Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-03-16
~* c. u 3 A s.
ITS POPULATION, PRODUCTS AND HISTORIAN UP-To-DATE
COMPILATION

COMPILATION

and in general gay metropolis,
while over it floats the flag of
Spain, the emblem of power
detested by the people who have
long groaned under injustice and
the oppression born of a greed
which hates the wealth-producers
of the island while it wantonly
plumbers them. In the great
Cathedral of Havana repose, after
several removals, the bones Of
Columbus. His son Diego is alsc
entombad there.
A glance at the government and
the manner of. administering il
will show what cause the islanders
have had for revolving again and
again, and why people who hate
oppre ssion, the world over, are
in sympathy with them. The
supreme executive power is vested
in a governor-general, wLo is
appointed by the Crown and who
is nominally under the immediate
control of Secretary for the
Colonies. Associated with the
governor-general is Council OF
Government whose members are
also appointed by the Crown, but
this is a mere advisory, without
authority either to restrain or to
direct. The governor-general has
such large discretionary power
that he. can suspend the execution
ofa law or decree of the Madrid
government in cases of what he
may choose to consider a necessity.
For purposes of civil admin
istration the island is divided into
six provinces, each of which has
8 governor appointed by the
Spanish home government, and
these provincial Cover nors report
to the governor-general.
There is a legislative assembly,
whose members are elected by the
people; but its functions are almost
farcical ss, they embrace little
except the making of suggestions.
1t is not a law-making body:
Each province is represented
in the Spanish Cortes by persons
of it's choosing-the number of
sent to the Lower House
determined by the population, and
each electing two to the Senate.
At this time there are 30 deputies
and ID senators, the IL from the
provinces being supplemented by
one each from the University OF
Havana and the Royal Society of
Friends of the Country, an organi,,
ration-devoted to teaching and
upholding that sort of patriotism
which licks the hand that smites.
For military purposes there a,e
three departm ents. A single officer
is entrusted with the administra-
tion of naval affairs.
For convenience in the admins
tration of justice there are two
great districts and % sub-districts,
each of which has a judge.
The Spanish Constitution binds
the government to establish and
maintain the Roman Catholic
Church, at home and in the Colo
MES, and 10 Cuba there are two
ecclesiastical divisions, the Arch
bisopric of Santiago and the Blsh-
opric of Havana.
There is an economical or royal
property department which is
charged with the management of
the finances.
No accurate statement of rev.
enues, received and expended, can
be made for any year since 1893
1894, Spain could not collect taxes
in Cuba, and the decline of COM
merce had reduced the customs re-
ceipts to about one-fourth of what
they had previously been. The
government leyies a tax, in
one form and other, of from $20,-
100000 to $26,OOO,0O0 annually.
For the fiscal year ended June 30,
1894, more than $2O,O0O,oOO was
collected; but the expenditures
for that time, when ordinary con-
ditions obtained, were greatly in
excess of this, and 80 it had gone
on until Spain's debt on account
of Cuba alone was $l59,849.000.
Since then it has been increased by
some millions. The expenses of
the war (Which of course the Gu
bans are expected to pay in case
thay ere AGAIN subdued) are reck.