The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-06
Spanish Promises.
The Reforms to be Instituted
in Cuba.

WASHINGTON, Jan l.-Senor de
L,rme, the Spanish minister. resident
here, furnishes the Southern Associated
Press the following copy Of telegram
from Minister Tetuan "In the coun-
eli of ministers, presided over to-day
by her majesty. the queen regent.
roya! decree was sigoed, which will ap-
ply to the island of Porto Rico the last
of reforms voted 10 the cortes on the
l5tbof March. 1895
The preamble to this decree is of
the greatest Importance, because of the
statements 1t contains regarding Cuba.
# begins by explaining the reasons
Why the reforms are applied to-day aud
wherefore this has not been dope be
fore amongst other paragraphs. it COD
tains the following. which, owing to
their importance, copy iu their CO.
tirety:
g. In the actua! circumstances, the
government considers that the proper
tine has arrived for giving to the world
ample proof of its firm resolve to fulfill
the engagements voluntarily contracted
by the nation, by iuplautiug aud carry
ing into effect in Porto Rico. the form
of the system of government sud civil
administration voted by the cortes and
sanctioned by her majesty and which.
conveniently enlarged and extended,
will be applied in due time to Cuba
sin unfolding the bases Of the re,
forms with that scrupulous care which
the complex nature of tbe case and its
many aud varied problems demand,
the undersigned minister has been in-
spired with a sense of the necessity Of
ample administrative decentralization,
aod has proceeded to the utmost limit,
which the actual law allows, without
dimunition of the independent sover-
eighty of the nation At the same
time, true to the solemn promise made
before parliament by its president, the
government proposed to give more
ample scope TO the reforms when. as a
herald OF peace, the happy moment
arrives for the defnise application Of
the reforms to both toe Antilles as sooc
as possible, her majesty's government
will hasten to apply to Cuba not only
the reforms which form the ground work
of the law applied today to Porto Rico,
but also will eztepd to both provinces
the reforms which have been offered
with the view of local character,
which shall facilitate the complete
Intervention Of the country in Its own
affairs, maintaining at the same time
intact the right Of sovereignty and the
condition necessary to the maintenance
Of that right ss was statedin the words
her majesty deigoed to address to the
cortes by the advice of her responsible
government upon the opening o. par
lament
"The aupli6ed reforms can be partly
put into practice by means possessed by
the executive government and partly
will require the sanction Of parliament
The government is confident that it will
oos encoupter insuparable obstacles to
its rapid action ir this sense, looking
to tbe patriotic uniformity of option
respecting the fundamental ideas which
underlie the application Of the reforms
Briefly, the law Of reforms voted BY
the cortes aud sanctioned BIZ the crown.
which his to- day to be applied to Porto
Rico, will form the foundation stone OF
the new regime; but an additional de-
cree, account of which will be given to
the cortes, will amplify to such an ex-
.eot these reforms that genuine hone
administration will be constituted 10 our
Antilles, in the first instance for Cuba,
but to b. extended to Porto Rico as
soon aud at the same time as it may be
possible to apply it to the former island.
(Siogped) TErUAN,
Minister of Fereign Affairs.
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