The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-31

the honorable speaker of this house,
the Democrats went into rapturous APP
plause.
Meantime the confusion was great.
The Republican leaders were evidently
rallying their forces. Mr.. Hull, chair
man of the committee on military af
fairs, who was one of the prime movers
in the movement for prompt and vigor-
Gus action on the Republican side,
came forward with a strong appeal to
Republicans not to be carried off their
feet.
SINCERITY MISDIRECTED.
At the outset he acknowledged that
his sympathies We're with the resolu-
ton (Which it transpired afterwards. he
believed at that time contained dec
laration of war;, but he argued that
it did not present a question of higher
privilege than the consideration of an
appropriation bill. We could have war,
said he, whenever we wanted it. A
resolution declaring war was privileged,
he admitted.
But this is not a resolution declar-
ing war" interposed Mr.. Bland. 1T is
a resolution recognizing the independ-
ence of Cuba, which does not necessar-
lily involve war;
IF the resolution falls short of that"
replied Mr.. Hull-"and l did not hear it
read-if it falls short of that point. it
is not operative, and to my mind 1t
does not present any question of priv
iIege at all. AS l have always said. I
am in favor of this government inter
vening at the very earliest date, unless
conditions chance materially, so that
they will insure the liberty of CubanS
and a cessation of the deplorable con-
diti0ns that prevail in that island at
this time. applause on the Republican
Side.) ! am in favor of that 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 eff
forts on that island applause on the
Republican side), and 1 am in favor
of the United States controlling the
destinies of this continent and saying
to Spain that she must get out of the
western hemisphere
SPEAKERS RECONCENTRADOS.
Mr. Terry Dem, Ark argued that
a question involving a matter of privi-
lege was. in fact, one for the house to
decide. While he was speaking the Re
publicans were comforting. The leaders
were circulating among them, and
such confusion resulted that Mr. Simp-
son pop, Kan) raised a laugh amid
the excitement by asking for order
among the speakers reconcentrados."
Mr. Hopkins (Rep., lid, another Of
the Republicans who openly favorS
armed Intervention. called attention to
the distinctions between the resolution
in the precedent recited by Mr.. Bailey
and the present resolution. In the for
Iner resolution it was contended that
the dignity of the house had been in
fringed upon by the executive. There
was no such contention here. Con-
tinuing he appealed to his colleagues
to rally to the support of the speaker.
The Republican members knew, he
said, that within a brief time action
would be had so that there was no ne
cessity for resorting to revolutionary
methods.
SPEAKERS RULING.
Amid profound silence the speaker
then made his ruling. He spoke in de-
liberate. distinct and emphatic tones,
and decided that the resolution was
not privileged in the following ruling:
a question of privilege which con-
Germs the house is one which concerns
the exercise of its functions in ac-
cordance with the principles which
govern parliamentary bodies. Every
parliamentary body has to have rules
for its government: otherwise ii would
have no government at ALL and upon
success as a parliamentary body. The
rights Of the house under the cOnstitu-
ton are in no way to be COMPOUNDED
with privileges of the house and of
every member of il in the sense this
matter is presented here today. Con-
gress has certain powers conferred
upon it, and in the exercise of those
powers each house is governed by its
rules. 1t is authorized expressly by
the constitution to make rules, and
without the authorization of the con-
stitution it would be at liberty to make
rules. These rules are the protection
of the rights of the house. Now, it
would be noticed in the constitution,
il any gentleman will turn, that there
are certain powers conferred upon con-
gress-the power to declare war, the
power TO legislate for the general well
fare. and a series of other enumerated
powers. No man up to this date has
for an instant pretended or suggested
that because congress has the right to
pass laws upon certain topics, that
proposals for these laws become uues-
tions of privilege-never before. except
once-and the chair will present the
decision to the house The same Ian
guage is used with reference to our re-
lations with foreign nations that is
used with reference to the creation of
the courts of law and all other power
which is concerned. 1t is a legislative
power and is exercised under the con-
stitution by rules adopted by each
body. This is the first preliminary idea
that we ought to have in regard TO
this matter.
NOT PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS.
But this proposition in regard to
war. or about recognition. or any of
those subjects which may or may not
be within our purview, do not become
questions o. privilege at all. because
we have a right TO pass upon them,
because that would make everything a
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