The Republican., 1898-04-07
0nsul- General Lee Feared For The
Safety Of Americans In Cuba.
CONFERENCE HELD.
'he President Will Hold The Mes
sage Until Monday.
IS IMPATIENT BUT WAITS
Alarming Rumors Afoat Regarding The
Safety OF American Representatives In
Cuba. Mobs Have Charge OF Havana
And An Armed Outbreak Is Momentar-
lily Expected.

WASHINGTON, d. c., April 6.-The
President decided not to send to Con
gress his message until Monday owing
to General Lees intimation that it
would imperil American lives.
On the return of Senator Davis to
the Capitol from his visit to the White
House this afternoon he saw his col
leagues on the foreign relations com
mittee and informed them that no
message would be sent in to-day.
Senator Davis Immediately moved an
executive session of the Senate.
Division was demanded, and the
vote, 25 to II, disclosed the absence of
a quorum.
A call of the Senate was then re-
quested. While this was proceeding
the hundreds in the galleries awaited
the action of the Senate with almost
breathless interest, as all realized
that after waiting for hours to hear
the message read in the Senate they
were likely now to be disappointed.
The call of the Senate indicated
the presence Of seventy-three Sena-
tors.
Mr.. Mills (Texas) expressed the hope
that the call of the yeas and nays up
on the motion of Mr.. Davis would be
Withdrawn and that the Senate might
without division go into executive
session. On viva voce vote the
motion prevailed and the Vice Presi-
dent at 1877 p. IN. ordered the galleries
cleared
After the galleries had been cleared
Senator Davis explained the reason
for the delay in sending the message.
He said it was due to the fact that
there had been some delay in getting
Consul General Lee and other Ameri-
cans out of Havana and that more
time was absolutely necessary for
this purpose. Hence the President
did not consider it wise or human to
send in the message, which might
precipitate serious trouble and en-
danger the lives of these people.
Mr.. Davis stated that the President
had sent for him for the especial pur-
pose of asking this delay and had
shown him as reason for the request
telegram from Consul General Lee,
saying that if the message should be
sent in before Monday he would not
be responsible for the lives of Ameri-
cans in Cuba.
No comment whatever was made
upon the senator's communication.
Eight minutes afterward the Senate
resumed legislative business in open
session. AS soon as it became noised
about the corridors that the galleries
were again open tremendous rush
up the stairways began and a few
minutes afterward the galleries were
again nearly filled. Hundreds, how
ever, tired and disappointed, had
already left the Capitol.
A feeling of the greatest disappoint-
ment was manifested in the House
when the word went around that
there would be no message from the
President until Monday. Members
in the lobbies discussed the cause of
this further delaying in groups. Some
of them, knowing that General Lee
had cabled for more time, harangued
their angry colleagues, who seemed
to believe there was trick in the
proposed delay.
When the news reached the thous-
ands in the galleries, who had been
there for hours, they left III intense
disgust. AS they pushed their way
out into the corridors some facetious
individual remarked: care we entitled
to rain checks?'
New YORK, April 6-At the regular
monthly meeting of the merchants
and manufacturers board of trade of
New York, to-day, a resolution was
unanimously adopted which affirms
belief that Spain is responsible for
the loss of the Maine, and that sub
stantial indemnity and an ample rep
aration should be demanded from
Spain without further delay.
The resolution further declares that
the Independence of Cuba should be
recognized and should be secured with
peace, if possible, but by force of
arms if necessary.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 6-It was