Evening star., 1904-02-24
REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
President Informs Senate as
to Its Organization. (
NEW CONSTITUTION N
WHAT THE PANAMAN TERRI
TORY ACTUALLY COMPRISES.
Provisions as to Citizenship and the
Preservation of Order by the
United States.
NEW CONSTITUTION N

The President today sent to the Senate
report of the Secretary of State in response
to a resolution introduced by Senator Nor
gan calling for 'such information as is in
the possession of the government of the
United States as to the present state OF Or
ganization of the government of the repub-
lie of Panama, and copy of the constitu-
ton of said republic of Panama, and such
information as to the provisions thereof as
may have been received by him. The reso-
luton also called for any ordinance or
other proceedings of the constitutional con-
yention. recently in session at Panama, re-
latng to the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty.
Secretary Hay in his report to the Presi-
dent sends a translation of the draft OF the
constitution of the republic of Panama as
substantially adopted February IA instant,
which, he says, serves to show the perma-
nent form to be given to the government.
A Republican Government.
Continuing he says:
"The present state of organization of
government of the republic OF Panama Is
republican in form, consisting OF presi-
dent Amador first vice president, AIo-
semena; a second vice president % Opaa,
and third vice president, Carlos Mendoza
elected in conformity with article l5Z OF
the constitution, by majority OF the con-
vention.
the acts of the board of provisional gov
ernment done since the Sd of November,
1903, until January 10, 1904, are expressly
ratified.
NO ordinance or other proceeding OF
the constitutional convention has been
made in relation to the treaty for the con-
struction of an inter-oceanic canal which
was signed November IS, 1903. The con-
stitutional convention of Panama did not
exercise any legislative functions pending
the formation and adoption of the con-
stitution. The constitution itself. however,
contains the following provisions:
The Panaman Territory.
"rArticle g. The territory of the republic
is composed of all the territory from which
the state of Panama was formed by the
amendment to the Grenada constitution of
1853 on February 81, 1855, and which was
transformed in 1866 into the department OF
Panama, together with its islands; and of
the continental and insular territory which
was adjudged to the republic of Colombia
in the award made by the president of the
French republic, with the Jurisdlcuonai nm
itations stipulated or which in the future
may be stipulated in treaties or conven-
tons concluded. or which in the future
may be concluded with the United States of
America concerning the construction
maintenance, protection or sanitation OF
any means of interoceanic transit.
U. S. May Intervene to Keep Order.
Article l3l. Inc government oI tne
United States of America may intervene in
any part of the republic of Panama to re-
ablish public peace and constitutional
order in the event of their being disturbed,
provided that that nation should, by'treaty
or convention, assume or have assumed
the obligation of guaranteeing the inde-
pendence and sovereignty of this repub-
lie"
The constitution In its entirety consists
of 141 articles making thirty typewriter
pages. 1t solves the question as to what
the citizens of the isthmus are to be called
In all article declaring what classes are or
shall be admitted as "Panamans In this
class are Colombians who participated in
the achievement of Panama's independence,
also foreigners declaring in support of the
new republic and who have completed ten
years residence in the territory embraced
in Panama. Six years of residence will
suffice if they are married and have a fam
lily in Panama and three years if they are
married to "a Panaman woman"