Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-11-27
M v 1 DEGREES.
Home Ruis echsms Tor Cubs b
At Last olncsaily Signed
and Announced.
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE Plan

Rarliaaosat - Two Chambers, The Upper .,
Coasist Wholly II spaaiards-Insurxen
Assembly Uttsrs . Ds0-Declarss It's
M Msess h " Indspeaasses or DEATH.
s.A Repadiaees Anything Short IAsrse
-Liberssed Prisoner Cause Rie&
Madrid. Nov. 27.-The omcial 0asstt,
publishes this morning the royal DEGREES
granting autonomy to Cuba and Porto
Rico. thus removing the anxiety thai
had begun to be expressed on all sides
a. the result Of the governments reti.
cence and unexplained delay. Article !
explains the principles Of the futur,
government Of the two islands. Articl,
DEGREES tfat the government Of each
island shall be composed Of IN insulal
parliament, divided into two chambers
while q governor general. representing
the home government, shall exercise II
Its name the supreme authority. Arti.
Gle ; declares that the faculty Of max.
ing laws for colonial affairs rests with
the insular chambers and the governor
general.
Constitutioa Of the Parliament.
Article I directs that the insular rep.
resentatfon shall be composed Of two
corporations with equal powers. A
chamber Of representatives and a coun.
Gil Of administration. Article 5 provides
that the council Of administration shall
consist Of thirty five members, Of whom
eighteen snail be elected and seventeen
nominated by the heme governmnt. Ar
ticle 8 provides that the members of the
council Of administration must be Span.
fards, IS years OF age, who were born In
the island or who have resided there con-
tinuously for four years. It specifies
numerous offlcials-such as senator's
presidents Of courts and Of chambers Of
commerce. and other bodies-as eligible
to election to the council. Articles z "a
IA inclusive deal with nominations and
the conditions Of election to councils
Article Is empowers the throne or the
governor general to convoke. suspend OF
dissolve the chambers with an obliga-
ton to reassemble them within three
months.
Government Of the Insurgents. -
New York. Nov. 27.-The Cuban con-
stituent assembly which met recently at
Camaguey to remodel the constitution
ana elect . new president has issued q
manifesto which reached the Office OF
the Cuban junta In this city yesterday.
The document Is dated Layaya, Oct.
10, 1897, and is signed by Domingo
Mendez Capote. as president Of the as
sembly. The manifesto is addressed by
THE Representatives Of the Cuban Peo-
pie. to All Those Who Have the Inde-
pendence and Future Welfare Of Cuba
at Heart. The document says
Ays that the assembly before adj
journing deemed it its duty to proclaim,
among other things, that mo special
laws, no political reform or autonomy,
nothing, IN shsFt, that the Spanish gov
eminent may be willing to grant that
means Spanish sovereignty over Cuba,
shall be accepted by the Cubans as q
settlement Of. the war.
Independence or Death.
Independence or death is and shall
be the unalterable and sacred motto OF
the Cubans. The Cubans have not re-
sorted to arms In order to obtain any
political measuge which does not at once
and for oil solve the Cuban question.
That Il the reason we will accept moth
ing short OF absolute independence. II
Is our purpose to constitute an independ-
ent state, orderly. prosperous and hap
py. over the ruin Of q WORKOUT colony.
We are firmly determined to carry on
the war until victory or death crowns
our efforts"