The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1909-05-10
lative Assembly.
Especial from United Fress.)

President expressed the opinion that
the United States has gone too far in
the extension of the powers of self
government to the people of Porto
Rico and recommends certain modifi-
cations in the so-called Foraker bill
which provides for the administration
of affairs in that island. He censur-
ed unsparfngly the action of the House
of Delegates of the island in refusing
to pass the appropriation bills for the
coming fiscal year and expressed the
ACCESSIBILITY of taking from this lower
body of the Porto Rfcan> Assembly the
power thus to hamper the government
of the island. The message says in
part:
can emergency has arisen in Porto
Rico which makes it necessary for me
to invite the attention of Congress to
the affairs Of that, island and to rec
ommend legislation at the present ex-
ira session amending the act under
which the island is governed.
sThe regular session of the legisla-
tive assembly Of Porto Rico adjourned
March IL, last, without passing the
usual appropriation bills. A special
convened by the Governor but after
three days on March 16 it again ad-
journed without making the appro-
priations. This leaves the island gov
eminent without provision for its sup
port after June 80. next. The situa-
ton presented is therefore of an I'M
usual gravity.
THE present government OF Porto
Rico was established by what is
known as the Foraker act Under
that act the chief executive is a Gov
ernpr appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate A secre-
tary-gove1nor, a treasurer. auditor,
commissioner of education together
with five other appointees Of the Pres
ident constitute the executive council
The executive council must have IN its
men1bef4htps not less than five native
P0rf0 RxcAnS The legislative power.
H. vested In the legislative assembly,
which has two coordinate branches.
The first Of these is the executive
council Just described and the second
is the group Of delegates. popular and
representative body, with members
elected by the qualified electors of the
seven districts into which the island
is divided.
saThen since the institution of the
present assembly the House of Dele
gates has uniformly held up the ap-
propriation bills until the last minute
of the regular session and has sought
to use the power to do so as a means
of compelling the concurrence of the
executive council in legislation which
the House desired"
The message goes on to tell how the
executive council in the last assembly
refused to pass certain bills that had
been passed by the House of Dele
gates whereupon the latter body re-
fused to pass the necessary appropria-
ton bills.
The facts described says the mes
cage, demonstrate the unwillin gneSS of
the representatives Of the people in the
House Of Delegates to submit to the
passage OF certain legislation. The
House Of Delegates proposes itself to
secure this legislation without respect
to the opposition Of the executive coun-
eminent. This spirit which has been
growing from year to year in Porto
Rico shows that too great power has
been vested in the House of Delegates
and that its members are not sufficient
1y alive to their oath taking response
bility OF government to justify Con-
gress in further reposing in them abso-
lutte power to withhold appropriations
necessary for the governments life.
For these reasons I recommend
to the Foraker act provid-
ing that whenever the legislative as
sembly shall adjourn without making
the appropriations necessary to carry
on the government sums equal to the
appropriations made in the previous
year for respective purposes shall be
collected by great revenue and shall
be drawn by an order on the treas.
urer and countersigned by the Cover
nor. Such a provision applies to the
legislature of the Philippines and Hal
wall
ssThe House of Delegates sent COM
nittee of three to Washington while |
the executive council was represented |
by the secretary and a committee con-
sisting Of the attorney general, treas
urer and auditor. have had one per- |
sonal interview with the committee |
representing the House of Delegates |
and suggested to them that if the |
House Of Delegates would pass the ap- |
-fafS 1.i11
the passage of the other bills by the |
executive council, I would send a rep |
of the government to Porto |
Rico to make an investigation and re-
port in respect to the proper legisla-
ton"
Their answer, which the President,
quoted, showed that the committee
was in a compromising mood. The
many advantages to the people of
Porto Rico under American control,
both educational and commercial, and
combats strenuOusly the claim of the
of the House of Dele
gates that they are subjected to ''po-
itica1 opposition and a much less lib
eral government than under that of
SPAIN"
cit Is idle" ne said, 'sto compare the
political power of the Porto Ricans
under the Royal DEGREES Of 1897 when
heir capacity to exercise it with bene-
lit to themselves was never in fact
-eSCeQ, TO InaL winch 1ney nave under
the Foraker act. The question we
nave before us is whether their course
since the adoption of the Foraker act
1oes not show the necessity for with
holding from them absolute power given
by that act to the legislative assembly
,ver appropriations when the House of
Delegates as a coordinate branch of
hat assembly shows itself willing and
anxious to use such absolute power not
o support and maintain the govern
nent but to render it helpless.
eff the Porto Ricans desire change
n the form of the Foraker act this is
! matter for Congress. But no action
houzd Be begun until after. by special