The record-union., 1897-11-30

| WASdlNGION, NOV. ~. - Seuor
Dppuy de LONE, the Spanish Minister,
has received long dispatches from
Madrid showing in detail the plan OF
autonomy which Spain is about TO ap-
ply to Cuba While these do not give
the text of the new law, they explain
all important features, and clear up
doubts which have arisen from the an
official reports which have come from
Madrid. Speaking of the new laws.
the Minister said to-day:
"One of the recent criticisms of the
new reform law is that this plan of
autonomy is the same as the old plan,
with some changes of detail. AS a
matter of fact, the new plan is a COM
plete realization of the policy and
platforms of the autonomist party dur
ing the last twenty years.
The old plan of autonomy gave to
Cuba an advisory board. 1t did not
have final authority in making laws.
but merely advised as to those laws.
Now, however, the new law proposes
to give Cuba a parliamentary body of
full law-making power. The complete
ness of this Legislative power is as
great, if not greater, than that en-
| joyed by Canada or any State of the
United States. This is really demon
strated by comparing the plan of the
new law with that of the British North
American Act of 1867 which estab-
lished the present parliamentary sys-
tenn Of Canada.
| According to the Canadian law, the
Canadian Parliament consists of two
bodies. The Upper House is made up
of members appointed by the crown.
each member holding a life tenure
with a qualification that no member
| is eligible unless he has an income of
| 1000. The provision for the new Gu
| ban Upper House is along the same
general lines, but is far less stringent
| Instead of the crown appointing all
of the Upper House, as in the case of
/, Canada, the Spanish crown is to ap-
point only one-half of the members OF
the Upper House of Cuba. The other
half are to be elected by the people
of Cuba every five years. There is a
$1,000 property qualification for mem
bership of the Upper House of Cuba,
which is the same as that in Canada.
THE same comparison holds good be-
| tween the proposed Lower House in
Cuba and the Lower House in Canada
There is a $500 property qualification
for members of the Lower House in
Canada, and also a qualification as to
those who may vote for such members,
but in the new plan for Cuba there are
no property qualifications as to the
electors. 1t is one man one vote, the
same be he black or white.
| IF the new home-rule law is COM
pared with the systems prevailing in
the several States of the United States.
-
a far greater measure of control of
her own affairs than do the several
States in this country. For instance.
she is given control of her postal af-
fairs, control of her banking and cur
rency, and control of her customs. The
last feature is most important
This gives to the Cuban Parliament
entire control of the tariff, with the
condition that there shall be rreferen-
tial duties for Spain not exceeding 35
per cent. 1t is to be understood that
these preferential duties are not an un-
usual feature Even under the last
reciprocity treaty between the United
States and Cuba, which is conceded to
have been the most satisfactory reci-
procity treaty made by the United
States. there was a preferential duty
Of 80 per cent. TO Spain. Under the
new law this is cut down to 80 per
cent.
That honest investigation of the new
law will show its broad scope and lib
eral provisions is shown by a dispatch
L have just received from a friend at
Madrid continued the Minister. HE
states that Mr.. Giberga has a state
ment in The Liberal strongly approv-
ing the new law. This Mr.. Giberga
is one OF the most prominent auton-
omists of Cuba. He was elected as an
autonomist to the Cortes, but declined,
owing to his hostility to the former
Government. Lately he has been in
Paris, and now gives his strong APP
proval of the home-rule law"