The times., 1899-08-31
LAWS FOR PORTO RICO.
rhe InsuInr Commfssion Submits ITS
Report to Mr.. Root


The Insular Commission appointed by the
President some months ago to enquire into
and report on the conditions of Porto Rico
and draft code of laws for the island com
pleted its work yesterday and presented
its report 10 Secretary Root While the
Commission made some investigation OF
Cuba, its work has been confined almost
exclusively to Porto Rico. In the letter
submitted the Commission says:
I'VE submit herewith a draft of a code
of laws civil and criminal, with provisions
for quasi-ciyil or provisional government
as part of the military government of
the Island of Porto Rico with the recon-
mendation that they be at once promulgated
as the laws governing Porto Rico under
military control
The Commission states that by reason of
the order Of August 2, requiring them to
submit their final report by August 80, on
account of the lack of funds to longer
maintain the Commission, the work has
been more hurried than it should have
been. AS to the preparation of the code
it is announced that certain United States
statutes, applying to general subjects, has
been adopted. The letter says: The CODE
| Will be found to embrace every subject Tor
a complete government, and 10 be a code
of laws complete in itself, suppiahtlng OF
embodying all former laws and orders, ana
! applying the common law, ana equitapie
| principles. as construed and enforced IN the
United States
| The Commission recommends the adop-
| ton of a system of public improvements
| throughout the island, regulated by laws
| similar to those prevailing In the united
| States, and which will open up great neld
] of labor for the distressed Porto Ricans-
| Attention is called to the fact that there
! is a great field in Porto Rico for the en-
! ployment of capital. which stands waiting
| for permission to enter.
| AS to franchises, 1t is pointed out that
| owing to the limited time at the Commits
sion's disposal, 1t was unable to determine
| the merits OF the many applications be-
| fore it. The Commission thinks however,
| that these matters should be taken up at
| once without waiting for the authority OF
Congress, and that franchises should be
granted wherever proper. 1t recommends,
| however, that great care should be exer-
| cised in the making of grants, and that
as far as possible municipalities should
be governed directly by the general gov
/ ernment of Porto Rico in all such matters.
AS to entering upon the work of a Terri
toriaI or State government, it is thought
best to wait until the people have had an
opportunity to become better educated be-
fore granting them the unrestricted right
to govern the island. The report says:
'Tnis applies to municipal government
as well as to the whole island, as what is
true of the island is true of each munich
pality. The municipalities are, If possible,
in more need of reforms than the govern
ment of the island and will have TO be
more strictly guarded against extravaganza.
There is no place to draw the line, in
our opinion, at present; all officers should
be appointed and firm hold kept On the
government of each city and municipality
by the general government of the island. >
The Commission recommends a general
revision of the tariff rates on articles i'm
ported by the island from the United
States, and suggests that this revision
should be made at once. 1t is claimed
by the Commission that after more than
years occupancy of the island by the
United States, that the people are. so far
as courts, prisons, taxes district and mu-
nicipal extravaganza is concerned, no bet
| Ter eff than when under subsection to Span
ish rule. The same laws are still in ex-
istence as then, and the same methods
of procedure are still in force.
Referring to the confinement of people
in prisons awaiting trial, it says: THE
United States has had possession and occu-
pancy of this island and its people for more
than a year, and these outrages are con-
tinued under the supervision and direction
of the United States" This the Commits
sion believes will be remeded by the i'm
mediate PRONUNCIATION of the code of laws
submitted for consideration, and concludes
with the following statement:
I'VE submit this report with our most
earnest appeal for immediate action so that
there may come, and come swiftly, day OF
relief and rejoicing to those who are now
under our flag and entitled to our protec-
tion." The report is signed by Robert p.
Kennedy, Charles w. Watkins, and H. C.
Curtis.