Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-05-09
THE OTHER SIDE.
a Resume of Spain's Ofacial Policy
Towards Cuba,
Promulgated At Intervals Since the Cioss
of the Ten Year War, according 70
Which the Island Ought to
BE . Paradise

fehkR ol DObh. h0ubFo Va tQhH OooS ~
April last, of the senate concurrent
resolutions, declaring that state OF
war existed in Cuba, and that, In the
opinion of congress the president
should recognize the belligerency OF
the Cubans and tender his good Offices
to Spain to bring about a recognition
of the independence of the Cuban re-
public. no overt action has been
taken by the United States, SO far as
is known, unless the appointment of
30 prominent a parsonage as ex-Gov.
Fitzhugh Lee as consul-generul to Ha-
Avana can be 50 regarded, There fsa
widely prevailing impression that Gen.
Lee will 60 to his post of duty in the
double capacity of consul-general and
special commissioner, empowered to
report directly to the president as to
the exact condition of affairs in Cuba.
This impression has been deepened by
the protracted conferences which Gen.
Lee has held with Secretary Olney and
Mr.. Cleveland.
Meanwhile considerable interest is
felt as to the probable outcome of the
matter.
The queen of Spain's speech to be
delivered at the opening of the Span
ish cortes at Madrid on Monday, May
IL, is expected to outline definitely the
Cuban policy of the government. 1t
Is awaited with considerable interest
here, especially as informal assurances
are believed to have been given to the
administration that Cuba Is to be ten
dered almost as great a degree of au
tonomy in purely domestic affairs as
the Dominion of Canada now enjoys In
Its relations with Great Britain.
The reform measures for the civil
government of Cuba promulgated by
the royal decree of March 15, 1895,
which were not promptly put into
operation because, as it is claimed, the
present revolution prevented the nec-
essary local elections being held to
provide the officials named In the de-
cree, are expected to be enforced with
out much further delay, now that
elections for the cortes have ostensf-
bly, been held throughout Cuba in the
past month.
Supplementary. to these laws, liberal
legislation by the new cortes is also
as to the Spanish programme.
In this connection the statutory pro-
gress of Cuba towards liberal govern
ment since the close of the ten-years
war, is to be shown by an official COM
pilation of the colonial laws which is
now in course of publication. This
compilation discloses the fact that in
the treaty Of Ell San Joan which termi-
mated that war in 1878, the insurgents
stipulated only for the freedom Of
those slaves who had served In their
ranks. The law of February ID, 1880,
put an end to slavery in the island, de-
claring all, without distinction, to be
free, minors, however, to remain under
patronage" until 1883, when even that
feature was to be abolished. Two
years before that time expired the ne
groes were set at liberty by the de-
cree of October z, 1885, and the last
vestige of slavery was obliterated.
The Spanish constitution Of 1876 was
promulgated in the island April 7,
1881. All public liberties and the
rights of citizenship then enjoyed in
Spain were thereby granted to Cuba,
involving the radical change in its po-
litical regime that laws were thence
forth enacted for it by the representa-
tives of the nation, whereas the island
had previously been governed by di-
rect orders from the crown. Since
that time Cuba has been represented
in the national cortes by its senator's
and representatives
Provision for the enforcement in
Cuba of the penal code of the penin-
sula was made by royal decree on May
20, 1879; of the civil code by decree Of
July 3t, 1889; of the law concerning
civil prosecution by decree Of Septem-
Der 25, 1885; and by decree of October
10, 1883, the law of criminal prosecu-
tion was amended so as to require
prosecutions to be conducted orally and
In public instead Of by written exam
ination--an important measure OF re-
form which had only just been estab-
lished in Spain herself
The Spanish code of commerce was
extended to Cuba, January 2s, 1886,
and in addition to numerous laws of
minor Importance extended to the Is
land, the special banking law was made
operative August 1e, 1873, and that of
landed property May 16, 1879, and as
amended, July IA, 1898.
Most important, probably, has been
the development Of the principal po-
litical laws following upon increased
liberty guaranteed by the constitution
of 1875. The law Of June 15, 1880, reg
ulating the right of meeting Us pro-
claimed In article 10 of the constitu-
tion was made to embrace the island
Of Cuba by the royal decree of No
vember !. /, 1851 This authorized
peaceful meetings to be held exactly
as in Spain, and provided that "a
hours notice be given to the governor
of the province concerning the place,
purpose and time of meeting. This
provision differs little from the laws
and regulations prevailing In the
United States, where license and per-
mits have to be taken out from mu-
nioipal authorities for many public
gatherings.
The Spanish law of June 30, 1887,
concerning liberty to form partner
ships was made applicable to Cuba by
decree of June 10, 1883, and that OF
january u, 1879, Ior the lFoouoh VI Vno
press was extended to the ieland
April 4, 1881. When that law
was amended on more liberal
lines in Spain, june 20, 1889,
its additional liberties were given to
Cuba November II, 1885. This statute
maintained that the provisions of the
common law were sufficient to punish
offenses of the press and gave the or
dinary courts full Jurisdiction. The
law Of civil marriages, providing for
the religious tolerstion guaranteed
by the eleventh article OF the consti
tuition was proclaimed November -
1855. The provincial and municipal
organizations of the colonies were
made to conform with those Of the
peninsula june 81, 1878 ~
Reforms in the right Of sufferage
have been difficult Of accomplishment
wherever the negro race is in the
majority, but the law concerning vo-
ters in elections for Cuban represen-
tatives in the cortes, promulgated De-
cember ", 1sO9, provides that every