rt thereof, which concerns the political and consular functions
of the Department of State. The separate report of the Hon. John A.
Kasson, special commissioner plenipotentiary, is therefore herewith
independently submitted to the President with a view to its transmission
to the Senate, should such a course be, in the President's judgment, not
incompatible with the public service.

The Senate resolution, while in terms calling for the submission to that
honorable body of all or of a practical selection of the reports of the
consul-general and consuls of the United States in Cuba written or
received since March 4, 1897, which relate to the state of war in that
island and the condition of the people there, appears to leave it to the
discretion of the President to direct the scope of the information to be
so reported and the manner of its communication. The undersigned, having
taken the President's direction on both these points, has the honor to
lay before him a selection of the correspondence received by the
Department of State from the various consular representatives in Cuba,
aiming thereby to show the present situation in the island rather than
to give a historical account of all the reported incidents since the
date assigned by the resolution.

Respectfully submitted.

JOHN SHERMAN.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON,

_Office of Special Commissioner Plenipotentiary_.

The PRESIDENT:

In response to the following resolution of the Senate, passed under date
of February 14, 1898, and which was referred to the undersigned for
report, viz--

"Second. That the President inform the Senate whether any agent of
a government in Cuba has been accredited to this Government or the
President of the United States with authority to negotiate a treaty
of reciprocity with the United States, or any other diplomatic or
commercial agreement with the United States, and whether such person has
been recognized and received as the representative of such government
in Cuba"--

I have the honor to submit the following report:

In October, 1897, the minister of Spain at this capital verbally advised
the undersigned that so soon as the new government in Spain had leisure
to take up the question he would probably be authorized to enter into
negotiations with the undersigned for reciprocal trade arrangements with
Spain, and that a representative of Cuba would probably be associated
for the interests of that island.

Under date of