The age-herald., 1898-04-26
| HOUSE PAUSED ID DECLARE WAR Without a Word of Debate the
 Bill Passed. ONE ROUND OF CHEERING Greeted the Speakers Announcement and Revealed the Excitement. SENATE ACTS IN SECRET SESSION An Effort Made to Tack on an
 Amendment. szH s~--s. -ss
 RECOGNIZING CUBAN BELLIGERENCY Defeated by Vote of 5S to IA and Then the Formal Declaration of Possibilities Be-
 tween the United States and
 Spain Passed.
An Effort Made to Tack on an
 Amendment.
RECOGNIZING CUBAN BELLIGERENCY

Washington, April 25.-The house of rep- resentatiyes today passed the bill declaring the existence of state of war between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain in a manner which cannot fail to impress the world.
 The representatives of 7O,O60,OOO people voted for it without word of debate, without a dissenting vote and without a roli-call, but with solemn appreciation of the gravity of their momentous action. It required but one minute and forty sec onds to accomplish this. The house was considering an election case and simply paused to declare war. There was no ex- citement, no word or question. It was only in the great cheer that went up from the floor and galleries when Speaker Reed an- nounced its passage that the tremendous import of the act and the suppressed en- thusasm behind it was shown.
 After the presidents message was read the committee on foreign affairs framed the resolution Acting chairman Adams wrote the report and 1t was passed, and on its way to the senate in an hour and six minutes. The speaker signed it at 4:i9. The remainder of the day was devoted to the election case of Wise vs. Young, from the Second Virginia district The house declined to agree to the senate amend
 ments to the army reorganization bill and | sent it to conference. , District of Columbia Business
 The house then proceeded with the con- sideration of the District of Columbia business.
 No interest was manifested In the pro- eeedings until shortly after o'clock, when Acting Chairman Adams entered the hall and the news that the committee had unan- imously agreed upon a bill declaring the existence of state of war, was known all over the house. Mr. Adams held hurried consultations with the speaker and Messrs. Dinsmore and Berry, of the minority of the committee.
 At :20.p. m. he asked unanimous consent for the consideration of the bill, declaring the existence of a state of war between this country and the kingdom of Spain. There was not murmur of dissent. The bill was read. The house seld its breath.
 MT. Mcguire, (dem.) of California, arose to ask question, but refralned
 The question was put on the third read ing and passage of the bill, and in mag niffcent chorus the whole house responded "aye." The announcement of its passage was greeted with a round of applause and cheer or two from the floor and galleries and the house resumed consideration of the election case. There was no excitement. It required exactly one minute and forty-one seconds for the house to pass the bill. No, such impressive action can be record ed in the legislative annals of any country. The house of representatives had simply paused in the consideration of it's routine business to pass a declaration of war. MT. Mcguire explained subsequently, that his purpose in rising was to ask whether the declaration in the bill that war had ex- isted since April 21 was intended to legalize the seizure of the Buena Ventura. 'I con- slider that act and the other seizures up to this time," said he emphatically, nothing more than piracy"
 .3r.. .wise-Young Election Contest The Wies-Young election contest from Virginia was next taken up. MT. Merrick
 made the opening argument in the election case in favor of the claims of the contes- tant, Mir. Wise Messrs. Burke, (dem), of l Texas, and Yost, (rep) of Virginia, spoke on the election case.
 Just prior to adjournment Speaker Reed signed the bill declaring the existence of a state of war. When the army reorganiza- tion bill, with senate amendments, came
 back to the house, on motion of MT Hull, the amendments were non-concurred in and the bill sent to conference. At 5:15 the house adjourned.
 IN THE SENATE.
 U-ocb;p oton April 0S-A doho ta of