The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-24
ASSEMBLY IN SESSION
\ SECRET SESSION Is TO BF,
HELD TODAY.
FIRST REGIMENT COMES SATURDAY
VIII Sail for Savannah Armed Cubans Free
a Prisoner, But at Few Stern Words
from General Lee he is
Brought Back.

Havana, March 23.-The executive
| committee of the Cuban Assembly has
appointed General Bartolome Maso,
former President of the Cuban revolu-
tionary government, commandments chief
of the Cuban forces, in the Orient. or
Eastern Provinces.
The assembly was in session this
afternoon. The motion proposed yester-
day by Senior Gualberto Gomez for the
reorganization of the Cuban army was
passed, but under existing conditions
the action of the assembly in this respect
is unimpOrtant
\ dispatch was read from the Veter-
ans Association of Santiago asking the
assembly TO restore General Maximo Co
n1ez TO the post of commander-in-chief.
From General MaSo a telegram was re-
ceived recognizing on his part the SUI
perior authority of the assembly, ac-
knowledging it as duty to sustain the
ASSEMBLY and lamenting the controversy
with General Gomez.
Little has been said of late as to the
proposed trip TO Washington of Senores
Nillalon, Hovia and Despaigne. the COM
mittee appointed by the assembly on
March 18th to lay before President Nc
Kinley the resolutions that day adopted
on the motion of General Sanguilly. TO
the effect that the S3,000,000 offered by
the United States would not be sutfi-
cient, and that the United States should
! help Cuba to obtain more by way of a
loan. Apparently the matter has been
lrpnnnl httf pafa Do
tuondo, chairman of the executive COM
mttee,N suggested that the commission
should hand the resolution to the Secre-
tary of War This course was opposed
by General Andrade, who said General
Alger would decline to recognize the
assembly officially, and that the com
mission would be snubbed. Senior Por-
tuondos motion was left on the table.
General Sanguilly suggested just be-
fore adjournment that tomorrow ses-
sion be secret, and a motion to this
effect was passed. though some of the
members professed ignorance of the rea-
son for secrecy.
1t is reported that a secret meeting is
in progress this evening at the house of
Senior Parragas, where the dissolution
| motion, TO be argued on Saturday, is
under preliminary consideration.
The Cuban Generals Diaz, Monteagu-
do. Robau. Nodarse, Betancout and
Peraza, who held secret meeting last
night, after consulting their commands.
with reference to the course to be taken
in the controversy between General Go
mez and the Assembly, reported that
they had decided TO accept the $1,000
600 for the soldiers, and also to help to
organize new Cuban army of 10000
men under the American Administration.
The Cuban muster rolls are not yet in
the hands of General Brooke. They
We're last seen by an American officer
i'll Guanabacoa, when they were in the
possession of General Roloff, the Cuban
Inspector General From his hands they
probably passed to the military assembly,
and if the assembly still possesses them
the payment can be indefinitely delayed
merely by the Withholding of the rolls
from the American authorities.
General Brooke has issued an order
forbidding the sale or possession of lot
terry and rattle tickets of any description,
under penalty of confiscation and fine.
A sentinel on the Toledo plantation
yesterday ordered an armed Cuban about
the order. pushed on, and the corporal of
the guard who was summoned by the
sentinel, arrested the offender and start
ed to take him through Marianao to
General Lees camp. While passing a
house in Marianao, the two Americans
were accosted by eight Cubans, who
came out with rifles leveled, and were
told to release the prisoner. As the Gu
bans had such an obvious advantage,
the prisoner was released, hut the
Americans Immediately reported the
incident to General Lee, who sent Major
Russell Harrison, the provost marshal,
to General Mayai Rodriguez with in
structions to inform him that. if the
offending Cuban was not surrendered
within three hours General Lee would go
personally with sufficient force OF
American soldiers to take him. General
Rodriguez found the man and gave him
up. and he aow lies in the Marianao
Jail.
The First North Carolina regiment will
sail for Savannah on Saturday by the
Seguranca The First Texas regiment
will probably sail on Sunday by the Kill
patrick, formerly the Michigan, which,
with the Florida, will proceed TO Calves
ION by way of the Dry Tortugas. where
both vessels will be disnfected. The
Fourth Virginia and the Second Illinois
regiments will 30 next.