The record-union., 1899-08-31
Commission Appointed TO Study
Conditions Of Island
Hands In lis Report on the Subject to
Secretary of War Root.
Recommends That a Form OF Civil
Government to Replace the Mil
itary Regime, and Submits for
Adoption a New Code OF Laws
for the Island.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.-The In
sular Commission, consisting Of General
Kennedy Judge Curtis and Major Wat
kins, which has given six months
study to the conditions of Porto Rico,
to-day made it's report to Secretary
Root.
1t recommends a form of civil gov
ernment for the island, to take the
place of the present military regime
and submits for adoption code OF
laws. Those laws it recommends should
be placed in operation by the execu-
tive decree, arguing that Congress
sional 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 Unit
ed States.
The code of laws and the civil gov
ernment proposed to not give to Porto
Ricans the elective franchise for any
| offices, nor extend to them the prlvl-
| lege of trial by jury except in United
States courts in cases of felonies or
civil cases involving an amount in ex-
cess of $500. 1t recommends that the
military force remain in the island but
the people only with soft hand. En-
glish 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 obligates all Spanish law
and royal DEGREES and all systems of
procedure, and substitutes the provis-
| ions of the code modified after the laws
4 III
declares the common law and princi-
pies 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 pro-
vided; a Supreme Court, a District
Court and a Probate Court with limited
civil and criminal jurisdiction, and
! Justices of the Peace and Police Courts
| in the cities; also a Federal Court to
| have exclusive jurisdiction of all Fed
eral questions and concurrent jurisdic
| tion in civil and criminal matters.
| There are to be five Supreme Judges,
three of whom are to be American ard
| two natives.
A complete civil, county, township
and city government is to be provided,
and all officials of the civil admins
/ tration are to be natives, the higher
offices to be appointed by the Presi-
dent, the others by the Governor Cen
eral and the County Commissioners.
| A public school SYSTEM with provis-
ion for a superintendent and Board of
Public Instruction, and a complete sys-
| tenn of public schools, conducted in
English by American teachers, is pro-
vfded, and also night schools for illit-
crate adults. The right to teach Span
ish where demanded is given.
Full general corporation and railroad
| laws with the right of eminent domain
are provided, thus opening the island to
| competition, and ending the system CT
| franchises to favored corporations. All
| taxes which bear heavily on the poor
| and all double taxes on non-residenrs
are abrogated
a marriage law is provided like those
in the States, with a plan for legalizing
consent marriage and legitimatizing
children, one-half Of whom on the is
land 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 question,
saying that the people of the island 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 Porto
Ricans have lost their markets in Spain
| for their coffee by reason of increased
| duties, and the industry is now Ian
| gushing for want of an immediate
market for their productions; that
many of the people are dependent upon
| this industry for employment and sub
sistence, and that there must be dis
tress until the coffee raisers and coffee
handlers can build up a trade with the
United States, and it recommends that
| the Government of the United States
purchase the coffee for our army and
navy in Porto Rico.
Porto Rico" says the commission,
''is now part of the United States,
and the protection of home industries
and the defense and care of our own
people is one of the recognized prin-
| ciples of our Government"
| AS showing the immediate need of
! legal tribunals, the fact is cited that
| ia prisoners at San Juan are held
awaiting trial. In this list eleven
prisoners have been confined from ten
months to nearly five years without
| trial, and in some instances without
charges of any kind against them. One
man was confined for four years, seven
months and fourteen days awaiting
| trial, and a woman has been confined
in this same jail for three years and
| twenty four days without trial. and no
charges of any kind placed against her.
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE.