New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-09-22
HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE,


o"asoiHo lsUyhl DeCEce - uaIeu Zfku July lnot
Ut Is also published in the Diario de la Marina Of
10th inst.) which from it's great length (two fu
pages OF the Gdcea) 1t is utterly impossible for me
TO attempt to translate. As, however, it contains
some important enactments, and would seem to nave
been intended sort Of sop in the pan to quiet
the poor children Of Cuba send you these SO as to
enable you to Judge of its value for yourself. the
royal decree enacts that in every town in this Island
where there Is Lieutenant Governor there shall be
an ayuntamiento (corporation) for the ddnintstra
ton Of municipal business.
In towns in which there are not 5000 inhabitants
the ayuntamiento shall consist Of an Alcalde, Re
corder and SIX Aldermen. In towns of between i've
and ten thousand Inhabitants except the city OF Ha
vana, there shall be an Acade, two Assistant Acal
des, Recorder and ten Aldermen.
The corporation OF the city Of Havana s to consist
of an Alcalde seven Assistant Alcades, two Record
ers and sixteen Aldermen. The Alcaldes and Re
corders and Assistant Alcaldes will hold Office fol
two years, the Aldermen for four years. The "per-
pesuai Aldermen" will form part Of the new corpo
rations. The Captain General is the President Of all
corporations.
The Alcaldes and Assistant Alcaldes will be ap
pointed BY the Captain General from lists furnished
him by the Governors and Lieutenant Governors Of
jurisdictions. In towns Of not more than ten thou
sand inhabitants the number of electors shall be
double thu number of the board Of Council. 10
towns of more than 10 900 inhabitants treble, and In
the city Of Havana quadruple the number Of the
board Of Council.
The electors" are to be composed thus: One.
third of parties who pay the largest municipal taxes
one.third Of parties. who contribute the largest
<nx frd,
merce and the other third Of the chief contributors
from their professions
Lists Of the electors are to prepared by the Gov
ernor or Lieutenant Governor, with the Councilmen
and three chief contributors designated by the cor
poration taking one from each class Of the contribu
tors subject to that in full for the collection Of the
direct taxes.
This list once formed, will serve for all successive
elections with the requisite notifications which the
Governors, LieutenantG Governors, and their assist
ants shall make.
The following are the attributes Of the Ayunta
mientos:
They are to name the repositories and those hay
ing charge of the public taxes and fix the amount Of
the bonds required.
To have the appointment of clerks, whose salaries
shall not exceed three hundred dollars each pei
annum.
To have the power Of fixing what taxes are to
be imposed for the public uses.
To have the care, conservation and repairing of all
roads, pathways, hedges, pontons, (guardships OF
prison shps) which are placed under their charge
and in FULL to possess the usual powers possessed by
municipal bodies in other countries
"The ayuntamientos must deliberate according tc
the rules and regulations
The perpetual Councilmen will form part OIL
all corporations unless they are deprived Of theil
offices from any legal cause The offce-holder who
does not attend corporation meeting for six months
will be considered as having resigned his Office, IN
less his absence has been duly authorized.
The first election ia to take place LIST March, 1860
The first portion Of Councilmen to leave Office are
to be drawn for by lots This refers to the elected
and not to the perpetual Aldermen.
think the foregoing is all need send you to ena
BILE you to arrive at just conclusion as to this
Royal Decree" which, though it certainly doe!
make great alterations in the administration OF pub
lie affairs in Cuba does not grant its inhabitants those
rights to which they feel they entitled They ask
share in the making of those laws by which they
are governed in other words, the power Of sending
representatives to the Spanish Cortes.
They ask that they shall be ruled by Governor
only possessing constitutional and not despotic
powers They ask that justice shall be administered
not by single judge bench of judges, but by jury
of their peers. They ask that the products of othe
countries which they consume, or would do so wer.
they permitted, shall be allowed to be imported int
this Island upon payment Of moderate duties, ant
that duties which render the introduction of thos
articles almost impossible, Except by their being
0la1N ,na <oL III.
few of the reforms the people of Cuba feel they hav
right to demand of Spain, and were even all thest
(and many more which have omitted for want o
tme) granted to Cuba, feel confident her peopl,
will never willingly continue their allegiance to Spain
The numerous acts of tyranny perpetrated upon thu
inhabitants of Cuba by their Spanish masters, can
not be so easily forgotten-the wounds inflicted ART
not yet healed. There are widows and orphans We
in Cuba, made so by Spanish tyranny and their JUS
cause has still to be avenged "God of the red RICH
ARM" where are thy lghtnings? When the scene
to which l have been witness here in Cuba are
brought to memory, my reason almost totters on it,
throne, and am compelled to give expression t.
thoughts and feelings that know are far from
prudent-yet, nature is nature" and will at time
have the mastery.
Had Spain ten years since granted to the people o
Cuba those reforms which she now doles out will
such show of lberality and generosity, then they
might perchance have been satisfied, but now {
write from what personally know of the feelings
and views of very many of them,) it is too late
Spain cannot hold her sway over Cuba much longer
Where relief and help is to come from, confess
know not, but it does appear to me to be quite i'm
possible that an island whose inhabitants are de fact
all slaves, shall cry aloud to their fellow men, within
three days sail of them, asking for aid to achieve
their freedom, and not receive that help But
must pass on.
On the 10th inst. His EXcelency the Captain Gen
eral presided at the meeting of the Board of Drec
tors OF the Spanish Bank of Havana, when, among
other resolutions, it was resolved the new shares
the bank to be issued under the recent gracious per
mission of Her Majesty, are to be emitted at forty
per cent. premium, aud to be paid for in cash Ac
cording to the original regulations under which the
bank was. formed, shares were disposed of payable
for at rs per cent. cash. and l24 per cent each two
months after, until the shares were fully paid for
This determination to sell the shares for the casl
will have the effect of throwing them into the hands
OF the few wealthy persons who can afford to pa,
large amounts at the moment, instead of into thu
hands of persons in good circumstances yet not 81
wealthy, and who ought to be entitled to have
chance of employing their surplus means in the SAINT
profitable manner as their more wealthy aristocrati
neighbors.
Within eighteen months of the period Of the banl
gong into operation, the number of shareholder
had decreased from 53s to $685. Thus this might,