The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-02
NEW LAWS FoR PORTO RICO.
An Outline of the Reforms Granted
by Spain.

Washington, Jan. 1.-Senor de LONE, the
Spanish minister resident here, furnishes
the Southern Associated Press the follow
ing copy of a telegram from Foreign Min
lister Tetuan I'm the council of minis
ters presided over to-day by her majesty,
the queen regent, a royal decree was sign
ed, which applies to the island of Porto
Rico, the laws of reforms voted in the
cortes on the 18th of March, 1895.
"The preamble to this decree is of the
greatest Importance because of the state
ments it contains regarding Cuba. 1t be-
gins by explaining the reasons why the re-
forms are applied to-day and wherefore
this has not been done before. Among
other paragraphs 1t contains the follow
ing which, owing to their importance, l
copy in their entirety:
In the actual circumstances the gov
ernment considers that the proper time
has arrived for giving to the world ample
proof of its firm resolve to fulfill the en-
gagements voluntarily contracted by the
nation, by impanting and carrying into
effect in Porto Rico the reform of the sys-
tenn of the government and civil adminis-
tration, voted by the cortes and sanction
ed by her majesty and which, convenient
ly enlarged and extended, will be applied
in due time to Cuba.
In unfolding the bases of reforms with
that scrupulous care which the complex
nature of the case and it's many and varied
problems demand, the undersigned minis
ter has been inspired with a sense of the
necessity of ample administrative decen-
tralization, and has proceeded to the ut
most limit which the actual situation al
lows, without diminution of the inherent
sovereignty of the nation. At the same
time, true to the solemn promise made be-
no. lfa aeFaf hHrf ftes fha
ernment proposes to give a more ample
scope to the reforms when as a herald of
peace, the happy moment arrives for the
definite application of the reforms to both
the Antilles, as soon as possible, her ma
jesty's government will hasten to apply to
Cuba, not only the reforms which form the
ground work of the law applied
to-day to Porto Rico, but also will extend
to both provinces the reforms which have
been offered with the view of comforting
upon both Antilles an administrative and
economic personality of local character;
which shall facilitate the complete inter-
vention of the country in it's own affairs,
maintaining, at the same time, intact the
right of sovereignty and the condition nee
essary to the maintenance of that right,
as was stated in the words her majesty
deigned to address to the corteS, by the
advice of her responsible government,
upon the opening of parliament.
" 'IneSe ampllned reforms can De partly
put into practice by means of the power
possessed by the executive government and
partly will require the sanction of parlia-
ment The government is confident that
it will not encounter insuperable obsta-
ces to its rapid action in this sense. look
ing to the patriotic uniformity of opinion
respecting the fundamental ideas which
underlie the application of the reforms.
Briefly, the law of reforms voted by
the cortes and sanctioned by the crown,
which is to-day to be applied to Porto
Rico, will form the foundation stone of
the new regime; but an additional decree,
account of which will be given to the
cortes, will amplify to such an extent
these reforms that genuine home ad-
ministration would be constituted in our
Antilles in the first instance for Cuba,
but to be extended to Porto Rico as soon
| and at the same time as it may be possi-
BILE to apply it to the former island'
"Tetuan, Minister of Foreign Affairs"