Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-12
Provisions of the Measure Just
Passed by Congress.
The ISLANDS FUTURE GOVERNMENT
Upper Branch of Legislature to
Be Appointed.
A COMMISSIONER HERE


Ions Of the Porto Rico bill which has just
been passed by Congress:
1t applies to the Island of Porto Rico and
| to the adjacent islands lying east of the
| 18th meridian, which are designated Porto
| Rico.
From the date of the passage of the act
| the same custom duties are levied on all
goods entering Porto Rico from foreign
countries are levied on the same goods
entering the United States, save that coffee
which has free entry into the United States
| is to pay duty of ) cents per pound on
entering Porto Rico. Scientific, literary and
artistic works and books and pamphlets
| printed in the English language may enter
| Porto Rico free Of duty. The tariff section
| of the bill relating to duties between the
| United States and Porto Rico is as follows:
Tariff on Porto Rican Imports.
THAT on and after the passage of this
act all merchandise coming into the
United States from Porto Rico and coming
| into Porto Rico from the United States shall
| be entered at the several ports of entry
upon payment of 15 per cent of the duties
which are required to be levied, collected
and paid upon like articles of merchandise
imported from foreign countries; and in
addition the rate upon articles of merchan-
disc Of Porto Rican manufacture coming
| into the United States and withdrawn for
| consumption or sale upon payment of a tax
equal to the internal revenue tax imposed
| in the United States upon the like articles
| of merchandise of domestic manufacture;
| such tax to be paid by internal revenue
stamp or stamps to be purchased and pro-
vided by the commissioner of internal reve-
| nue. and to be procured from the collector of
| internal revenue at or most convenient to
the port of entry Of said merchandise in
the United States and to be affixed under
| such regulations the commissioner of
| internal revenue. with the approval of the
| Secretary of the Treasury, shall prescribe;
and on all articles of merchandise of United
| States manufacture coming into Porto Rico
| in addition to the duty above provided upon
| payment of a tax equal in rate and amount
| to the internal revenue tax imposed in
| Porto Rico upon the like articles of Porto
| Rican manufacture.
| Provision for Local Taxes.
| Provided, That on and after the date
| when this act shall take effect all mer-
| chandise and articles except coffee, not
| dutiable under the tariff laws of the United
| States, and all merchandise and articles
| entered in Porto Rico free of duty under
| orders heretofore made by the Secretary Of
| War shall be admitted into the several
| ports thereof, when imported from the
| United States, free of duty, all laws or
| parts of laws to the contrary notwithstand-
| ing; and whenever the legislative assembly
| of Porto Rico shall have enacted and put
| into operation a system of local taxation
| to meet the necessities of the government
of Porto Rico, by this act established. and
| shall by resolution duly passed notify
| the President he shall make proclama ton
| thereof, and thereupon all tariff duties
| merchandise and articles going into Porto
| Rico from the United States or coming into
| the United States from Porto Rico shall
| cease, and from and after such date all
| such merchandise and articles SHALL be en-
| tered at the several ports of entry free of
| duty; and in no event shall any duties be
| collected after the first day of March, 1892,
on merchandise and articles going into Por-
| to Rico from the United States or coming
| into the United States from Porto Rico.
| THE duties collected under the above
section shall be placed at the disposal of
the President to be used for the govern
| ment and benefit of Porto Rico until the
government of Porto Rico shall have been
organized when the moneys collected shall
| be turned into the local treasury of Porto
| Rico. Goods imported from Porto Rico and
under bond shall pay only the duty i'm
posed by this act
Government Provisions.
! The governmental provisions of the bill
| are: The capital shall be at San Juan. Per-
| sons who were Spanish subjects April IL,
| 1899, and who have not elected to preserve
| their allegiance to Spain are held to be
| citizens of Porto Rico and entitled to the
protection of the United States. The desig-
| nation of the body polite is under the
! name THE People of Porto Rico
! The laws and ordinances of Porto Rico
| now in force shall continue in full force
and effect, except as altered by this act,
| or by military orders, and which are not
| inconsistent with the laws of the United
| States.
The old law forbidding the marriage of
| priests and ministers is repealed.
| The vessels of Porto Rico are to be nat
| uralized and admitted to the benefits of the
| United States coasting laws. Quarantine
| stations are to be established. Porto Rico
! coins are to be retired, the peso being rated
| at sixty cents in the exchange. Three
| months after the act takes effect Porto
| Rico coins are not to be legal tender. Prop
| erty usually under the control of the United
| States will continue, and other proper
| ties acquired from Spain will be eiminis-
| tered by the Porto Rican government. The
| governor is to be appointed by the Prcsi-
dent and hold his office for four years. hav-
| ing the powers conferred on governors of
| territories of the United States, but is to
| make his reports through the Secretary of
| State to the President.
The Legislature.
| An executive council appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Senate, con-
ssting of a secretary, attorney general
treasurer, auditor, commissioners of in
terror and education, and five other persons
to hold Office for four years. The council
is the upper branch of the legislature, five
of whom shall be natives of Porto Rico
The other branch shall be a house of dele
gates. to consist of thirty-iive members
! elected biennially by the qualified electors
Porto Rico is divided into seven districts
each with five delegates. The qualifications
for voters are lat such elections all citi-
zens of Porto Rico shall be allowed to vote
who have been bona fide residents for one
year and who possess the other qualifca-
tionS of voters under the laws and military
orders in force on March l, 1900, subject to
such notifications and additional quaIifca-
| t!cns and such regulations and restrictions
| as to registration as may be prescribed by
| the executive council
mo person shall be eligible to member
| ship in the house of delegates who is not
| twenty-five years of age and able TO read
and write either the Spanish OF the English
language, or who is not possessed in his
. own right of taxable property, real or per-
sonal, situated in Porto Rico"
Provision is made for enacting legislation
similar to that in other territories The
judicial power is vested in courts already
established, the chief justice and associate