THE CUBA REVIEW. 



17 



GOVERNMENT MATTERS. 



The trial of Masso Parra, 

 Cuban Lara Miret and others for sedi- 

 Sedition tion ended Jan. 30. It brought 

 Trial, a curious plea frora Mr. Jor- 

 rin, the counsel of Parra. 

 He said a Cuban Republic did not exist, 

 and that the Spanish penal code defined 

 treason as conspiring against the "supreme 

 government," which in this case was the 

 United States. He said also that Judge 

 Advocate General Davis's opinion given to 

 President Roosevelt, viewed Cuba as United 

 States territory. The President's February 

 I order also sustained this view, and his dis- 

 regard of the provision of the Cuban con- 

 stitution fixing one hundred days between 

 the election of senators by the electoral col- 

 lege and the notice of the election. All this, 

 said Sehor Jorrin, contradicted Governor 

 Magoon's contention that he was merely a 

 Cuban executive and not an American of- 

 ficial. Despite this novel defense convic- 

 tion of the accused is probable. 



Castellanos, Miret's lawyer, 



Jorrins' took the opposite view, and 



Curious attacked Jorrin's argument. 



Plea. saying that Cuba was fully 



sovereign and independent 



and that the Spanish penal code was not 



applicable to a republic. Hence, there were 



no penalties existing in Cuba and his client 



was not punishable. The attorney-general 



asked for a sentence of three years and six 



months, and on February 5 Masso Parra 



and two others were sentenced to this term 



of imprisonment. Jose Miret was acquitted. 



January 17. Certain plans 

 New proposed by Col. Black, of the 

 Havana Department of Public Works, 

 Piers. for the construction of three 

 piers between the passenger 

 landing at Machina wharf and the ferry 

 wharves at Luz Street, were recently un- 

 der consideration by the board of navi- 

 gation. 



These piers are to be each 600 feet long 

 and 128 feet wide, with slips between to 

 accommodate vessels unloading. The board 

 'decided that the location chosen was un- 

 desirable, the wreck of the Maine being a 

 menace to' ships docking, especially to those 

 using the southernmost piers. No other 

 position for these improvements has as yet 

 been suggested. 



A new law for the organ- 

 Increase in ization of a Cuban Army 

 Cubas Armed was completed by the ad- 

 Forces. visory commission on Feb- 

 ruary 4 and forwarded to 

 Washington the following day. The new 

 force will insure stability in the Cuban 

 Republic because sufficient to quell fur- 

 ther revolutions should they occur. It 

 will be separated from the Rural Guard, 



and the entire force of native troops will 

 number 9,000 men. 



United States Consul-Gen- 

 Registration eral James L. Rodgers gives 

 of American notice that all American citi- 

 Citizens. zens native born and natural- 

 ized, children born abroad of 

 American parents, widows or divorced 

 women, who have acquired American citi- 

 zenship by marriage, who are residents of 

 Cuba, are invited to register at his office 

 in the National Bank of Cuba building, 

 Cuba and Obispo Sts., Havana. Naturalized 

 American citizens applying should present 

 their papers. Children as described above 

 declaring their intention to become residents 

 of Cuba and remain citizens of the United 

 S'tates, must be between 18 and 19 years of 

 age. 



This registration is in conformity to the 

 act of March 2, 1907, and to the executive 

 order of April 8, 1907, and applies only to' 

 residents and not to transient visitors. 

 The Census of Cuba. 

 The following table is a statement of 

 present population and the population in 

 1899 by provinces : In- 



1899 1907 crease 



Pinar del Rio.... 173,082 240,781 2>9%' 



Havana 424,811 518,524 23% 



Matanzas 202,462 239,866 18% 



Santa Clara 3S6,537 457,897 28% 



Camaguey 88,237 II7,432 33% 



Oriente 327,716 453,782 38% 



1,572,845 2,028,282 29% 

 Growth in Santa Clara Province. 



1899 1907 



Census Census 



Caibarien 8,650 10,415 



Calabazar 13,698 16,606 



Camajuani I3,i77 14,613 



Cienfuegos 59, 128 7o,73tJ 



Cruces 7,953 10,245 



Esperanza 12,515 18,129 



Palmira 12,972 I5,8S3 



Placetas 11,961 16,631 



Quemado de Guines 8,890 11,295 



Rancho Veloz 14,486 14,680 



Ranchuelo 10,156 12,637 



Rodas 17,784 22,080 



Sagua 24,640 26,563 



Vueltas 12,832 16,913 



Sancti Spiritus 25,7091 36,532 



Remedies 16,151 21,713 



Santa Clara 29,940 46,632 



Lajas 9,603 1 1,407 



Santo Domingo 13,302 20,770 



TrinidadI 24,271 29,562 



Yaguajay 9,718 14,050 



Total ._ 357,536 458,062 



Increase in numbers, 1907 over 



1899 100,526 



Percentage of increase 28.47 



