The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-21
SUNDAY CABINET MEETING
TO ATTEND IT M'KINLEY REMAINS
 AWAY FROM CHURCH.

AWAY FROM CHURCH. Report of the Court of Inquiry Has Not
 Been Received but Indications Are That
 1t Will be Made Public by the Middle of
 the Week-General Pando Reported to
 Have Conferred With Insurgent Gen.
 erals Concerning Autonomy.
 Washington, March 2O.-President Mckinley did not attend church this morning, as is his custom, but instead spent two hours and more in confer ence with members of the cabinet. As sistant Secretary Day called about ten o'clock and remained until nearly elev- en. Secretaries Long and Bliss were the other members present. Comman- der Glover, in company with MT. Flint, who has been acting for the govern ment in the negotiations in the pur- chase of ships, also called and was shown into the presidents private of flee. The members of the cabinet on leaving the White house said there was no special significance in the meeting this morning. The report of the Maine court of inquiry had not been received nor was it definitely known when it would reach here. It was expected, however early in the present week and as soon as received it would be handed at once to the president, and when 1t had been read and considered by the president it would be made public. Sec retary Long in speaking of the report said that while fully realizing its i'm portance, the country, in his opinion, would willingly accord to the president a day or two, if necessary, for its con- sideration. The indications seem to be that the report will be made public by the middle of the present week.
 The Purchase of Vessels.
 The presence of Charles R. Flint at the conference naturally gives infer ence that the president and his advis- CTS were discussing the question of ac- quiring additional ships. MT. Flint, whose commercial interests are largely with South American countries, is be- lieved, in a measure at least, to repre- sent Chili and the Argentine Republic in any negotiations which are under way for the disposition of their war vessels. A reporter to-day asked MT. Flint if he could say whether or not the United States had secured posses sion of the Chilian ship O'Higgins and the Argentine ship San Martino, but he declined to make any statement as to that particular feature of the subject. When pressed for some information in regard to the matter he said: Both Chili and the Argentine Republic have the warmest fl friendship and admiration for the United States and her institu- tions. Neither country is anxious to sell their ships to this government, passing this indisposition on the belief that we have an excellent navy of our own. They want these vessels them N selves. If the time should come, how ever, when it was apparent that the United States needed these vessels, Z they would gladly part with them to us." The attention of MT. Flint was # called to the published report that the United States would purchase the Bra gillian torpedo gunboat Tuby, but this he said would not be done, so far as he ~ was aware, as there were no negotia x tions under way to that effect Aside from the meeting of several members X of the cabinet at the White house there z were no incidents of importance during z the day. Judge Day, Assistant Secre- tary Adee, Chief Clerk Michael and V other officials were at the department, K but this has been quite common during the recent month. Also at the war de- partment and navy department num- Der of chiefs of bureaus were at their desks for several hours, mainly for the purpose of disposing of the busi- ness which recently has accumulated so rapidly.
 & Commercial offer of Autonomy.
 The most interesting topic of the day was based on the dispatches from Ha- # vana indicating a prospective confer ence between General Pando and Gen. erals Garcia, Gomez and others of the insurgent army for the purpose of sub # hitting to the latter commercial of fer of autonomy The basis of auton-
 omy as outlined in the dispatches ap- parently found no credence with the
 officials of the Spanish legation. They
 stated their disbelief that a conference # on the proposed lines was probable,
 and added that they had no informa- tion on the subject. Minister Polo V
 Bernabe expressed the opinion that the lSreport from Havana was unfounded, as
 he said that the basis upon which it kwas proposed to grant autonomy was absurd.