Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-03-17
CUBAN QUESTION,
Controversy Makes It's Appear
ance in the House at Last,
Report That the President Desires An
Early Adjournment of Congress Denied
by Mr.. Grosyenor.

Washington, March 1.-THE post Of
fee appropriation bill, which was tech
nically the subject before the house, was
almost lost track of in the debate today
AS on yesterday, numerous topics were
discussed, but today for the first time
the Cuban-Spanish question, which had
been kept in the background heretofore
forged to the front Mr.. Cochran dem
No. brought the question into the
arena, and in the course Of the debate
that followed, Mr.. Grosvenor Of Ohio
denied emphatically the stories afioat
to the effect that tie president desired
an early adjournment of congress in
order that he might effect a settlement
without congressional interference.
The subject Of Hawaiian annexation
/ also came in for more attention today
4 Mr. Williams dem, Miss.,) Mr.. Adams
rep. Penn.3 and Mr., Berry dem.
Ky.,) all members of the foreign affairs
COMMITTEES, making speeches on the sub
/ ject The former spoke against and the
| two latter in favor OF the proposition.
| In the course of the debate Mr.. Lewis
! dem, Wash,) declared chat Hawai-
nor should we go to war with Spain
1.-THE administration" said he, sis try
| ing to see how close it can go to the
/ line of war without crossing, in the hope
/ that, under the cry Of patriotism, the
1 people at the approaching congressional
elections may forget their wrongs, ant
rally to its support"
! Mr.. Cochran dem, Mo- in comment
| ing on the existing situation, declared
! that those who stood close to the stool
4 tickers in London and New York
! seemed to be more powerful than thu
united and solemn voice of the Ameri
/ can people, which for months had beer
! crying out for the recognition of tbs
1 Cuban belligerents. Stock jobbery OF
1 two continents had so far proved to b'
| the only actual intervention in Cuba1
affairs.
do you not believe we should recog
nize the independence of Cuba?' asked
| Mr.. Sulzer dem, n. Y Il do not" re
piled Mr.. Cochran. THE recognition o
belligerency would clothe the insurgenti
with sufficient power to negotiate hon
orable peace. fear If the administra
ton should intervene. it would be as tn
attorney of the bondholders, rathe
than as the friend of the insurgents"
| Mr.. Cochran referred to the eurren
rumor that the president desired an i'm
mediate adjournment in order that h
might be able to settle the Spanish af
fair without interference from congress
Mr.. Grosvenor (rep.. o. said that h
! desired to make brief statement in re
| ply to this story which was floating
around to the effect that the presiden
was about to take the house by thu
| throat, abolish the senate and proceed
! to settle all our foreign complication:
without the aid of the representative;
| of the people It should be remembered
! he continued, in Weighing such reports
that congress was an Independent
power, the existence of which could moi
! be ended under the constitution.
Within the last 80 days the sensational
press had put forth propositions ter
times more absurd and stupendous thar
these, yet they had not attracted the at
tention this had Mr. Grosvenor said
he spoke of this matter with some hest
tation because, after reading the news
papers. he sometimes doubted his indie
pendent existence. When he spoke for
himself, they insisted he spoke for some
body else. He did not pretend to know
more than the humblest citizen, yet, he
said, he took the responsibility of stat
ing that the suggestion that the presi-
dent had fixed date for the adjourn
ment of congress, or desired to fix a
date. or had expressed q hope that con.
gress would adjourn by a certain date
was absolutely without foundation and
ridiculous. Congress could not adjourn
except by majority vote of it's mem
bers, and he had no doubt that every
member responsible to his conscience
and his country would do his duty as he
saw it, in the matter of adjournment as
in everything else.
Mr. Norton dem, o. paid a high trib-
ute to the patriotism and Judgment of
the president. He said he feared, how
ever, that Mr.. Mckinley was beset, as
Grant had been, when he wished to rec
ognize the independence of Cuba, by a
trocha which would require the genius
of God to surmount. He declared that
it was the duty of congress to remain
at it's post and see what was to be done.
If war was not upon us, congress had
made a mistake in practically abdicat-
ing its powers and placing $50, 000, 900 in
the presidents hands. IF it was upon
us, it was right that the president should
give back to congress the confidence il
had reposed in him. Irrespective OF
party, congress should know whether il
was to be peace or war.
IN THE SENATE.
Washington, March 16-Business In
the legislative session Of the senate to-
day was confined to the passage Of a
few bills largely of a local character.
The national quarantine bill was not
considered.