Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-14
The House of Representatives Asks
for Information.
RUNORS CAUSED some EXCITEMENT
Senators Oppose Considering Bel.
ligerency as a "Rider."
n OF DEEMED NECESSARY

| the members OF the House of Representa-,
| tives before the assembling today, owing
to an Imperative summons sent out late
last night by one of the subordinate Off.
cials of the House to each republican mem.
Der, impressng the urgent necessity OF
DIS presence at the session todav At
| nrst no one seemed to know the purpose
| OF this rallying call, and all sorts of ru.
| mors were afioat. All that was definitely
known at first was that something in re-.
gard to Cuba was to be brought up in the
House, although, under the rules this
was District of Columbia day. The gal.
! leries were crowded Among those I'm the
gallery were Senor. Quesada and several
other Cuhans connected with the junta.
1t turned out that Chairman Hit Of the
foreign affairs committee was merely tJ
call up some resolutions reported by hisr
committee calling upon the State Depart
nent Tor general information, one of which
related to Cuba, and the notice had been
sent out as precautionary measure to-
prevent the possible amendment of the
| resolution by the opposition. a proceed
ing which would be in order if the previous
question We're voted down.
Immediately after the reading of the
| journal Mr.. Royce Qnd) presented the
unanimous report Of committee on elecr
TONS No. in the case of kanderbury agt.
Tongue, from the second Oregon district,
| in favor of the sitting member, and II was
adopted without division or debate
Mr.. Quigg IN. ". a member of the for
| eign affairs committee, was then recogniZ-
| ed. he first called up a resolution reports
| ed from the fereign affairs committee, CALI
| ing upon the Secretary of State, f not
| Incompatible with the public interest, to
| transmit to the House the correspondence'
relating to the discrimination of the Ger-i
man government against the importa, a,ion
| of American beef, fruit or horses. 1t was
| adopted without division.
Condition of the Recommendation.
Mr.. Quigg followed this with the Cuban
resolution. 1t was the resolution offered
by Mr.. Williams, slightly modified as fol-
| lows: Resolved, by the House of Repre-
sentatives, that the Secretary of State be,
and he hereby is, directed, If in his opinion
| not Incompatible with the public interest,
| to inform the House what information. il
any, has been received at the Department
| Of State concerning the present condition
! Of the reconcentrados in Cuba; whether or
not they have been permitted to .eturn
to their estates: whether not they or
any considerable number of them are now
On their estates; whether or not any nes
or considerable parts OF zones are now
being cultivated by them. according to the
reports received at the Department Of
State from American consuls consular
agents, Wndt STEPS. III any, are SHOWN by
said consular reports to have been taken
by the Spanish government for feeding
said reconcentrados or for otherwise pre-
venting them from starving and suffer-
ing; whether or not the Spanish govern
ment has given the necessary military
protection to enable the mills to grind
cane, and what progress has been made
in Span's effort to induce the Cubans to
accept autonomy.
Section 2. That the Secretary of State
be directed, If in his opinion not fncompati.
BILE with the public interest, to send to thei
House copies of all such reports from cone
suls, vice consuls and commercial agents.
of the United States in Cuba as may she'd
light upon the SUBJ jects above referred to-!
and shall give information to the House
and to the country concerning the condi-
ton of Cuba since the advent of the new
regime under General Blanco."
Mr.. Quigg made brief statement, say.
ing that in December the President had
notified the House that the indefensible
policy of concentration in Cuba had been
abandoned by Spain in Difference to the
repeated requests of our government, and,
that a more peaceful and humane policy
had been adopted. The object of this reso-7
luton was simply to ascertain what had
been done and what steps had been taken
looking to the acceptane of autonomy by
the Cuban people. Three months, he add.
ed, have elapsed since autonomy had been
promulgated
In order to retain control of the floor MrY
Quigg asked for the previous question, but
yielded five minutes to Mr.. Dinsmore
(Ark.), the senior member of the foreign
affairs committee, who said the resolution
has been unanimously reported by the COM.
mittee. Its purpose was to put the House
and the country in the possession of the
real facts concerning the condition of the
people in Cuba, both i'm military and pri-
vate life. The press was full of stories res
garding the deplorabe condition of the
concentrates and the suffering that pre-
vailed in Cuba, and the country was entis
tied to the facts in order to determine what
responsibility was placed upon us to bring
about the conclusion of the war, and thus
end the existing distress.
Mr.. De Almond wanted to know why the
words IF any" after the words what
progress" at the end of the first section
of the original resolution, had been stricken
out. He wanted to know why the commits,
tee conceded that any progress had been
made toward the acceptance Of autonomy
by the people of Cuba.
Mr.. Dinsmore replied that the words
stricken out did not change the sense OF
the resolution. If no progress had beenl
made the State Department would so re-
port
Mr.. Terry (Ark) asked Mr. Quigg IL the
committee on foreign affairs had consid,
cred the De LONE incident.
That is hardly pertinent inquiry" re-
piled Mr.. Quigg. blandly.
1T is a pertinent inquiry in the minds
of the American people," exclaimed Mr.
Terry. "and don't you forget it."
1T is being considered by the proper au.
Mr.. Cooper CWis.) called attention to
the fact that early in the session durs.
ing the consideration of the diplomatic.
appropriation bill. Mr.. Hit. chairman Of.
the foreign affairs committee, had stated.
on the floor in explicit terms that Spain
had abandoned the policy Of concertras
ton. He wanted to know the reason for
this inquiry when the committee knew
from Mr.. Hits statement that the policy 1
of concentration had been reversed
Mr.. Quigg responded that this resolution
would put the House in complete posses4
sion of the facts. There was effort on Z
the part of the minority to contest the
ordering of the previous question and the
resolution was adopted without iissentlf
ing voice.
The bill to make Rockland. Me-, a sub, !;
port OF entry was then passed, and the !
House, on motion of Mr.. Babcock fyyis.G
chairman of the committee on District
of Columbia. proceeded to the considera<l
ton of District business.
THE SENATE.