THE CUBA REVIEW. 



THE CUBAN CONGRESS. 



SESSION OF MAY 3. 



Bill on subsidizing railways 

 Proceedings referred to the Committees of 

 of the the Treasury, Budget and 

 Senate. Codes. 



Bill soliciting an appropria- 

 tion of $6,000 as contribution to the Second 

 Cuban Medical Congress was referred to 

 the Treasury Committee. 



SESSION OF MAY 5. 



It was agreed to ask the Executive for 

 all the data referring to the construction of 

 a bridge over the Almendares River. 



SESSION OF MAY 10. 



Reading of the report of the Committee 

 on Military Affairs favorable to the Bill 

 approved in the Chamber creating three of- 

 fices of dentists of the permanent Army, 

 with the rank of Captain and Lieutenant. 



Reading of various messages from the 

 Executive, among them one soliciting an 

 appropriation of not less than $100,000 to 

 buy in Washington a house for the Lega- 

 tion of Cuba. 



SESSION OF MAY 12. 



Bill ordering that horses, beef cattle, 

 sheep, goats and hogs, pay 3c. per kilo on 

 entering Cuba, to favor national stock-rais- 

 ing and its industries. It was referred to 

 the Committees of the Tariff and of the- 

 Treasury. Under Governor Magoon the 

 duty was 2}i cents per kilo. 



Reading of the Report of the Committee 

 of Agriculture favorable to granting a cred- 

 it to find remedies for the cocoanut palm 

 disease. 



SESSION OF MAY 14. 



Message from the Executive transmitting 

 the regulation by which cock-fights were 

 governed. It was referred to the Commit- 

 tees on Social Reforms and Codes. 



Motion of Mr. Gonzalo Perez to solicit 

 from the Executive the sending of a report 

 about the contract for sewers and pave- 

 ments in Havana, and to learn to what ex- 

 tent and with what powers it had been 

 modified by the Secretary of Public Works. 

 Such modifications, it was contended, were 

 illegal. Congress having power exclusively 

 to' make changes. The motion was carried. 



SESSION OF MAY 15. 



A bill to divide municipal judges into 

 three classes and to provide salaries instead 

 of fees which have long been deemed exces- 

 sive and oppressive on people of small 

 means. A bill on the same date removes 

 the four-year renewal clause for justices of 

 the Audiencia. It tends to their protection 

 as under the new Judiciary law they are 

 susceptible to removal every four years. 



SESSION OF MAY 3. 



Bill granting an appropria- 



Procecdings tion of $11,000 for the con- 



of the struction of the Aqueduct at 



House. Songo, Oriente Province. 



Referred to the Committees 



of Public Works and of the Budget. 



An appropriation of $2,385 for the pur- 

 chase of X-ray apparatus for the Mercedes 

 Hospital, was approved. 



SESSION OF MAY 5. 



A bill was introduced making an 8-hour 

 day for employees of the S'tate, the Province, 

 and the Municipality. It was voted down 

 and the report disapproved. 



A report of the Committee of Public In- 

 struction, unfavorable to the Bill that made 

 the reading of the Constitution obligatory in 

 the schools, was approved. 



A Bill prohibiting the circulation of 

 tickets, badges or medals, in place of wages, 

 was approved. 



The preamble of this bill says that "over 

 $2,000,000 of these pay checks and medals 

 are paid to laborers, which are exchange- 

 able only at the stores within the confines 

 of the mill or farm at discounts amounting 

 to from 10 to 40 per cent." 



A Bill creating a commission for liquida- 

 ting the Army Debts was referred to the 

 Auditing and Treasury Committees. 



SESSION OF MAY 7. 



A Bill to qualify for trade the ports of 

 Esperanza and Colonia, in the Province of 

 Pinar del Rio, was referred to the Com- 

 mittee of Agriculture, Industry and Com- 

 merce. 



SESSION OF MAY 10. 



A Bill authorizing the Executive to effect 

 a loan of $2,500,000 for public works in the 

 provinces, was referred to the Committees 

 of the Treasury, Budget and Public Works. 



A Bill conceding an appropriation for the 

 construction of five kilometers of highways 

 (wagon roads) between Santa Rita and 

 Jiguani, from Bayamo to Baire, was re- 

 ferred to the Committee on Public Works. 



SESSION OF MAY 12. 



Debate on Lottery Bill continued. Repre- 

 sentative Colloro' made the statement that 

 the last American intervention brought 

 about the economic trouble which made 

 such expedients at the National Lottery 

 necessary for revenue purposes. 



A Bill appropriating $75 monthly for Jose 

 Maceo, son of Major General Jose Maceo, 

 for his education, was referred to the proper 

 committee. 



SESSION OF MAY 15. 



Amendment offered that 10 per cent, of 

 the net proceeds of the lottery be devoted 

 to fighting tuberculosis. 



