The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-11-29
CUBAN AUTONOMY
Provisions Of the Decree Just
Published by the Spanish ]
Government.
Immposing of Customs Duties
Conferred Upon the Insular
Parliament,
But Provision Is Made For q
Differential in Favor of
Spanish Trade.

MADRID, Nov. 2Y.-The Official Ga.
sette publishes the royal deorees grant.
ing autonomy to Cuba and Porto Rico,
thus removing the anxiety that had be.
gun to be expressed on all sides as the
result Of the governments reticence
and unexplained delay.
Article explains the principles Of
the future governments Of the two ISL
ands.
Article 2 DEGREES that the govern.
ment Of each island shall be composed
of an insular parliament divided into
two chambers, while q governor gen.
oral representing the home government
shalt exercise in its name the supreme
authority.
Article declares that the faculty Of
making laws of colonial affairs rests
with the insular chambers and the gov.
ernor general.
Article 4 directs that the insular rep.
resentation shall be composed of two
corporations with equal powers-a
chamber of representatives and coun.
Gil of administration.
Article provides that the council Of
administration shall consist of IS mem.
bers. of whom IL shall be elected and
, ~ nominated by the home government.
Article provides that the members
Of the council of administration must
be Spaniards IS years Of age who were
born in the island or who have resided
there continuously for four years.
Articles to IA, inclusive, deal with
nominations and the condition Of cleo
tions to councils.
Aticle Is empowers the throne or the
governor general to convoke. suspend,
or dissolve the chambers with an OBJ
LEGATION to reassemble them within
three months.
Articles l6 to 70 deal with the pro.
cedure Of the chambers, and grant i'm.
munity to members.
Article 10 empowers the insular par
lament to receive the governors oath,
and make effective the responsibility Of
the secretaries forming the governor .
counsel. Secretaries may be impeached
BY the chambers, in which case they
are to be judged BY the council Of ad-
ministration.
Negotiations for treaties of commerce
are to be made by the home govern.
ment, with the assistance OF the secre.
taries Of tho island.
Article 80 confers upon parliament
the imposing Of customs duties.
Article 40 deals with the commercial
relations of the islands with the penin.
sula, and provides that no import OF
export tax may differential to
the prejudice Of the production Of
either island or the peninsula.
A list will be formed of articles
coming from Spain direct. which will
, be granted favorable treatment in re-
gard to similar articles coming from
abroad, and the same will be done fo1
productions of the islands entering
Spain, the differential duty in no case
to exceed IS per cent.
The remainder Of the decree explains
the governor generals powers. He
will exercise supreme command, be re-
sponsible for the preservation of order.
have free power to nominate officials
and his secretarial; he will publish and
execute the laws and DEGREES, inter
national treaties and conventions, ETC.,
and will have the power of pardoning,
suspending constitutional guarantees
ordering q state of siege should circum
stances require it.