The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-30
CUBAN AUTONOMY.
The Terms of the Decree, Just Isspsd =
Setting Forth the Principles Of Self Ges-
~romcut Graused Cuba.

Madrid. November s7-The official Ga
zette this morning publishes the royas
DEGREES granting autonomy Cor Cuba ans
Porto Rico.
Article one explains the principles OF
the future government OF the two is
lands.
Article two DEGREES that the govern
mert OF each island shall be composed
OF an in.ular parliament divided into two
chambers, while a governor general rep
resenting the. home government viii ex-
erclse in it's name the supreme authority
Article three declares that the faculty
Of making laws on colonial affairs rests
with the insular chambers and the gov
ernor general.
Article four directs that tho insular
! representation shall be composed CT two
| bodies with equal powers. viz: n cham
! ber OF representatives and a council OF
| administration.
/ Articles five provides that the council
| OF administration shall consist OF thirty
| i've members. OF whom eighteen shall
! be elected and seventeen be nominated
| by the home government.
Article six provides that the members
| OF the council OF administration must bo
Spaniards at least 81 years OF age. who
| were born in the island or who have re-
! sided there continually Tor four years. IL
! specifies numerous officials such as scna-
! tors. president OF courts and OF chambers
/ OF commercial and other bodies c!igi-
| bic to election to the council
! Articles seven TO fourteen inclusive deaf
! with nominations and the conditions OF
| election OF councils.
Article fifteen empowers the throne, or
the governor general, 10 convoke. sus-
| pend or dissolve the chambers with an
| obligation 10 reassembie them within
three months
| Articles sixteen to twenty-eight deal
with the procedure of the chambers and
iyrnYy n r1a M
! Article twenty-nine empowers the In
! sular parliament TO receive the COVER
nor's oath and make effective the re-
sponsibility OF the secretaries forming
the governors council. Secretaries may
be irlpeached by the chambers. in which
/ case they are to be judged by the council
/ OF administration. Negotiations for
treaties OF commerce are To be made by
the home government with the assistance
Of the secretaries of tn island.
Article thirty-nine confers upon pariia-
ment the imposing OF customs duties.
/ Article forty deals with the commercial
relations OF the islands with the penin-
sula, and provides that no import or ex-
port tax may be made to the prejudice
OF the production of either OF the ~
landers or the peninsula. A list VIII be
formed Of articles coming from Spain
direct. which will be granted favorabis
treatment in regard to similar articles
coming from abroad and the same viii
be done for production OF the islands en-
tering Spain. the differential duty in no
case to exceed 50 per cent.
The remainder Of the decree. explains
the governor generals powers. He viii
exercise supreme command. be resI'orfst-
BILE for the preservation OF order. have
free power to nominate officials and his.
| secretariat: he will publish and exccuea
! the laws and DEGREES, International
! treaties and conventions etc. and wiz
, have the power Of pardoning. suspend
! ing constitutional guarantees and order
, Ing a state OF seige, should circumstances
require It,
New York, November T.-Tomas Els-
| trada Palma, the Cuban delegate In this
| city. speaking today on the terms OF the
| autonomy DEGREES, said: These prepar-
| atoms were scorned in advance OF their
| presentation. They can receive no con-
sideration now. With Cuba IL lis as 1t amx
| been since the war began, and VIII bs
| until II Observation-Disclosures or Death