The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-15
IS THERE AUTONOMY.
Has the United States Yet
Recognized it?
MORGAN'S RESOLUTION
MIR. QUIGG'S SIMILAR RESOLU-
TION IN THE HOUSE.
INQUIRY AS TO DISTRESS AND AUTONOMY
The State Department Asked For Information
Mr.. Allen Submits Remarks on His Free
Coinage Resoution--Cub Resolution
Taken From Appropriation Bill.

Coinage Resolution. Cuba Resolution
Taken From Appropriation Bill.
Washington, Feb. 14.-Considerable
unnecessary excitement was caused Il
| mong the members of the House to-day
nv the ruInor broadly circulated before
the House conveyed that important ac
| ton relative to Cuba was to be taken.
| 1t turned out to be simply a resolution
Of inquiry, unanimously reported by the
j calling en- the State Department for in
formation as to the condition of the
concentrates in Cuba ana the progress
made in Spain's effort to induce the Gu
bans to accept autonomy. The resolu-
ton was adopted without division. An
other resolution was adopted calling for
the correspondence relating to the exclu-
sion of our freights, beef and horses
from Germany. The remainder of the
day was devoted to District of Column
bia business.
Soon after the reading of the journal
Mr.. Quigg, rep, n. ", a member Of
the Foreign Affairs committee, called
UP a resolution reported from that COM
mittee, calling upon the Secretary of
State, if not Incompatible with the pub
Tic interest, to transmit to the House
the correspondence relating to- the dis
elimination of the German government
against the importation of American
beef, fruit or horses. 1t was adopted
without division.
Mr.. Quigg followed this with the Gu
ban resolution. 1t was the resolution
offered by Mr.. Williams slightly modi-
fed as follows:
Resolved. by the House of Represen-
tatives, that the Secretary of State BE-,
and he hereby is. directed, if in his
opinion not Incompatible with the pub
lie to inform the House, what informa-
tion. if any, has been received at the
Department of State concerning the pre-
sent condition of the reconcentrados in
Cuba: whether or not they have been
permitted to return to their estates;
whether or not they or any considerable
number of them are now on their es-
tates; whether or not any zones. or con-
siderable parts of zones, are now being
cultivated by them. according to the
reports received at the Department OF
State from American consuls or consular
agents. what STEPS, if any, are shown
by SAID consular reports to have been
taken by the Spanish government for
feeding SAID recOncentradOs or for other
wise preventing them from starving
and suffering; whether or not the Span
ISL government has given the necessary
military protection to enable the mills
TO grind cane and what progress has
been made III SPANS effort to induce
the Cubans to accept autonomy.
Section .. That the Secretary Of
State he directed, if in his opinion not
Incompatible with the public interest,
to send to the House copies of all such
reports from conSuls, vice consuls and
commercial agents of the United States
in Cuba as may shed light upon the
subjects above referred to- and as shall
give information to the House and 10
the country concerning the condition of
Cuba since the advent of the new re-
CINE under General Blanco.''
Mr.. Quigg made brief statement
saying that in December the President
had notified the House that the indefen
sible policy of concentration in Cuba
hal been abandoned by Spain in defer
e'icc to the repeated requests of our
government and that Il more peaceful
and humane policy had been adopted
The object Of this resolution was simnlv
to ascertain what had been done and
what steps had been taken looking To
the acceptance of autonomy by the Gu
ban people. Three months. he added
have elapsed since autonomy had been
promulgated. In order to retain CON
troll of the floor Mr.. Quigg asked for the
previous question, but yielded five min
utes to Mr.. Dinsmore, Dem, Ark.
the senior minority member of the For
eign Affairs committee, who said the
resolution had been unanimously report
ed by the committee.
Its purpose was to put the House and
the country i'll the possession of the real
facts concerning the condition of the
people of Cuba both in military and pri-
yate life. The press was full of stories
regarding the deplorab bic condition of the
concentrates and the suffering that pre-
vailed in Cuba, and the country was en-
titled to the facts in order TO determine
what responsibility was placed upon us
to bring about the conclusion of the war
and thus end the existing distress.
Mr.. Terry, Dem, Ark, asked Mr.
Quigg if the Committee on Foreign At
fairs had considered the De LONE Incl
dent.
THAT is hardly a pertinent inquiry"
replied Mr.. Quigg blandly.
1T is a pertinent inquiry in the minds
Of the American people," exclaimed Mr..
Terry ''and don't you forget it."
ut is being considered by the proper
authorities" retorted Mr.. Quigg.
Mr.. Cooper, (Rep., Wis.,, called at
tention to the fact that early in the SEES
sion. during the consideration of the
Diplomatic Appropriation bill, Mr.. Hit.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Com
mittee, had stated on the floor in ex-
plicit terms that Spain had abandoned
the policy of concentration. He want
ed to know why this inquiry. when the
committee knew from Mr.. Hits state
ment that the policy of concentration
had boou rnvnrsp1