The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10
SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT.
senate Foreign Relations Committee
VIII Modify It's Resolution.


senate Foreign Relations Committee
VIII Modify It's Resolution.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-There was no
meeting of the Senate committee on foreign
relations. the committee having adjourned
after it's last meeting until Monday next.
Several of the members Of the committee
were at the Capitol, however, and
they casually dropped into the COM
mttee room where the Cuban sit
uation was the uppermost topic.
There no longer appears to be doubt
that the committee will change it's verdict
on the method of recognizing Cuban inde-
pendence so as to include the present gov
ernment of the insurgents and to practical
ly make the declaration one for interven-
ton only if the President represents the
necessity for thus limiting the official action
of the country The movement to secure
general compliance with the Presidents
wishes in this respect has gained rapidly
until it includes apparently most of the
older senator's and it is claimed that the
committee on foreign relations will yield
to the representations of these senator's.
The members of the committee who are
now expected to support the President are
Messrs. Frye, Cullom, Lodge, Clark, Gray
and Daniel, and some claim that Chairman
Davis will take this position. Mr.. Davis de-
clined to-day to say what might be the
action Of the committee or to in any way
discuss the probabilities Of its action. He
expressed the opinion that the Senate would
not consider the subject in executive ses-
sion.
The steering committee of the House Re-
publicans had a long conference with Sem
ator Davis, of Minnesota, chairman of the
foreign relations committee OF the Senate,
to-day relative to the legal phases involved
in the question of Intervention and recog-
milton. At the conclusion of the conference
the members declined to state what had
occurred beyond the fact that the whole
situation was discussed.
The members of the steering committee
said this evening that the more they COR
slider differences between intervention alone
and intervention with recognition the more
they are convinced that it is a technical
rather than substantial difference. They
find, however said one of them, that the
question whether Cuba's liability for the
Spanish bonds lawfully made a lien on the
Cuban revenues seems an open question.
and that the situation presents undoubted
and vexing complications and possibilities.
Mr.. Bailey, the Democratic leader of the
House, takes the position that neither the
United States nor Cuba could possibly be
held liable for the Spanish bonds for which
Cuba's revenues were pledged as security.
THE security disappears" said he, but
the obligation of Spain remains. A people
cannot be mortgaged.''
Mr.. Hall in his work on international law
maintains as a fundamental proposition
that the local obligations of a portion of a
state acquired by cesson or conquest are
assumed by the country to which the ter
ritory passes. But in this instance it is
contended that these bonds are not local
obligations in the sense that bonds issued
by city for local improvements would be-
but are purely Spanish obligations for
which certain security as collateral was
pledged. 1t is quite likely that if the Re-
publicans should finally decide on a simple
intervention resolution that the Democrats
would antagonize it with an independence
resolution.