The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-09-01
ISLAND OF PORTO RICO.
to the War Department Recommend
ing Civil Government

nedy, Judge Curtis and Maj. Watkins,
which Pas given six months study to
the conditions of the island of Porto
Rico, Wednesday made its report to
Secretary Root. 1t recommends form
of civil government of the islands, to
take the place of the present military
regime, and submits for adoption
a code of laws. These laws it
recommends should be placed in
operation by executive decree, ar
guing that a congressional enact
ment of general laws would change
the status of the island toward the
United States and make it part of the
constitutional territory of the United
States. The code of laws and the civil
government proposed do not give Por-
to Ricans the elective franchise for
any offices nor extend to them the
privilege of trial by jury except in
United States courts in cases of felon-
les involving an amount in excess of
| $500. 1t recommends that the military
force remain in the island but be kept
in the background and touch the peo-
pie only with soft hand. English is
to be made the official language of the
island, but for the present all except
the federal courts are to be conducted
in Spanish.
The code abrogates all Spanish law
and royal DEGREES, and all systems of
procedure and substitutes the pro-
visions of the code modified after the
/ laws of the states of the United
States, and declares the common law
and privileges of equity to be in future
the law of the land where no specific
direction is found in the code.
In place of the Spanish system of
courts an American system is provided;
a supreme court, district court and
probate court with limited civil Saud
criminal jurisdiction, and justices of
| the peace and police courts in the
cities: also federal court to have ex-
elusive Jurisdiction of all official ques-
tons and concur jurisdiction in civil
and criminal matters
There are to be five supreme judges,
three of whom are to be American and
two natives; two federal judges, three
district judges and IL probate judges;
one attorney general and one deputy;
one district attorney and two deputies,
one United States marshal and two
deputies; one reporter, one clerk and
one deputy of the supreme court, one
clerk and two deputies of the federal
court, with a prosecuting attorney in
each of the seven judicial districts OF
the island, and an interpreter for each
court.
A complete civil county, township
and city government is to be provided
and all the affairs of the civil admins
tration are to be natives and higher
officers to be appointed by the pres
tdent, the others by the governor gen
eral and the commissioners. The
boundaries of the civil divisions of the
island are to follow the present Span
ish boundaries.
A public school system with pro
vision for superintendent and board
of pubic instruction and a complet tt
system of public schools conducted il
English by American teachers is pro
vided, and also night schools for ilht
crate adults. The right to teach Span
ish where demanded is given.
Full general corporation and rail
road laws, with the right of eminen
domain, are provided, thus openin!
the island to competition and endin!
the system of franchises to favoret
, corporations. All taxes which bea
heavily on the poor, and all doubl
taxes on non-residents are abrogated
, A marriage law is provided like thos
in the states, with a plan for legaliz
ing consent marriages and legitimate
ing children, one-half of whom on tn
island were born out of wedlock
Highway and poor laws are provide
and the courts are given full power t
issue writs of habeas corpus, injunc
. tions, etc.
= Speedy trials coupled with human
. punishment are sought to be secure
i by the code. Foreclosure of NOR
= cages and the redemption of propert
3 are provided for on the American plar
/ The commission recommend tina
2 this code be put into effect at once b
t the president without waiting for col
: gress to legislate on the question, sa.
ing that the people of the island al
= in distress and are still being oppres
e ed by the old Spanish laws and Gu
2 toms, leaving for congress the questio
r of such after legislation as may
:, deemed best.
Alleged Wh:tecappers Released on Bon
TAMPA, Fla, Aug. 3L-Geo. E. Du