CONGRESS. (CUBAN AFFAIRS.) 



203 



frame the proper regulations, however stringent 

 they may lie, anil it is all within his discretion. 

 Then it is incumbent upon the manufacturer to 

 satisfy the collector of internal revenue that he ha- 

 complied with the law. and when he lias executed 

 it he is entitled to a rebate. This repeal will work 

 a great deal of harm to the manufacturing inter- 

 ests of New York; to the great drug trade; to 

 those who are engaged in the manufacture of per- 

 fumes, varnishes, and paints, and in many other in- 

 dustries." 



Mr. Dingley. of Maine, said : 



" What is the effect of this provision as we have 

 it now f If we do nothing, if we allow this provi- 

 sion to run along for a year, it is the opinion of the 

 Commissioner of Internal Revenue that at least $10,- 

 U(M i.OOO of claims will be piled up during that time 

 which the Republican administration next year 

 will be called upon to pay in case the courts sustain 

 the contention of the claimants. And I ask gentle- 

 men on this side whether they are prepared to pile 

 up such claims against the Administration which 

 we know will come in on March 4 next. 



" Let us, then, at once repeal the unworkable free- 

 alcohol provision of the act of 1894. Let us then 

 turn over this subject to a careful committee of 

 inquiry. Let them consider what can be done 

 without depriving the Government of revenue, and 

 let them report at the next session. And then when 

 we come to frame a new tariff bill, when we under- 

 take the task of providing sufficient Federal reve- 

 nue, let us take up this question and consider to 

 what extent and under what regulations and re- 

 strictions we can safely grant this exemption to 

 certain industries of this country. But if we pro- 

 pose to open the door in the manner provided in 

 the existing provision of law, certainly the Treasury 

 must suffer; and no one among the great mass of 

 the people can possibly be benefited, because no 

 manufacturer, no person using alcohol under the 

 existing law will reduce his price on the goods 

 manufactured because of the fact that the rebate 

 of the tax is so uncertain. It would not be good 

 business for him to do so. Yet these claims are 

 already piled up and are piling up every day ; and 

 if these gentlemen recover in the Court of Claims, 

 then the Treasury of the United States will suffer 

 in the future." 



The amendment given above in the address of 

 Mr. Evans was adopted, and the bill passed by a 

 vote of 166 yeas to 69 nays, 120 not voting. 



In the Senate the bill was referred to the Com- 

 mittee on Finance, was reported favorably without 

 amendment, debated May 29, passed, and signed by 

 the President, June 3. 



Cuban Affairs. Several joint resolutions were 

 introduced during the first months of the session 

 to accord belligerent rights to the Cuban insur- 

 gents ; authorizing and requesting the President to 

 inquire into the state of war in Cuba; providing 

 for intervention ; and to recognize the republic of 

 Cuba. These were referred to the Committee on 

 Foreign Relations after more or less debate. The 

 President sent four messages, two transmitting cor- 

 respondence relative to affairs in Cuba, and two re- 

 lating to the arrest and trial of American citizens 

 there. 



On Jan. 29 Senator Morgan reported back from 

 the Committee on Foreign Relations a number of 

 petitions and resolutions on the subject, and offered 

 as a substitute two resolutions, accompanied by a 

 written report. The report, after expressing the 

 sympathy of Congress with the Cubans, and speak- 

 ing of the care with which the United States Gov- 

 ernment has observed the neutrality laws in former 

 contests, and -the anxiety, trouble, "and expense to 

 which it has been put to enforce our treaty obli- 



gations in repressing unlawful incursions by sym- 

 pathizers among us called attention to the treat- 

 ment of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war, and 

 said : 



"In this feature of the warfare it becomes a duty 

 of humanity that the civilized powers should insi>t 

 upon the application of the laws of war recognized 

 among civilized nations to both armies. As our 

 own people are drawn into this struggle on both 

 sides, and enter either army without the consent of 

 our Government and in violation of our laws, their 

 treatment when they may be wounded or captured, 

 although it is not regulated by treaty and ceases to 

 be a positive care of our Government, should not 

 be left to the revengeful retaliations which expose 

 them to the fate of pirates or other felons. 



" The inability of Spain to subdue the revolu- 

 tionists by the measures and within the time that 

 would be reasonable when applied to occasions of 

 ordinary civil disturbance is a misfortune that can 

 not be justly visited upon citizens of the United 

 States ; nor "can it be considered that a state of 

 open civil war does not exist, but that the move- 

 ment is a mere insurrection and its supporters a 

 mob of criminal violators of the law, when it is 

 seen that it requires an army of 100,000 men and 

 all the naval and military power of a great king- 

 dom even to hold the alleged rebellion in check. 



" It is due to the situation of affairs in Cuba that 

 Spain should recognize the existence of a state of 

 war in the island, and should voluntarily accord to 

 the armies opposed to her authority the rights of 

 belligerents under the laws of nations." 



The resolutions follow : 



"Resolved by the Senate (the House of Represen- 

 tatives concurrinci). That the present deplorable 

 war in the island of Cuba has reached a magni- 

 tude that concerns all civilized nations to the ex- 

 tent that it should be conducted, if unhappily it is 

 longer to continue, on those principles and laws of 

 warfare that are acknowledged to be obligatory 

 upon civilized nations when engaged in open hos- 

 tilities, including the treatment of captives who 

 are enlisted in either army, due respect to cartels 

 for exchange of prisoners and for other military 

 purposes, truces and flags of truce, the provision of 

 proper hospitals and hospital supplies, and services 

 to the sick and wounded of either army. 



" Resolved further. That this representation of 

 the views and opinions of Congress be sent to the 

 President, and. if he concurs therein, that he will, 

 in a friendly spirit, use the good offices of this 

 Government to the end that Spain shall be re- 

 quested to accord to the armies with which it is 

 engaged in war the rights of belligerents, as the 

 same are recognized under the laws of nations." 



Senator Cameron presented a report from the 

 minority of the committee, offering the following 

 resolution: 



" Resolved, That the President is hereby requested 

 to interpose his friendly offices with the Spanish 

 Government for the recognition of the independ- 

 ence of Cuba." 



The accompanying report reviewed the history 

 of Spanish rule in Cuba and the attitude of our 

 Government from the beginning of the Cuban 

 struggle that broke out in October, 1868. Follow- 

 ing are paragraphs from it : 



" The precedents are clear, and if our action were 

 to be decided by precedent alone we should not be 

 able to hesitate. " The last great precedent was that 

 of the civil war which broke out in the United 

 States in the spring of 1861. In that instance, 

 without waiting for the outbreak of actual hos- 

 tilities, further than the bloodless attack on Fort 

 Sumter and its surrender April 13, 1861, the Brit- 

 ish Government issued its proclamation of neu- 



