The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-05
MOB INVADED
CUBAN FORUM
CREATED WILD DISORDER.
POLICE FINALLY APPEARED TO
CLEAR THE BUILDING.

Negroes Were Largely in Evidence
Chamber of the House of Repre-
sentatives-"Vivas" Were Shouted
for the Nationalist Party-Its
Members Would Not Attend the
SessiOn-Palma's Message.
Havana, April 4.-The scene in the
House of Representatives to-day was
one of wild disorder. AS a matter of
fact there was no formal opening of
the House, owing to inability to muster
a quorum. for the reason that every
Nationalist member refused to enter
the chamber. the Nationalists fearing
that if the question of contested seats
arose they would be outvoted by the
coalition lately arranged between the
Republicans and Moderate Liberals.
The Nationalist, however came into
the building, accompanied by several
hundred local followers, who crowded
into the audience part of the chamber
and into the halls and streets adtoin-
ing shouting "Vivas" for the Nation
alist party. The Republicans and Mod
crate Liberals for the most part re-
manned in their seats.
During the confusion the Speaker of
the House. who is a Nationalist. not
being present. the vice speaker called
upon the sergeant-at-arms, and the
employees of the House to preserve or
der, but the crowd was too great to
handle. Lionaz Castillo, a prominent
Nationalist, who was one of those
elected, mounted the reporters table,
and addressing the crowd, assured it
that justice would be done. and that
the representatives who had been
fraudulently declared elected would
never be permitted to take their seats.
AS the disorder continued, Represen-
tative Boza, himself Nationalist. ad-
dressed the people to the effect that
such q demonstration in the House
was not only unlawful but outrageous,
and he counseled them that no redress
OF grievances could be had by such
means. The people thereupon began
TO withdraw quietly just as a squad
of police entered the building.
Many Negroes Were There.
In the crowd were many negroes,
but the more intelligent of the race in
Havana were not represented.
Owing to the fact that there was no
session, President Palma's message to
Congress was not read in the House.
President Palma's message, which
was read in the Senate, was chiefly a
review of existing conditions. 1t made
few definite recommendations and con-
tanned no direct reference to the frauds
alleged to surround the election re-
turns.
The state of tranquility existing in
the island, the message pointed out, is
extremely satisfactory, the Cubans
realizing more clearly their duties as
an independent people and their re-
sponsibilities before the eyes of the
civilized world.
President Palma asks for an extern
sion of three months for the work of
the commission reviewing the revolu-
tionary soldiers claim lists, as there
are still 10400 claims which have not
been acted upon. He said that the
executive was placed in an embarrass-
ing position in the endeavor to pay
the soldiers proportionately out Of the
S31 100000 of the loan, while the
amount of so many claims remained
unfixed, and that the difficulty of MAX
ing pro rata division was lamenta-
Bile owing to the fact that so many
veterans were Selling lHelT CldlHiS dS q
tremendous discount, in many cases
amounting to rs per cent. The Presi-
dent asks Congress to determine the
manner of distributing the $31,0O0,OOO
IN the three payments to be made IN
June, September and December, re-
spectively.
Public Health Excellent.
The message gave figures to recent
daes of the value and quantity of the
sugar and tobacco crops, both OF
which, it says, are distancing all pre-
Vious records, and experimentation in
cotton and fruits was commended.
The President noted the notable con-
tinuance of public health, no single
case IF yellow fever or smallpox hav-
Ing originated in Cuba. The death
rate in Havana was 20.82 per thousand
and the mortality last year was the
lowest since 1920 The death rate of
and.
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