PORTO RICANS COMPARED WITH CUBANS.

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drain upon the latter island for the benefit of Spain was a condition of which the former had no experience. The laws restricting and ultimately abolishing slavery, which were passed in the nineteenth century, affected Cuba to a much greater degree than they did Porto Rico, for in one case the proportion of slaves to the population was five times as great as in the other. In fact the general agrarian condition of the two islands was quite dissimilar. In Cuba less than half of the area under cultivation was owned by the occupants, whilst in Porto Rico nearly the whole of the farm-land was worked by the owners, who were in general small holders. The condition in the colony was greatly aggravated by ab sentee landlordism, which was an insignificant factor in the economy of the province. Had the Porto Ricans entertained any disposition to rebel, the size of the island, the absence of remote fastnesses, and the existence of good roads would have rendered the task of suppression comparatively easy. There is no doubt that considerable sympathy was felt, if not evinced, for the sister island in her struggle against tyranny, and the hereditary loyalty of the inhabitants had unquestionably begun to wane before the American invasion, for our troops were received by all classes everywhere with a ready welcome and hailed as deliverers and friends, the resistance of the soldiery being but feeble and halfhearted.

The system of government applied to Porto Rico was much the same as that under which the other colonial possessions of Spain were ruled, and the admission of the territory into the Kingdom did not involve any great changes in this respect. The Porto Rican representation in the Cortes was rather complimentary than effective in its character.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ISLAND UNDER SPAIN.

Consistent with its low estimate of the value of the possession the home government for a long period entrusted the rule of Porto Rico to men of comparatively little prominence, but from the beginning of the nineteenth century the governors-general had the military rank of field marshal, or lieutenantgeneral, and, in the event of casual vacancy, they were temporarily succeeded by the officer next in order of seniority.

A force, consisting of from two to five thousand regulars, about twice the number of trained militia, and several naval vessels, was constantly maintained in the island. The entire naval and military establishments were under the control of the governorgeneral, who was both royal delegate and commander-in-chief, and who, by virtue of the latter office, was designated and addressed as captain-general, as distinguished from his civil title of governor-general. It may, therefore, be correct to say

THE GOVERNMENT UNDER SPAIN.

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that the effective governing instrumentalities in Porto Rico were military. It was, in fact, though not in form, a military government.”*

The authority of the governor-general was practically supreme in civil, as it was in military, affairs. As president of the Real Audiencia, or Supreme Court, he dominated the judiciary and, although he was advised in legal matters by a Crown counsellor especially appointed for that purpose, he was not bound to defer to the opinion of that functionary.

In 1825, following the revolutions in the Spanish possessions of South, and Central, America, the governor-general of Porto Rico was invested with extremely despotic powers similar to those exercised by the captains-general of Cuba with tyrannical unwisdom. It does not appear, however, that the rulers of Porto Rico greatly abused their extraordinary authority.

Subsequent to the year 1813, the receipts and disbursements of the revenues, which had previously been entrusted to the governor-general, were placed in the hands of an intendant appointed by the Crown. This change was, however, rather clerical than executive in its nature, for the disposition of the funds remained under the control of the governor-general.

* Report of the Military Governor of Porto Rico, Brig. Gen. Geo. W. Davis, U. S. A., Washington, 1902.

The immediate supervision of police and municipal affairs was delegated to the cabildo, or town corporation, consisting of two boards, each composed of two alcaldes, or justices of the peace; two regidores, or aldermen; and one sindico, or syndic.

ECCLESIASTICAL, NAVAL AND COMMERCIAL
TRIBUNALS.

The ecclesiastical tribunal, which was composed of the Bishop of San Juan and the treasurer of the insular church, exercised managerial functions, but the supreme ecclesiastical authority rested with the governor-general, who was responsible for the ob servance of all regulations and orders pertaining to the Church, appointed all curas, had the power to suspend the bishop, or any other cleric, but was required to report his action to Madrid.

All naval affairs came under the control of the naval tribunal, which exercised judicial functions within its particular sphere. It was presided over by the senior naval officer, assisted by a legal adviser. Appeal from the decisions of this tribunal might be had to the admiral commanding in Cuba. The naval tribunal has some appearance of having being independent of the governor-general, but, since he was the commander-in-chief of the local navy, his will would necessarily influence its administration, if it did not absolutely direct it.

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The consulado, or tribunal of commerce, was a sort of court of arbitration taking cognizance of disputes involving the mercantile laws of the island. It consisted of a consul and two persons, one of whom was nominated by each of the contesting parties. The three arbiters sat as a court and the disputants were represented by legal counsel.

In addition to the administrative machinery already noticed, there were, a civil secretary and a chief of staff, who assisted the governor-general in his complex duties, and a board of public works. Education received little attention, or encouragement, from the administration.

PORTO RICO AS A PROVINCE OF SPAIN.

The duties and responsibilities of such tribunals and officials as we have mentioned were confined to the performance of routine business the supreme executive, legislative, and judicial authority being vested in the governor-general. He governed the island as a Spanish colony under the Laws of the Indies and such decrees as emanated from time to time from the Crown. In August, 1870, Porto Rico was declared a province of Spain and allowed representation in the national legislative body by deputies elected by universal suffrage. At the same time the island was divided into seven departments, namely, Aguadilla, Arecibo, Bayamon, Guayama,