The age-herald., 1899-08-31
A GOVERNMENT
 FOR PORTO RICO
Commission Recommends a Sys-
 tenn of Civil Courts.
DEGREE OF THE EXECUTIVE
Congressional Enactment of General Laws Would Change the Statusof
 the Island Toward the United States-The Outline.

Washington, August 30.-The insular commission, consisting of General Kenne- dy Judge Curtis and Major Watkins, which has given six months study to tine conditions of the island of Porto Rics, to- day made its report to Secretary Root. It recommends form of civil government of the island to take the place of the present military regime and submits for adoption a code of laws.
 These laws, 1t recommends should be placed in operation by executive decree, arguing that congressional enactment of general laws would change the etatus of the island toward the United States and make 1t part of the constitutional terri tory of tine United States. The code of laws and the civil government proposed do not give the Porto 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 felonies involving an amount in excess of $500. It recommends that the military force remain in the island, but be kept in the back ground and touch the people only with soft hand. English is to be made the off, cial language of the island, but for the present all except the federal courts are to be conducted in Spanish. The code ab- rosates all Spanish laws and royal de- crees and all systems of procedure and substitutes the provisions of the code modelled after the laws of the states of the United States and declares the common laws and principles 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, supreme court, district court and probate court
 with limited civil jurisdictions; also a fed eral court to have exclusive jurisdiction of all federal questions and concurrent juris- diction in civil and criminal matters. There are to be five supreme judges, three of whom are to be Americans and two na- lives; two federal judges, district judges and eleven probate judges, one attorney general and one deputy; one district at- torney 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 disticts of the islands,; and an interpreter for each court. A complete civil code of township and city is to be provided, and all the officers of the civil administration are to be na- tive, the highest officials to be appointed l by the president, the others by the govern or general and the county commissioners l The boundaries of the civil divisions Of 1 the island are to follow the present Spanish boundaries.
 A public school system with provisions for superintendent and board of public instruction, and complete system of pub lie schools conducted in English by Amerl-
 can teachers is provided and also night
 schools for illiterate adults. The right to
 teach Spanish where demanded is given.
 Full general corporation and railroad laws with the right of eminent domain are
 provided, thus opening the island to com petition and ending the system of fran chises to favored corporations. All taxes which bear heavily on the poor and all
 double taxes on non-residents are abro- gated. A marriage law is provided like those in the states, with plan for legaliz- ing consent marriages and legitimatizing children, one-half of whom on the island were born out of wedlock.
 Highway and poor laws are provided, and the courts given full power to issue writs of habeas corpus, injunctions, etc.
 Speedy Trials Sought
 Speedy trials, coupled with humane pun ishment, are sought to be secured by the code. Foreclosure of mortgages and the redemption of property are provided for on the American plan. The commission recommends that this code be put into eff feet at once by the president without walt ing for congress to legdslate on the ques- tion, saying that the people of the island are in distress and are sti1a being oppress- ed by the old Spanish laws and customs, leaving for congress the question of such after legislation as may be deemed best.
 The committee states that the Porto Ri- cans have lost their markets in Spain for their coffee because of increased duties, and the industry is now languishing for want of an immediate market for their productions; that many of the people are dependent upon this industry for employ merit and subsistence. and that there must be distress urtdl the coffee raisers and cof- fee handlers can build up 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, which, the commission says, produces as fine coffee as is found in the world, and
 thus give our soldiers and sailors the best
 of coffee, and at the same time relieve the distressed condition of the Porto Rcan
 people
 Protection of Industsies
 "Porto Rico," says the commission" is now a part of the United States and the protection of home industries and the de- fense and care of our own people is one of the recognized principles of our govern ment."
 The commission also presented to Secre- tary Root a joint letter setting forth in an interesting manner the general condi- tions prevailing in Porto Rico, the main problems presented in extending American rrle to the island and particularly urging prompt action to relieve the distress and Expression incident to the present unset tied state of affairs. As to the general need of an American system in Porto Rico, | the letter says:
 "No other matters demand such imme- diate and prompt attention as these. It Is | a matter of imperative necessity that these | people be speedily relieved from their pres | ent positions and from the system of op- J pression under which they have been la- boring for hundreds of years A horde of | oficeholders is eating up the substance of ! the people; the taxes gathered from every | possible sourc are now not used for their | benefit but foT their oppression, and they