Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-12-02
UNDER SPAN'S CONTROL.
Autonomy DEGREES for Cuba and
Porto Rico Give the Home Gov
eminent Great Power.
AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL.
lie WIN Exercise supreme Command
--DiSpieasure az Washington over
the Cuban Document - Insurgents
say They Viii Ignore It-SummarS
of the DEGREES.

Madrid Nov. 29-rhe Official Ca
zette publishes The royal DEGREES grant
ing autonomy for Cuba and Porto Rico.
An outline follows:
Article ! explains the nrirc.rlse Of the
future government of the two islands
Article ? DEGREES that the government %
each ISLAND shall be composed OF ar rsular
parliament divided into TWO chambers.
while governor general. representing the
home government VIII exercise IN ais
name the supreme auI hority.
Article declares that the faculty Of max
ing laws on colonial affairs rests with the
insular chambers and the goverEor-gen-
eral
Article directs that the insular repre-
sentation shall be composed Of TWO cor
poratons with equal powers. viz a cham
Der of representatives and a council Of adj
ministration.
Article provides that the council of ad-
ministration shall consist of 30 members.
of whom Is shall be elected and Il be nom
mated by the home government
Article 6 provides that the members of
the council of administration must be
Spaniards al least IS years of age. who
were born in the island or who have re-
sided there continuously for four years.
Il specifies numerous officials such SEN
ators, presidents of courts and OF cha m
bers of commerce and other bod ,es as
eligible to election to the council
Aticles to II inclusive deal with NOM
nations and the conditions of election TO
councils
Atcle Is empowers the throne. or the
governor general, to convoke. suspend or
dissolve the chambers. with an obligation
to reassemble them within three months.
Articles l6 TO IS deal with the procedure
of the chambers and grant immunity 10
members.
Article 90 empowers the insular parlia-
ment to receive the governors oath and
make effective the responsibility of the
secretaries forming the governors council
Secretaries may be impeached by the
chambers. in which case they are 10 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
the island.
Article 80 confers upon parliament the
imposing of customs duties.
Article 40 deals with the commercial rela-
lions of the islanIs with the peninsula and
provides that no import or export tax may
differ to the prejudice of the productions
of either island or the peninsula. a list
will be formed of articles coming from
Spain direct. which will be granted favor
able treatment in regard to similar articles
coming from abroad. and the same will be
done for productions of the islands en-
tering Spain, the differential duty in no case
10 exceed 80 per cent.
The remainder of the decree explains the
governor generals powers. He will exer-
else supreme command, be responsible for
the preservation of order, have free power
TO nominate officials, and his secretaries;
he will publish and execute the laws and
DEGREES, International treaties and con-
MENTIONS. etc, and will have the power Of
pardoning, suspending constitutional guar
antees and ordering a state of siege, should
circumstances require it.
DispIeasure at Washington.
Washington, Nov. 29.-Spain's latest
scheme for autonomy for Cuba is not
we'll received in Washington. The pub
lication made in the Official Gazette of
Madrid, containing a summary of the
royal DEGREES, has produced a most I'M
favorable impression here. Careful eX
animation of the scheme discloses that
a string is attached TO every pretended
concession to Cuba. and leads inevi taby
to the conclusion that the Spanish
statesmen are at their old tricks OF
throwing dust into the eyes of the
world in general and of the people Of
the United States in particular. 1t is
already apparent that Spain is not able
to deceive anyone with these DEGREES
The Cubans say they will have none OF
such autonomy, which is at best mere
sham, leaving everything of impor-
tauce subject TO the control of Spain.
In administration circles here there is
keen disappointment at the details of
the plan as disclosed by the official pub
Ieation. The president had expected
something better. There was belief
that the Sagasta ministry, in Difference
to the opinion of the world and OF the
United States more particularly, would
set up in Cuba something similar 70
the home rule which Britain gives Can
ada But as a matter of fact the pub
lished plan is looked upon as a cunning
~ devised scheme to make a mere pre-
tense of concessions without actually
making any. The disappointment with
the autonomy scheme, of which SO
much was expected, will not now
change the attitude of the administra-
ton, but il is going TO make still more
difficult the task Of restraining con
gress.
VIII Not BE Needed.
New York Nov. 29.-Tomas Estrada
Palma. the Cuban delegate in this city.
speaking on the terms Of the autonomy
DEGREES. said: These propositions were
scorned in advance of their presenta-
ton. They can receive no considera.
ton now With Cuba it is as it has
been since the war began and will be
until il ends-indep ndence or death"