taxes collected in the United States on goods coming from Porto Rico, shall be put into the Treasury of Porto Rico and expended for the benefit of its government and the people.

OTHER ACTS OF CONGRESS.

An Act of Congress, amendatory of the Organic Act, was passed and approved on the 2nd of March, 1901, raising the salary of the Commissioner of Education from three thousand to four thousand dollars; and empowering the Executive Council from time to time to determine the salaries of all officials and assistants appointed by the United States District Court, which are paid out of the revenues of Porto Rico, and providing that all fees, fines, costs and forfeitures, shall be paid into the Treasury of Porto Rico; and enlarging the jurisdiction of the United States Court to include cases wherein the matter in controversy exceeds one thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs; this Act also provides that jurors and witnesses shall be entitled to mileage at the rate of fifteen cents for each mile necessarily traveled by stage or private conveyance and ten cents for each mile travelled by railway in going to and returning from Court.

A Joint Resolution was passed by Congress, and approved by the President on the 4th of June, 1900, empowering the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico to change its name to the Bank of Porto Rico, and to substitute for its capital in pesos the equivalent of money in dollars, at the ratio established by law; and to amend its bylaws so that it should not be necessary for a councilor of said bank to be a Spaniard; and to make further amendments in the bylaws subject to the approval of the Governor of Porto Rico.

The Refunding Act is an Act of Congress passed on the 24th of March, 1900, commanding that the sum of $2,095,455.88, being customs revenues received on importations by the United States and Porto Rico since the evacuation and prior to the passage of the Act, or that should be thereafter collected, should be used for the government of Porto Rico and for the aid and relief of the people of this island, and for public education, public works, and other governmental and public purposes.

ANNALS ON PORTO RICO.

1493, Nov. 16th-PORTO RICO DISCOVERED BY CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 19th-Columbus landed at Aguada.

1508,

1521

1595

1597

1625

1797

1837-1869

1870

—Ponce de Leon explored the island and founded the first town, calling it Porto Rico.

-City of San Juan founded.

-Sir Francis Drake unsuccessfully assailed San Juan. -The English, under George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, captured San Juan. Shortly after abandoning the city, first burning it, on account of loss of troops by yellow fever.

-The Dutch, under Boudoyn Henrick, besieged San Juan for twenty-eight days without success.

-The English under Abercrumby and Harvey unsuccessfully attacked San Juan.

-Porto Rico ruled by special laws.

-Porto Rico declared a Province and slavery abolished. 1898, May 12th-Harbor and forts of San Juan bombarded by United States fleet under Admiral Sampson.

1898, July 25th-United States forces, under Major General Miles, landed at Guanica.

1898, Aug. 12th-Hostilities ceased.

1898, Oct. 18th-Evacuation of the island by the Spaniards completed. 1898

1898, Dec. 1899, May

1900, May

-Major General John R. Brooke appointed Governor
General of the island.

6th-Major General Guy V. Henry became Governor General.
9th-Brigadier General Geo. W. Davis became Governor

General.

1st-ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND INAUGURATION OF THE FIRST CIVIL GOVERNOR, CHARLES H. ALLEN. 1900, May 1st-Retirement of Porto Rican coin.

1900, June 28th-First meeting and organization of the Executive Council. 1900, June 29th-Supreme Court organized.

1900, Nov. 6th-Election of Resident Commissioner to Washington and thirty-five members of the House of Delegates. Re.publicans elected in every instance.

1900, Dec.

1901, Jan.

3rd-First Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico met at San Juan. 31st-Legislative Assembly adjourned, having enacted thirtysix Acts.

1901, May 23rd-Governor Allen royally welcomed on return from a short visit to the United States.

1901, July 4th-Enthusiastic and elaborate celebration of Independence

1901,

Day.

-Extraordinary session of the Legislative Assembly, to

request the President to declare free trade between Porto Rico and the United States.

1901, July 25th-President published proclamation declaring free trade.

DESCRIPTION OF PORTO RICO.

It is said that when the great Colon was describing the newly discovered island of Borinquen to Isabella, Queen of Spain, to illustrate the configuration of its surface he crumpled a silk handkerchief in his hand and threw it down on the marble table before his sovereign. He could scarcely have given a more striking and correct representation of this island with its mountains, hills, valleys, and playas, with its cliffs and gorges, its glens and streams running in every direction from the center to the sea.

