Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-03
TnE MESSAGE.
Continued from Page One.)


 Continued from Page One.C 5I-he civil government of Porto. Rico provided for by the act of the Congress annroved April 12. 1900. is in successful oneration. The courts have been estab- lished. The Governor and his associates, working intellgently and harmoniously, arc meeting with comTnendable success.
 On the 9th of November a general cleo +ion was held in the island for members If the Legislature, and the body elected cas been called to convene on the first Monday of December.
 I recommend that legislation be enact cd by the Congress conferring upon the Secretary of the Interior supervision over inc nrblic lands in Porto Rico, and that bo hc directed to ascertain the location end ouontity of lands the title to which remained in the Crown of Spain at the date of cession of Porto Rico to the Unit ed States and that appropriations neces- sary for surveys be made, and that the methods of the disposition of such lands be prescribed by law.
 On the 2Jth of July, 1900, directed that n call be issued for an election in Cuha for members of q constitutional convention to frame q constitution a hasis for q stable and independent gov ernmcnt in the island. In pursuance thereof the Military Governor issued the following instructions;
 .yNhnrcas the Congress of the United States by it's joint resolution of April 20, 1898. dcclared-
 ...That the people of the island of Cuba gre and of right ought to be, free and in dependent.
 That the United States hereby dis claims any disposition or intention to eX ercisc sovereignty. Jurisdiction, con trol over said island except for the paciti- cation thereof and asserts it's determina ton. when that is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to it's pcupic;'
 And whereas. the people of Cuba have established municipal governments. de- irving their authority from the suffrages 1 of the people given under just and equal ! laws, and are now ready. in like manner, to proceed to the establishment of gen eral government which shall assume and exercise sovereignty. Jurisdiction, and control over the island:
 ''Thcrefore. it is ordered that general 1 election be held in the island of Cuba on | the third Saturday of September, in the | year nineteen hundred, to elect delegates | to a convention to meet in the city of | Havana at twelve o'clock noon on the | first Monday of November, in the yeai | nineteen hundred. to frame and adopt 8 1 constitution for the people of Cuba, and | as part thereof to provide for and agree with the Government of the United ! States upon the relations 10 exist be | tween that Government and the govern mcnt of Cuba. and to provide for the cleo. tion by the people of officers under such | constitution and the transfer of govern meEt to the officers elected. "The election will be held in the severa voting precincts of the island under, anG pursuant to. the provisions of the electo ral law of April IS, 1900, and the amend 1 mcnts thereof
 The election was held on the 10th ot | September and the convention asscm blcd on the 9th of November, 1900, ant | is now in session.
 In calling tie convention to order, the Military Governor of Cuba made the fol l lowing statement:
 1 As Military Governor of the island representing the President of the United States, I call this convention to order.
 Tt will be your duty, first, to frame | and adopt a constitution for Cuba, anc when that has been done to formulat. what in your opinion ought to be the re lations between Cuba and the United States.
 The constitution must be adequate tC secure . stable, orderly, and free govern | ment
 | When you have formulated the rela tions which i'll your opinion ought to ex | ist between Cuba and the United State the Government of the United States vii doubtless take such action on 0art a | shall lead to final and l!;h3rtativ, agreement between the people of the tw' countries to the promotion of their com 1 mon interests.
 Al friends of Cuba will follow you deliberations with the deepest interest earnestly desiring that you shall reacl just conclusions. and that by the dignity individual self-restraint. and wise con servatisln which shall characterize you proceedings the capacity of the Cuban people for representative governmen may be signaliy illustrated.
 ''1 ne fundamental distinction between true representative government and die tatOyship is that in the former every rep rcSentative of the people, in whatever of fee, confines himself strictly within th
 li!n's of his defined powers. Withou such restraint there can be no free con stitutional government.
 Under the order pursuant to whicl you have been elected and convened 70, have no duty and no authority to talk
 part in the present government of tn
 isiaI Il. Your powers are strictly imite
 by tte terms of that ordcr.'
 When the convention concludes it's la
 bors l will transmit to the Congress tn
 constitution as framed by the convention for its consideration and for such actio
 as il may deem advisable. renew the recommendation made il
 my Special Message of February 1t
 1899, as to the necessity for cable com
 muEication between the United State
 and Hawaii. with extension to Manila
 Since then circumstances have strikingl , emphasized this need. Surveys hay
 shown the entire feasibility of chain O
 cables which at each stopping place sha
 touch on American territory, so that th
 system shall be under our own complet , control. Manla once within telegraph reach. connection with the systems of th Asiaric coast would open increased. an profitable opportunities for more direc
 cable route from our shores to the OfiC
 than is now afforded by the trans Altar
 tic. continental. and trans-Asian lines. urge attention to this important matter. The present strength of the Army 3 100, GOO mcn-G5,00O regulars and $500
 volunteers. Under the act of March
 1S99 on the 30th of June next the pres , ent volunteer force will be discharge and the Regular Army will be reduced t 2,447 officers and 29,025 enlisted men.