Mckinley
1t was conjectured as far back as Satur-
day that the message would deal wholly
with the question of aid for American citi-
Zens, and would in no way indicate the
policy of the President as to the status
of the combatants. The message is so
worded as to leave not the slightest idea
OF the future intentions of the President
The cabinet consultation was ended about
IL O'Clock. and the cabinet officials went
away with their lips sealed.
That the President did nothing on the
message yesterday is certain. lie would in
no way violate his rule not to work ON
Sunday. Chairman Hit was the only per-
son he talked with yesterday, and their
conference was brief.
QUICK ACTION BY THE SENATE.