The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-06
FIRST CyyA
PARLIAMENT
Assembled in Havana With Great
Ceremony
AMID BOOMING OF BIG GUNS
BlanCo Rode From the Palace to the Con-
greSSiOnal Halls.
He WAS BITTER TOWARD AMERICA
In His Message, Which Was Greeted
With Great Enthusiasm.
THE UNITED STATES INsINcERE
II They Had Not Been Our Guns Would BE
saluting First Parliament Instead
of Threatening the Lives
of Its Members.
In His Message, Which Was Greeted
With Great Enthusiasm.


Havana, May 4.-Delayed In transmits.
sion.)-With great ceremony the first con-
gress of Cuba, elected under the autono-
mist form of government was formally op-
ened today by Captain General Blanco.
Every effort was made by the Spanish Of
f1cials to give brilliancy to the occasion.
There was a procession, an imposing mill
tary display the streets were decorated
with flags and banners and the captain
general made what was to be an impressive
speech in the course of which he said that
If the declarations of the United States had
been sincere, its guns today ought to be
saluting the first Cuban parliament instead
of threatening the lives of it's members.
The volunteers at 1890 p. m were drawn
up on both sides of the street leading from
the palace to the hall of congress, located
in the building formerly known as the Ca
sino Espanol From the time the autono-
mist government was established the Ca
sino was devoted to this purpose
At D. m. a salute of fifteen guns from
the Cabanas battery announced the de-
parture of the captain general from the
palace. First came detachment Of cav
airy, then In landau We're General Par
rado, the military commander of Havana:
General Solano, chief of staff and two ad-
Jutants, after which was a carriage in
which We're seated Captain General Blanco,
General Pando, the commander of tho
Spanish forces In the field; DIR. Congesto,
secretary general of the government, and
General Blancos adutant
Great Display
Following the captain generals carriage
were many officers on horseback and after
them came a detachment of the civil guard,
force of cavalry wound up the procession
oh zfr A.
Parque Isabella Catolica, to the dragons
thoroughfare and to the hall of congress.
AT the hall the members of the autono-
nous government were awaiting the cap
tain-general, and on his arrival there at
about 2:15 p. m. another salute of fifteen
guns was fired.
Assembled. In the hail. in addition to
members of congress, the colonial secre-
taries, ETC., were Admiral Manterola. Gem
eral Moido, the civil and military authori-
ties, the bishop, the foreign consuls and
the commander and officers of the British
cruiser Talbot and the French cruiser Full
ton, both of whom are In port. Besides
the officers and officials, there were pres
ent many representatives of the Spanish
nobility the leading politicians of Havana
and representatives of local and some for
eign newspapers. There were also ladies
present. The captain-general was received
with the greatest respect when he entered
the hall. In the center of the hall on a
PLATFORM was big presidential table un-
der canopy and on the right and left of IL
were portraits of the little king of Spain
and his mother the queen regent.
General Blanco took up position behind
this table. At his right were the members
of the colonial government. and secretary
general of Cuba. On his left stood Generals
Parade, Paudo and Solano.
When all the participants in the ccre-
mony were in their places the captain
general saluted military fashion, and read
his message to congress.
Bianco's Address
He said in substance:
Il take great pleasure in seeing the re-
presentatives of the island united here for
the first time. In spite of the fact that the
United States has tried TO impede the es-
tablishment of peace Spain has fulfilled her
promises of introducing reforms in Cuba,
and was approaching a reconciliation and
the ending of the war. The United States,
though speaking for peace and autonomy,
(Continus on Second Page.)