The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-05-06
Consul and Commissioner.
Fitz Hugh Lee May Go in a
Double Capacity.

current resolutions declaring that a
state of war existed in Cuba and that
in the opinion of Congress the Presi-
dent should recognize the belliger-
ency of the Cubans and tender his
good Offices to Spain to bring about
a recognition of the independence of
the Cuban republic, no overt action
has been taken by the United States
so far as known, unless the appoint
ment of so prominent parsonage as
General Fitzhugh Lee as consul gem
eral to Habana can be SO regarded
There is a widely prevailing i'm
preston that General Lee will go
to his post in the double capacity of
consul general. and special commits
sioner empowered to report directly
to the President as to the exact con-
dition of affairs in Cuba. This i'm
preston has been deepened by the
protracted conferences which Gen
eral Lee held with Secretary Olney
and Mr.. Cleveland yesterday Mean
while, considerable interest is felt as
to the probable course of the Spanish
authorities.
The queen of Spain's speech to be
delivered at the opening of the Span
ish cortes at Madrid on Monday,
May 1lth, is expected to outline
dfnitely the Cuban policy of the
government. 1t is awaited with con-
siderable interest here, especially as
Informal assurances are belived to
have been given to the adminlstra
tion that Cuba is to be rendered al
most as great degree autonomy in
purely domestic affairs as the Do.
minion of Canada now enjoys in its
relations with Great Britain The
reform measures for the civil govern
ment of Cuba promulgated by the
royal decree of March 18th, 1895,
which were not promptly put into
operation because, as it is claimed,
the present revolution prevented the
necessary local elections being held
to provide the officials named in the
decree, are expected to be enforced
without much further delay now that
elections for the cortes have osten-
sively been held throughout, Cuba in
the past month
Supplementary to these laws liber~
al legislation by the new cortes is
also anticipated by those well in
formed as to the Spanish programme.
In this connection the statutory pro.
gress of Cuba towards liberal gov
ernment since the close of the Ten
Years War is.to be shown by an Of
fetal compilation of the colonial
laws which is now in course of pub
lication. This compilation discloses
the fact that in the treaty of El
Zanion, which terminated that war,
in 1878, the insurgents stipulated
only for the freedom of those slaves
who had served in their ranks. The
law of February IL, 1880, put an
end to slavery in the island, dec'ar
ing all without distinction to be free;
minors, however. to remain under
patronage" until 1888, when
even that feature was to be abolished
Two years before that time expired,
the negroes were set at liberty by
the decree Of October I, 1886, and
the last vestiage Of slavery was ob-
liberated
The Spanish constitution of 1876
was promulgated in the island April
I, 1882 All public liberties and the
rights of citizenship then enjoyed in
Spain were thereby granted Cuba,
involving the radical change in its
political regime that laws were
tbenceforth enacted for it by the
rer tesentatives of the nation, whereas
the island had previously been gov
erned by direct orders from the
crown. Since that time Cuba has
been represented in the national
cortes by its senators and represen-
tativeS
Provision for the enforcement in
Cuba of the penal code Of the penin-
suIa was made by royal decree of
May p, 1879; of the civil code by
decree Of July'3l, 1889, of the law
concerning civil prosecutions by de-
cree of September 25, 1885, and by
decree OF October 10, 1888, the law
Of criminal prosecution was amended
SO as to require prosecutions to be
conducted orally and in public in.
stead of by written examinations in
private-an important measure of
reform which had only just been es
tablished in Spain itself
The Spanish code of commerce
was extended to Cuba Jan. %, 1886,
and the addition to numerous laws OF
minor Importance extended to the
island the special banking law was
made operative Aug. l6, 1878, and
4bot Cf landed nrONerty Nav lO