The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-06
Law Authorizing Ministers to Re-
linquiSh the Colonies
DISCUSSED in THE SENATE
SAGASTA APPEALS TO PATRIOT
ISM OF MEMBERS.
Public Discussion Would Jeopardize
the Peace Negotiations-The Gen
eral Public Is Indifferent and
Ready to Yield Whatever the
United States Demands.

Madrid, Sept. 5.-The chambers as
sembled here today. Thus far only rou-
tine business has been transacted. At
the opening of the senate the secretary
read letter from Senor Rodrigues,
senator from Porto Rico, refusing to
obey the summons to attend.
The premier, Senor Sagasta. arrayed
in the insignia of his office, assembled
the tribune and read decree authoriz-
ing the government to present to the
chamber a draft Of a law empowering
the ministers to renounce sovereignty
over the colonies, in conformity with
the stipulations of peace preiiminaries
between Spain and the United States.
The president of the senate proposed
a. secret discussion of the decree, and
despite the protests of some senators,
ordered that the galleries be closed,
which was done amid loud murmurs Of
disapproval.
The chamber soon became involved
in q discussion of press censorship, and
q deputy inquired the motive underly-
ing a circular which General Chinchilla,
captain general of Madrid, has address
ed to newspapers, regulating their re-
ports of the session Of the corteS. He
declared that the censorship was incon-
sistently applied and that the effect of
the circular was to punish possible err
rors in advance.
Those who had expected sensational
scenes on the reopening of the cham
bers were disappointed. The general
public seems indifferent. The people at
large are apparently convinced that
Spain must accede TO whatever the
United States demands.
AT the close of the censorship discus
sion, in which deputies who are jour
nalists protested empfatically against
the attitude of the government. Senor
Romero V Robledo accused the govern
ment of illegality in continuing the sus-
pension of the constitution with guar
antees against he .reopening of the cor
teS. He demanded immediate DEGREES
revoking the suspension.
Senior Capdepon, the minister of the
interior, replied that the time was not
opportune to revoke the suspension and
reminded Sepor Robledo that former
government, of which Senior Romero y
Robledo was member, had acted In
the same way, in 1875.
The chamber then adjourned.
According to the statements of sew
eral senators, Senior SaSasta, after the
senate galleries had been cleared, pro-
posed that questions relating to terri
torial cessions be discussed in secret.
Replying to criticisms of such pro-
Z,
matters of such a nature were always
discussed in secret Moreover, he
pointed out, the existing situation was
very grave, Spain having obtained only
a suspension of hoStilities, and indis-
Greet parliamentary language might
interfere with the diplomatic negotia-
tions. When these negotiations had
been concluded he would be willing to
publish everything, he said, and to ac-
cept all the responsibility; bur now it
was necessary to be united before the
enemy. Therefore, the government ap--
pealed to the patriotism of the repre-
sentatives of the people to prevent dis
cussions that might sterilize the ends
desired by the country.
Senor Montero Rios, the president of
the senate, then proposed that the
stenographers retire. The motion was
adopted. Senor Sagasta formally de-
manded a secret session for a discus
sion of the protocol. and, after several
lively protests, the demand was voted
by 81 against 6.