The Portland daily press., 1898-03-31

that latter ful1ng an aI1 est N"o 0tanNi
and the whole Republican side had voted
AGAINST taking the appeal. When he said
that at the head of the list OF dls-
tinguished Republicans who had voted Oh
that occasion was the honorable Speaker
of this House, the Democrats went into
rapturous applause.
Meantime the confusion was grett.
The Republicans were evidently rally
ing their forces. MIR. Hull chairman of
the committee on military AFFAIRS. who
was one of the prime movers IN the
movement for prompt and vigorous action
on the Republican side, came forward
with strong appeal to the Republicans
not to be carried off their feet. AS L
have already said l am in favor Of this
government intervening at the very
earliest date unless conditions change
materially; that they will insure the
liberty of Cuba and q cessation OF the
deplorable conditions that prevail at the
island at the present time. lApplause
on the Republican side.) Il am In favor
of thst principle and state now and here
that will go as far as any man on this
floor for the purpose of preserving the
rights of the struggling patriots in their
heroic efforts on that island, (Applause
on the Republican side) and l am in
favor of United States control of the
destinies of this continent and saying TO
Spain that she must get out OF the
western hemisphere. But am unWlll-
ing to inject in these proceedings here to-
day proposition to lay aside an appro-
priation bill for the navy Jeers and de-
risiye laughter on the Democratic side)
which contains il itself proVlso or
article of legislation available to allow
gentlemen from Texas to come IN ana
make motion Of this character. :"
'sThe gentleman declares that he is
ready for armed intervention at any
time" interrupted Mr.. Bailey.
81 ask the gentleman If he does not
krrow it to be fact that the representa-.
tives of the Cuban people tell us that all
they ask is to be recognized in their in
dependence and that they will DO the
rest.'' (Applaltse on the Democratic side.
az state to the gentleman in response to
his inquiry" returned MIR. Hull, THAT
do not care what the agents of Cuba want
us to do l want the House to act IN
dependantly Of any outside influence with
reference to the matter and do what Is
best for the honor and dignity OF the
country" (Applause on the Repupllcan
side.)
argued that question involving matter
Of privilege was in fact one for the House
to decide While he was speaking the
Republicans were comforting, the leaders
were circulating among them and such
confusion resulted that Mr.. Simpson
raised a laugh amid thu excitement by
asking for order among the "Speaker S
reconcentradoes. -
Mr.. Hopkins, Republican of Illinois,
another of the Republicans who openly
favored armed Intervention called atten-
tion to the distinction between the resolu-
ton in the precedent cited by Alr. BAILEY
and the present resolution. In the former
resolution it was contendea tnag Ine
dignity of the House had been infringed
br ha pvanntIV There WAS no
such contention here. 1t was simply a
declaration of opinion concerning the
struggling patriots in Cuba. Under the
rules the resolution should go to the ccm-
mittee and come back to the regular
order. ~ am not willing for one, said
he emphatically, ito be carried on my ~
feet because of my zeal for the cause OF
Cuban Independence and trust that not
one Republican on this floor will be. -
Continuing he appealed to his colleagues
to rally to the support OF the speaker.
The Speaker he said, had always eX-
pressed willingness to abb lie by the sentl-
ment of the majority. The Repupllcan
members know, he said, that within a
brief time action will be had SO that there
was no necessity for resorting to revolu-
tionary methods. This was not the tlrst
Cuban resolution. A number had been
! t~odueed by Republican mem bers with
in le last few days.
one has slumbered in the foreign
affairs committee for six months inter-
posed Mr.. Williams, Democrat of Missis-
sinni. how are we to get vote on lt?''
isBy the action of the majority of the
House.
1Vote upon it now," shouted Mr..
Wheeler, Democrat of Alabama, amid ap-
plause.
Amid profound silence the Speaker
then made the ruling. He spoke in
deliberate, distinct and emphatic tones
and decided that the resolution was not
privileged, in the following ruling:
ga question of privilege which con-
Germs the House is one which concerns the
exercise of its functions in accordance
with the privileges which govern parlla-
mentary bodies. Every parliamentary
body has to have rules for its government,
otherwise it would have no government
at all, and upon adherence to those rules
depends it success as a parliamentary
body. The rights of the House under
the constitution are to be in no way con-
founded with the privileges of the House
and of every member in it in the sense in
which this matter is presented here today.
Congress has certain powers conferred up
on it. and in the exercise of those powers
zach house is governed by its rules. 1t is
authorized expressly by the constitution
to make rules, and under the authorlza
tion of the constitution 1t would be at
liberty TO make TuleS. 1ucno IuiOS al {
the protection of the rights of the House.
Now it will be- noticed in the constitution
if the gentlemen will turn to it, that
there are certain powers conferred upon
Congress, the power to declare war, the
power to legislats for the welfare
of the country and other enumer-
ated powers. No man up to this
date has for an instant pretended or sug
gested that because Congress has the right
to pass laws upon certain topics, proposals
for those laws become questions Of privi-
lege; never before except once and the
chair will present the decision to the
House The same language is used with
reference to our foreign relations that II
used with reference to the courts OF law
and all other powers which are concerned
1t is legislative power and it is exercised
under the constitution by rules adopted by
zach body This is the first preliminary
idea that we ought to have in regard to this
matter. But this proposition in regard tt
war or about recognition Of any Of these
subjects which may or may not be within
our purview do not become questions Of
privilege at all, because we have right
to pass upon them, because that woule
make everything a question of privilege
and by making nothing question OF
privilege. Now let us see what this II
founded on This is a matter we shoule
not have given any attention to except