The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-21
RECOGNITION OF CUBA.
DESPER ATE EFFORTS OF DEMO
Gratis IN The House
To Get the senate Resolution Before That
Body-A Motion to Make It an Amend
ment TO the Diplomatic Appropriation
Bill Holly Debated-Rcied Out of Order
Appeal From This Ruling Voted Down
Intense Excitement During the Debate

SENATE.
/ Washington. January B-Tcday's open
! session OF the senate was brief. Pracd-
| sally, the only business accomplished
aside from the routine proceedings. was
! rhe passage Of the deficiency appropria-
ton bill. TIE measure as finally passed
by the senate carries S.sl3,sl
The Teller resolution, providing that
bonds OF the United States may be paid
in standard silver dollars was favorably
reported by a majority OF the finance
committee and notice given that II would
be called up at an early date.
An effort was made 10 fix a time for
the final vote on the pending census bill.
but it was abandoned until tomorrow.
the adoption of a resolution directing the
secretary Of state TO supply the senate
any information his department has re-
specting the killing of Frank Epps, a
sailor of the United States steamship
Olympia by japanese subjects in the har-
Dor OF Nagasaki, Japan, in December,
1881, and TO inform the senate II any
steps lave been taken looking 10 repair
alton.
The resolution presented to the SEN
ate yesterday calling upon the secretary
of the treasury for the reasons why the
item of 81. &C., 90 interest due the United
States from the Pacific railroads had
been dropped from his statement, which
went over under objection, was agreed 10.
Senator Allen, of Nebraska, called up
his resolution calling for an invesuga-
ton by the pension committee as TO the
authority of the commissioner of PEN
| sionS to ~promulgate an order that no
consideration should be given to appli-
cations for increase of pensions within
twelve months after the last applica-
tion had been made.
Senator Gallinger, chairman Of the
pension committee, announced that he
believed the resolution TO be entirely
proper. and it was agreed 10.
The senate at ITO o'clock went into ex-
ecutive session, and at 445 o'clock p. m,
adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The diplomatic and consular appropri-
alton bill was called up by Mr.. Hit,
relations. The bill carries $3.50, 00S, an
increase of $50, 700 over the law for the
current year. II was decided at the con-
clusion of Mr.. Hits explanation to post
pOne the general debate until the bill
had been read by paragraphs.
AS soon as the enacting claue had been
read, Mr.. DeArmond, democrat, of Mis-
souri,, offered an amendment to recognize
the Cuban insurgents as billigerents.
Mr.. Hit raised the point of order that
the amendment was new legislation and
obnoxious to the rules of the house.
Mr.. DeArmOnd, speaking to the point
of order, said he fully understood the
rules of the house which were designated
to SUPPRESS, when desired, the will of
the house. The chairman of the foreign
affairs committee, might, he said, feel
constrained to raise this point Of order,
but he reminded the house that there
still resided in it's judgment the power
place what the house believed should be
there. For months, he declareG those
in control of the house had declined to
allow the house to consider what the
people of the country, without regard to
party, desired; namely, that congress
consider and act upon this question of
recognizing the belligerency of the
struggling patriots in Cuba. When the
L ~oo~1o of +ho falt &C tIax- Ala =
was the duty of members to override
these petty little rules which had been
used to suppress action. The newspapers
were filled daily with narrowing tales of
starvation and cruelty in Cuba. Should
We emulate the example of Nero, who
fiddled while Rome burned, and sit SUI
pinely and indifferently by when men al
most within sight of our shores We're
fighting valorously for principles as holy
as patriots ever espOused or heroes ever
defended. He haunted the republicans
with being subservient to those who de-
sired to prevent action on this QueS-
ton. Further inactiOn, he insisted, was
a disgrace to American manhood. The
autonomy offered by Spain, he declared,
was a revolving mockery, a sham and a
delusion. He warned the other side that
the question could not be evaded or
lodged; that with this opportunity before
them they could not go back to their
constituents and plead the rules as an
excuse for nOn-action.
He was proceeding to denounce the
administration for following the example
of its predecessor in sending out the
United States navy to hunt down the
sympathizers with the struggling Gu
bans, when Mr.. Steele, republican, of
Indiana, and Mr.. Hit, both called the at
tenUion of the chair to the fact that Mr..
DeArmond was not discussing the point
of order.
Mr.. DeArmond said he we'll understood
this, but he would not finch from his
purpose. He would say no more. But if
/ tho Din ~ nr1a y-ac nc tDi nod ha do
clared, that it was his purpose to appeal
from the decision of the chair and give
the house the opportunity to determine
this question for itself. He felt con-
strained to do this, he said, out Of a sense
of public duty.
Mr.. Bailey, the democratic leader. re-
enforced the views of Mr.. DeArmond in
a fOrcible speech, arguing that a propo-
sitiOn to recognize a state of war in Gu
ba vas certainly germane to this bill. 1t
had been his purpose, he said, to have
offered the senate Cuban belligerency
resolution as an amendment. The climax
of his speech came when he dramatically
offered to withdraw the amendment if
Mr.. Hit, the chairman of the foreign af-
fairs committee, would give assurances
that the senate resolution would receive
consideration within a reasonable time.
The democrats applauded this chal-
lenge to the echo. Mr.. Bailey paused to
did not rise. THE gentleman" CHitt)
added Mr.. Bailey, lis as silent as the re-
publican party on this question" Again
the democrats cheered and the galleries
also applauded.
Then Mr.. Hit rose. but instead of re-
plying to Mr.. Bailey's challenge, he call
ed the attention of the chair to the fact
that Mr.. Bailey was not discussing the
point of order. 1T is an attempt to
have two general debates said he. The
democrats jeered this statement.
Mr.. Hepburn, in the chair. then sus-
tanned the point of order: whereupon Mr..
DeArmond, in order to get the question
before the house in a better form. offer
ed the senate Cuban resolution as an
amendment. and when it was overruled
made his appeal from the decision Of the
chair.
BY this time the greatest excitement
prevailed in the house. The galleries had
filled to overlooking. A messenger had
been sent Scurrying to all quarters of the
capitol to summon republicans who
were absent from the hall. 1t was evil
dent that there was fear on the part of
the house managers that the house
might be carried of its feet on this first
occasion of a test of the sentiment to-
ward Cuba.
The house managers made their fight
f0~