The San Francisco call., 1897-01-02
SPAIN MAKES THE
USUAL PROMISES
Reforms to Be Enacted in
Porto Rico and Then
Cuba.
Captain.General Weyler Talks
About Conquering Rebels,
but Builds Forts.
From Madrid Comes a Story That
Filibusters Landed on a Reef
':. We're Drowned

e WASHINGTON: D. c., Jan. A.-Senor
de LONE, the Spanish Minister. furnishes
, he United Associated Presses the follow
ling copy of telegram from Foreign Min
lister Tetuan at Madrid:
sin the Council of Ministers, presided
over to-day by her Majesty, the Queen
g Recent, a royal decree was signed 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
g greatest importance because of the state
. ments which it contains regarding; Cuba.
i 1t begins by explaining the reasons why
: the reforms are applied there and why
this has not been done before. Among
other. paragraphs it contains the following
which, owing to their importance, 1 copy
in their entirety:
" In the actual circumstances the Gov
" ernDent considers that the proper time
has arrived for giYin& to the world ample
proof of its firm resolve TO fulfill the en-
gagements Voluntarily contracted by the
nat on by implanting and carrying into
effect in Porto Rico the reform system of
government and 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. -.
s""In unfolding the basis of the reforms
with the scrupulous care which the COM
pex nature ok the case and its many and
varied problems demand, the undersigned
minister has been inspired with sense of
necessity of ample administrative decen-
fr5lizatioR ana has proceeded to the ut
most limit which the actual law allows
without diminution of the inherent SOW
ereignty of the. nation
the same time, true to the solemn
promise made before Parliament by its
President, the Government proposes to
give a. .moreaample scope to the reforms
when as a herald of peace the Happy
moment arrives for the definite appli ica-
ton Of reforms TO both the Antilles. As
soon as possible her Majesty's Govern
ment WILL shasten 10 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 conferring upon
both Antilles an administrative and
economic personality of local character.
which shall facilitate the complete inter-
vention of the country in its. own affairs,
maintaining at the same time intact the
right of sovereignty and the conditions
necessary to the maintenance of that
right, as was stated in the words her
: Majesty defined 10 address to the Cortes,
by headyice of her responsible Govern
s fneht upon the opening OF Parliament.
These amp}ified reforms can be partly
put into practice by means of the power
possessed by the executive Government,
and partly will require the sanction of
Parliament. The Government is coniid ent
that it will not encounter insuperable OBJ
:stscles Ito ITS rapid action in this sense,
looking to the patriotic uniformity opera
60 ton respecting the fundamental. ideas
3 which .underlie the application of the re-
forms. .. -
'"Briefy. the law Of reform voted by the.
. Cortes land sanctioned by the Crown,
which. is to-day to be applied to Porto
Rico, will Storm the foundation stone of
the new regime; but an additional decree
which, wiIIobe given to the Cortes will be-
|. amplifed to such extent that a genuine
home administration will be constituted
IN our Anfiaes-in. the FIRST instance for
Cuba-butto be extended to Porto Rico as
sooni and at the. same time as it NAV be
possible to apply it to TIE FORMER island.
20 = ''TErUAN,
minister of EDTeign Affdirs