The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-12-03
Provisions Of the Decree Just
Published by the Spanish
Government.
limp losing Of Customs Dnties
Conferred Upon the Insn.ar
Parliament,
But Provision Is Made For q
Diferential in Favor Of !
Spanish Trade. s

4ette publlsheS the royal DEGREES grant
Ing autonomy to Cuba aud Porto Rico,
thus removing the. anxiety that had be-
gun to b expressed on all sides 10 the
result Of the governpent's reticence
and unexplained delay.
Article explains the principles Of
the future governments OF the two ISL
ands.
Article DEGREES that the govern
ment Of each island shall be composed
Of an insular parliament divided into
two chambers. while governor gen.
eral representing the homo government
shall exercise in its name tho supreme
authority.
Article 8 declares that the faculty Of
making lawH Of colonial AFFAIRS rests
with the insular chambers and the gov.
ernor general.
Article 4 directs that the insular rep.
eesentation shall be composed Of two
corporations with equal powers
chamber OF representatives and . couu.
Gil of administration.
Article 3 provides that tho council Of
administration shall consist Of 81 mem.
bers. of whom 10 shall be elected and
~ nominated by the home government.
Article 6 provides that the members
Of the council Of administration must
be Spaniards IS years Of age who were
born in the island or who have resided
there continuously for four years.
Articles7 to IA, inclusive, deal with
Nominations and the condition Of cleo
tions to councils.
Aticle 10 empowers the throne or the
governor general, to convoke, suspend,
or dissolve the chambers with an oh.
legation to reassemble them within
three months.
Articles l6 to % deal with the pro.
cedpre Of the chambers, and grant i'm.
munity to members.
Article 70 empowers the insular par
lament to receive the governors oath,
and make effective the responsibility Of
the secretaries forming the governors
counsel Secretaries may be impeachsd
by the chambers, in which case they
are to DO judged by the council Of ad-
ministration.
Negotiationsf for treaties Of commerce
are to be made by the home govern
ment, with the assistance Of the score.
taries of the island.
Article 80 confers upon parliament
the imposing Of customs duties.
Article 40 deals with the commercial
relations of the islands with the PENN
sula, and provides that no import or
export tax may differential to
the prejudice of the production Of
either island or the, peninsula.
A list will be formed Of articles
coming from Spain direct. which will
be granted favorable treatment in re-
gard to similar articles coming from
abroad, and the same will be done for
productions Of the islands entering
Spain, the differential duty in no case
to exceed IS per cent.
The remainder of the decree explains
the governor.general's powers. He
will exercise supreme command, be re.
sponsible for the preservation of order,
have free power to nominate officials
and his secretarial; he will publish and
execute the laws and DEGREES, inter.
national treaties and conventions, etc.,
and will have the power Of pardoning,
suspending constitutional guarantees,
ordering q state Of siege should circum.
stances require it.