The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-11
FOR PORTO RICO.
Report Of the Insular
Commission.
Submits for Adoption Code of
Laws to Replace the Present
Military Regime.

| Kennedy, Judge Curtis and Major Wat
| kins, which has given six months
study 80 the conditions of Porto Rico.
| today made its report to Secretary
Root. 1t recommends form of civil
government for 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 the execu-
tive decree, arguing that Congress
ional enactment 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 to Porto Ricans the elective fran
chise for any offices nor extend to them
the privilege of trial by jury except in
cases OF felOnies or civil cases inyoly-
ing an amount in excess of $500 1t
recommends that the military force re-
main in the island, but be kept in the
background and touch the people only
with soft hand. English is to be
made the official language of the ISL
and, but for the present all except the
Federal courts are to be conducted in
Spanish.
Inc code Obl1terateS all Spanish law
and royal DEGREES and all systems of
procedure and substitutes the provi-
sions of the code modified after the
laws of the States of the United States
and declares the common law and
principles of equity to be in future the
law of the land where no specific direc-
ton is found in the code
In place of the Spanish system of
courts an American system is prOvid-
ed; supreme court, district court
and probate, with limited civil and
criminal jurisdiction, and justices of
the peace and police courts in the cit
les; also a federal court to have eX-
elusive jurisdiction of all federal ques-
tons and concurrent jurisdiction in |
civil and criminal matters.
There are to be five supreme judges, |
three of whom are to be American and |
two natives.
A complete civil, county, township |
and city government is to be provided |
and all officials of the civil administra-
ton are to be natives, the higher Off
GERS to be appointed by the President
the Otn0fS Dy the Governor General
and the County Commissioners.
A public school system with provi-
sion for superintendent and Board of
Public Instruction and complete sys-
tenn of public schools, conducted in
English by American teachers, is pro-
vided and also night schools for illit
crate adults. The right to teach Span
ish where demanded is given.
Full oanpraJ corDnratiOp and railroad
laws with the right of eminent domain
are provided, thus opening the island |
to competition and ending the system |
of franchises to favored corporations. |
All taxes which bear heavily on the |
poor and all double taxes on nOn-resi- |
dents are abrogated. 4 marriage law [
is provided like those in the States, |
with plan for legaliZing consent mar |
riage and legitimatizing children, one |
half of whom on the island were born
out of wedlock.
The commission recommends that |
the proposed code be put into effect at |
once by the President without waiting |
for Congress to legislate on the ques- |!
ton, saying that the people of the ISL /
and are in distress and are still being |
oppressed by the old Spanish laws and
customs; leaving for Congress the |
question of such after-legislation as
may be deemed best.
The commission states that the Por-
TO Ricans have lost their markets In
Spain for their coffee by reason Of in
creased duties and the industry is now
languishing for want Of an Immediate
market for their productions; that
many of the people are dependent up
on this industry for employment and
no
distress until the coffee raisers and
offee-handlers can biuld up trade
with the United States, and it recon-
mends that the Government of the
United States purchase the coffee for
our army and navy in Porto Rico.
AS to franchises the laws submitted
do away with all necessity for the sale
of franchises or special grants there
for by permitting any persons to in
corporate under the general incOrpOr-
alton law and extending the right of
eminent domain to all Quasi-publlc cor
porations.
There ought in the opinion of the
commission, TO be general revision Of
the tariff rates on articles imported by
the island from the United States and
reductions made on articles OF prime
necessity and total release on some ar
ticles. This new revision, it is ar
gued. should be made at once and put
in force Following this it is suggest
ed that Congress grant authority to the
President to arrange a schedule of re-
ciprocal tariff duties in Porto Rico.
The commission lays stress on the
need of civil reform in the island and
says:
All the complications growing out of
the currency in Porto Rico cannot be
remedied until Congress shall place
sufficient fund in the hands of the
President in the shape of silver certifl-
Gates or treasury notes, all legal ten
der for their face value, to enable him
to take up all the Porto Rican silver
and authorize him to have it re-cOined
into prican silver dollars or cert fl.