The central cordillera, extending irregularly from Mount Yunque, near the eastern coast to Cape San Francisco on the utmost western verge of the island, forms the comb of the watershed, directing the streams on their courses towards the ocean. Forty-six rivers and more than a thousand smaller streams find their sources in the interior mountains and their outlets, through the grassy playas that fringe the foothills, in the Atlantic on the north and the Caribbean on the southern border. Woods and groves crown hills and mountains, increasing in density with the elevation; till on the slopes of Mount Yunque, rising to its peak 3600 feet above the sea, they form an almost impenetrable forest. Along the margins of the streams are narrow valleys which widen as the stream grows larger, until they join the encircling playa. The soil from peak to beach is everywhere remarkably fertile.

The principal rivers are the Loiza, Plata, Bayamón, Cibuco, Manatí, Arecibo, Camuy, and Guajataca flowing north; the Portugés, Jacaguas, Descalabrado, Coamo, Guamani, and Guayanes flowing south; the Fajardo, Naguabo, and Humacao flowing east; and the Mayagüez, Añasco, Culebrinas, and Guanajitos flowing west. Other numerous and well filled streams are perhaps as worthy of mention as these, but they can be found on the map.

Many of them are navigable for ten or fifteen kilometers for small craft, but sandbars across their mouths shut out the larger vessels. Half a dozen small fresh water lakes lie near the coast to the north and south of the central hills.

The principal harbors are those of San Juan, Guanica, and Jobos, which are land-locked; and those of Ponce, Mayagüez, Aguadilla, and Arecibo, which are merely open roadsteads. All the harbors require improvement and dredging.

The adjacent islands are Vieques, Culebra, Mona, and a score of smaller ones. Vieques has a fertile soil and is well populated. Culebra has a very fine harbor, quite fit for a coaling station and to shelter naval vessels. Mona has a lighthouse. Many of the islands can be utilized for prisons, leper colonies, insane asylums, and the like.

Porto Rico lies farther to the east and south than any other of the Antilles. It is almost a perfect parallelogram, and its four sides follow almost exactly the four cardinal lines of the compass. It lies between latitudes 17° 54′ and 18° 30′ north, and longitudes 65° 13′ and 67° 15' west. It is about one hundred and sixty-eight kilometres from east to west and fifty-six kilometres from north to south; and contains in superficial area something less than 928,000 hectares. The island is situated distant from New York 1420 miles, Habana 1000 miles, Key West 1050 miles, Charleston 1200 miles, Panama 1200 miles, Nicaragua 1400 miles, Cadiz in Spain 3000 miles.

Professor Hill says: "The general aspect of the island is that of a corrugated, mountainous landscape; its lofty summits and fertile plains, the abundance of flowing streams, the variety of vegetation, including palms which elevate their fronds above the lower stratum of evergreen, the bright patches of cultivated fields, the clear skies, mild temperature, and invigorating winds, give to the country an engaging aspect."

SKETCH OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

The United States constitutes a Federal Republic, created by a written constitution, which defines its scope and powers. The Constitution of the United States creates three governmental departments: the Legislative, which enacts the laws; the Executive, which administers the laws; the Judicial, which interprets the laws.

The Congress of the United States constitutes the Legislative Department, and consists of the Senate or Upper Chamber, and the House of Representatives or Lower House.

The members of the House of Representatives are elected for two years by direct vote of the people, each state's quota being determined by the number of its inhabitants.

The Senate is formed of two members from each state. Unlike the House of Representatives these are not elected by the direct vote of the people, the State Legislatures selecting the senators who represent their state.

To be eligible as either a Senator or Representative, a person must be able to conform to certain restrictions of age and residence.

The terms of office of one-third of the senators expire every second year, leaving the new Senate composed of two-thirds of the old members, the idea being that although the House may be composed almost entirely of inexperienced members, the Senate with always a majority of men of experience, will act as a check against unwise legislation.

Each House chooses its own officers, the Vice-President of the United States being the President of the Senate.

The executive power is vested in the President of the United States, who is elected for four years. He must be a native citizen of the United States, at least thirty-five years of age. He is not elected by the direct vote of the people, but through electors chosen by the people who