Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-22
The Cabinet in Session for Over Two
Hours.
CHURCH PROPERTY In TIE PHILIPPINES
Gen. Otis Exclusion of ShipIoad
of Chinese.
ASKED FOR BIS REASONS

| It tdDiHet was III session more IMAM
two and half hours today and discussed
| large number of matters pertaining to
| several of the departments.
| Affairs in connection with the War De
| partment received the most attention. and
| the matter of greatest Importance consd-
| cred the ca BILE message from Gen. Otis
| relating to the alleged deSecration of
| churches and church property in the Phil
| ippines by the troops of the United States.
| The telegram which induced this message
| of Gen. Otis is understood to have been
| sent the same day that Cardinal Gibbons
| visited the President. as heretofore told in
| The Star.
The conclusion reached by the cabinet
| was that the question of occupying church
| property must be left to Gen. Otis who
| knows what is best. and who does not need
| instructions to the effect that this kind of
| property. as well as all other kinds must
| be protected.
The opinion of cabinet members, includ-
| ing Secretary Root, was that hostilities
| nave never occurred where church proper
| " was not occupied at some time by troops.
| 1t was impossible to avoid this. Secretary
| Root said that during the civil war he was
| certain that no church within the vicinity
| of operations had gone without being oc-
| cupied In some way other by the troops
| OF whichever side was thrown near it.
1t is the intention of the War Depart
| ment, however to ask the army officers to
see that the greatest care is exercised in
| the treatment of church property, that q
| stop may be put to complaints from differ
ent sources.
From al that can be learned Cardinal
| Gibbons did not call upon the President
for the purpose of entering a protest as to
| the treatment of church property in the
Philippines. 1t is thought that he has been
| put in possession of complaints which have
been made In his conference with the
| President he referred to the complaints
| SIMPLY as matter Of information. Acting
| in the promptest manner. and with a desire
| to possess himself of the facts the Presi-
| dent had the War Department wire Cen
| eral Otis.
| stopping Shipi0ad of Chinese.
! The cabinet also discussed the protest
| which was made at the State Department
| by the Chinese minister to the excu-
| sion of Chinese by General Otis. The mat
| ter is regarded as of sufficient Importance
| for Secretary Root to wire General Otis
| asking him in regard to stopping a ship
| load of Chinese and for what reason.
| When an answer has been received the adj
| m!nistration will act uoon the matter.
| There is no desire to be unfriendly to the
| Chinese, and If possible, the Chinese gov
| ernment will be shown that this is the ca Sc
| Acting Secretary Hill of the State Depart
| ment was present at the session on ac-
count of the Chinese exclusion topic. The
| Chinese minister had previously held long
| conference with Acting Secretary Hill re-
| specting the exclusion Of the Chinese. The
case case was an exceptional one, and it is said
| that the general question of the validity
| and propriety of General Otis extension of
| the Chinese exclusion laws to the Ph lip
| pines was not issue in the conference
| Senator Davis, chairman of the comm tt, q
| on foreign relations, happened to call at
| the time, and was participant in the dis
| cusson, giving the department the benefit
OF his views of the attitude that would be
assumed by his committee and perhaps by
Congress respecting such questions as that
presented
There are some Indications that the adop-
| ton of a more elastic policy in the matter
| of Chinese exclusion will be suggested to
Gen. Otis, but nothing has yet been done
| in that direction.
| Postage in Porto Rico
Postmaster General Smith again discuss
ed the subject OF postage in Cuba and Por-
to Rico. He announced that he would is
sue an order decreasing the rate of do
mestic postage in Porto Rico to . cents an
ounce, the same as in this country The
rate there has heretofore been 3 cents
Porto Rico is now on the same footing as
THIS country in the matter of postage.
Sentence Camr,uted
In the case of Annie Askins. who was
convicted in the courts Of the District some
time ago of shoplifting. ana sentenced, in
ten cases. to fine asgregating $40 or SO
days in Jail, the President has commuted
the sentence to one years actual impris-
onment. This action was taken upon a
showing of the wonan's previous good
character.
Coburn Denied CIemency.
In the case of Frederick S. Coburn, who
kept a drug store at the corner of 9th
street and New York avenue, in which was
| located a subpostal station, and who was
convicted of fraudulently issuing money
1 n
| prisonment, the President has refused ex-
| ecutive clemency.
More People Want the President.
Senator Burrows of Michigan called on
the President this morning Among other
things, he invited the President to visit
Kalamazoo on his return from his western
trip. The President said that he would not
be able to make the visit.
| Almost every city and town in the north
| west is clamoring to see the President but
there will be disappointment, as the Presi-
dent has already extended the trip more
than originally intended and does not feel
| that he can be away SO long.
| The village of Three Oaks, Mich, sew
enty-fve miles from Chicago, wants the
President and has delegation here to ask
| his presence. Three Oaks won the Dewey
cannon which was offered for the town
contributing the most money. in proper
tion to the population, to the Maine monu-
|
but subscribed 81, 1872. and has received the
cannon offered by Admiral Dewey. 1t is
desired to have Admiral Dewey present.
Water transportation for Birminx-
ham.
Ex-Representative Aldrich and Mr.. j. A.
Van Hoose ex-mayor of Birmingham, Ala.
had an interview with the President this
morning. They interested in securing
water transportation for Birmingham and
| desired to enlist the Presidents sympathy
| and cooperation in whatever legislation
on that subject may be proposed at the
coming session of Congress. The Presi-
dent assured his callers that he was al
ways in sympathy with any project which
would carry American commerce abroa ad
| and strengthen home industries. Water
| transportation is new available as far into
the state Tuscala a, forty miles below
t Birmingham. The tD-'iher opening of the
3 Warrior and Valley rivers would 1t is
claimed. give Birmingham a clear waite,
course TO the Gulf of Mexico. Engineers
of the War Department have declared "
E said Mr. Van Hoose, that the opening OF
these rivers to navigation is feasible, prac.
, ticable and desirable. and that the WORK
can be done at a cost of $6,O00,O0O If we