Office of the Historian

[Untitled]

Headquarters Division of Cuba,
Habana, July 25, 1900.

No. 301.

The military governor of Cuba directs the publication of the following instructions:

Whereas the Congress of the United States by its joint resolution of April 20, 1898, declared—

That the people of the island of Cuba are, and of right ought to be, free and independent;

That the United States hereby disclaims any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people;

[Page 359]

And whereas the people of Cuba have established municipal governments, deriving their authority from the suffrages of the people given under just and equal laws, and are now ready in like manner to proceed to the establishment of a general government which shall assume and exercise sovereignity, jurisdiction, and control over the island: Therefore, it is

Ordered, That a general election be held in the island of Cuba on the third Saturday of September, in the year 1900, to elect delegates to a convention to meet in the city of Habana at 12 o’clock noon on the first Monday of November, in the year 1900, to frame and adopt a constitution for the people of Cuba, and, as a part thereof, to provide for and agree with the Government of the United States upon the relations to exist between that Government and the Government of Cuba, and to provide for the election by the people of officers under such constitution and the transfer of government to the officers so elected.

The election will be held in the several voting precincts of the island under and pursuant to the provisions of the electoral law of April 18, 1900, and the amendments thereof.

The people of the several provinces will elect delegates in number proportioned to their populations as determined by the census, viz:

  • The people of the province of Pinar del Rio will elect 3 delegates.
  • The people of the province of Habana will elect 8 delegates.
  • The people of the province of Matanzas will elect 4 delegates.
  • The people of the province of Santa Clara will elect 7 delegates.
  • The people of the province of Puerto Principe will elect 2 delegates.
  • The people of the province of Santiago de Cuba will elect 7 delegates.

J. B. Hickey,
Assistant Adjutant-General.