The herald., 1898-04-07

&. 49,
harhor, at San Pedro, CAL. in accordanc
with the plans of the board. approved b
the president, was agreed to by the senate
An amendment which was practically
war measure was proposed by Mr.. Pettu
ct Alabama. 1t provides an appropriate
of 5000, 900 to be Immediately available TO
the Improvement of Mobile bay, in orde
that war ships aud their barges nigh
reach the wharves of Mobile to obtain Goa
and supplies.
Mr.. Pettus and Mr.. Morgan made an ap
peal for the amendments as measure
really necessary as a matter of nationa
defense.
Mr.. Allison said he was opposed to max.
ing a river and harbor act out of the sun
dry civil bill.
GRAY of Delaware advised Mr.. Allison
that he had an amend:fsent for the i'm
provement of the harbor of Wilmington
Delaware, because the factories of that
city. which were working upon army and
navy supplies were seriously embarrassed
by the condition of the haSbor
In reply Mr.. Allison said any measure
providing necessary means for the national
defense would pass both the senate and
house promptly. He believed that IL the
proposed amendment was necessary for
the national defense 1t ought to be passe"
upon by a committee of the senate which
had that subject directly in charge. IL
suggested that therefore all such ameuG-
ments should be submitted to the propaf
committee. Meantime he asked that the
bill be laid aside and the whole question
went over. At o'clock the senate ad-
5ourned
INCLINED TO CRITICISE
The delay in the settlement of the Cuban
question, involved in the announcement
made today, that the presidents message
would probably not be sent to congress be-
fore next Monday. was received in the
senate with varying degrees of favor or
disfavor, depending largely upon the pre-
objections and personal political associa-
tions of the senators. All united in the
necessity for protecting the safety of Gen
eral Lee and the other American citizens
in Cuba. Many, however, were inclined
to criticise because our Citizens had not
been removed heretofore, while others de-
ciared protection for them should have
been sent to Havana.
'It is a humiiiating spectacle" said Sen
ator Quay of Pennsylvania, that with our
fleet within ninety miles of Havana We are
uOt dDle ~ pIOttCt Jul PCoPiS AZ stiNiN PSA :.
"The request" said Senator Proctor,
"merely illustrates the character of the
people we are dealing with in this matter"
o. The intense Cuban sympathizers on both
sides of the senate chamber were free in
their expression or the opinion that there
was some motive for the delay that did
not appear on the surface.
They did not question the good faith OF
Il. fio n II
Americans in Cuba but they agreed that
there must have been other causes for the
administration course.
When the Madrid bulletin stating the |
probability of an armistire IN Cuba was |
made known they found in it a verification
of their surmises. At one time during the !
afternoon the indication was strong that !
dissatisfaction would find voice in the open |
session of the senate. but those who felt |
disposed to discuss the question were re-
strained largely from feeling of, delicacy |
because not fully certain of their ground. |
The conservative element did not find en-
couragement in the situation. They were |
not displeased over the prospect of delay. |
but they expressed regret at the occasion |
for it.
',The publication of the fact Of dange-'l
will set the country afiame and the war |
spirit will be more rampant tomorrow
than ever"
Senator Elkins was among the conserva-
tives who expressed apprehension as to the |
reports from General Lee, but he found |
great encouragement in the outlook for a |
peaceful settlement of the difficulty. |
Other conservative senators were inclined |
to minimize the armistice report.
The personal followers of the president |
declined to see any other reason for his |
action than that of assuring the safety of |
Americans in Cuba, and said that for him |
to have taken any other course would, un-
der the circums ances, have been incon- |
sistent and inhuman, and therefore not like |
the president Altogether the days pro-
reedings had the effect of leaving the SEN
ate in an unsettled condition, but it also |
relieved the tension to a perceptibe de-
gree.