Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/88

60 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS the coming month Spain might be able to formu late some proposal under which this tender of good offices might become effective, or else that she might give satisfactory assurances that the insurrection would be promptly and finally put down. A change in ministry took place in Spain, and the liberals succeeded to power. The new foreign minister, Senor Gullon, replied to the American note on October 23, suggesting more stringent ap plication of the neutrality laws on the part of the United States, and asserting that conditions in the island would change for the better when the new autonomous institutions could go into effect. This measure of self-government was proclaimed by Spain on November 23, 1897. The insurgents re jected it in advance; the Spanish Cubans who up held Weyler s policy were equally vigorous in de nouncing it; the remainder of the population was inclined to accept it, as it was in lieu of anything better, although it fell far short of what they had been led to hope for. It stipulated, among other things, that no law might be enacted by the new legislature without the approval of the governor- general ; Spain was to fix the amount to be paid by Cuba for the maintenance of the rights of the crown, nor could the Cuban chamber discuss the estimates for the colonial budget until this sum had been voted first; furthermore, perpetual preferen tial duties in favor of Spanish trade and manufac-