The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-28
CuBAN REFORMS
/. oun,n.a by tile New spanish Colonial

Az OutIIued by tile New Spanish Colonial
Mla,.isr-lhs Plan or Autonomy.
MADRID, oct. T,-senor Moret Prem
dergast, the new colonial minister has
outlined his plans for CUBAN reforms
as follows:
The autonomy which the cabinet OF
senior sagasta parpoRs 20 hestow upon
the Islands OF Cuba and Porto Rico in
fulallment of the engagement con-
tracted In the manifesto Of June q, is
a special autonomy founded on the as
plrations adopted in the platform Of
the AntllIlan autonomists and not iden-
teal with the other colonial constitu-
tons. 1t is clear that In It's essential
principles, the future constitutions OF
CUBA and Porto Rico agree with those
colonial Institutions that start from
seif-government as the capital idea
self-leglslatlon responsible to the gov
eminent and the supremacy OF the
governor who either under that name
or that OF viceroy shall represent the
mother country and who shall choose
the ministers who shall be the execu-
tive In that colony.
Starting from the above basis the
project OF the Spanish government
contains the firstp artition OF those
concerns that belong to the colonial
parliament and to the imperial parlia-
ment-that Is, 10 the national cortes,
The partition is founded upon a careful
discrimination between what interests
the islands themselves In local sense
and what is OF national Importance.
"The project In operation win inter
pret In the most generous manner the
phrase, local interests since It viii
not only grant to the colonists complete
control OF all that relates TO education
al charity, public works, lusular pavl-
cation, agriculture, industry, mines,
etc, but It also entrusts to the repre-
sentatives of self-aovernment the
right of drawing up their customs tar
M without any limitations beyond
those mutually arranged.
"With the metropolis to coordinate
IN their respective mercantile and
commercial interests the above func-
t,on VIII be performed by an insular
chamber totally electoral in nature,
without restriction as TO subsequent
subdivision into two similar chambers
that is the house OF representatives
and the senate.
Members OF this parliament shall be
elected by the same suffrage system as
that which regulates the elections IN
the peninsula. The same elecloral
body shall elect deputies 20 the span
ish cortes who are to represent Cuba III
the imperial parliament. Only this as
sembly has been constituted the goVSr-
kI,a n fiVA M
the central power shall choose the M n
listers who are to be the executive oody
responsible TO the insuiar department
thus completing the reorganization o.
the government and endowing II WIFE
that degree OF responsibility character
istic OF every colony administered or
the principles OF selt-goVernment.
"The ministers shall be responsible to
the colonial parliament and every en-
actment OF the governor general as tne
representative of the executive power
In all that touches the local govern
ment shall be treated IN the council.
or these ministerial functions reserv'
ed GO the metropolis are, first, those
tbot concern International relations
Second, military and naval matters
third, organization OF the law courts
In conformity with the laws regulatinI
the offices of the ministers, and, fourth
those dispositions that under the namt
Of patronato real. regulate relations
between the church and state.
AT the same time the new constitu'
ton shall grant to this Cuban people
the use NJ and the protection afforded
by the civil and political rights sane
toned by the Spanish constitution II
such manner that this shall obtain II
oil It's integrity in the colonies, while
besides. there shall be established al
in the United States, necessary posi-
tions to prevent the colonial parlia'
ment from any attempt to lessen. clos
or deIimit the rights of citizenship tina
are set forth in the national constitu
Ion"