Act being to preserve the integrity of all of said courts and their jurisdiction until otherwise provided by law, except as in this Act otherwise specifically provided. 56. That this Act shall take effect upon approval, but until its provisions shall severally become operative, as hereinbefore provided, the corresponding legislative and executive functions of the Government in Porto Rico shall continue to be exercised and in full force and operation as now provided by law; and the Executive Council shall, until the assembly and organisation of the Legislature of Porto Rico as herein provided, consist of the Attorney-General, the Treasurer, the Commissioner of the Interior, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Health, and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Labour, and the five additional members as now provided by law. And any functions assigned to the Senate of Porto Rico by the provisions of this Act shall, until this said Senate has assembled and organised as herein provided, be exercised by the Executive Council as thus constituted Provided, however, that all appointments made by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council as thus constituted, in the Executive Council as authorised by Section 13 of this Act or in the office of Executive Secretary of Porto Rico, shall be regarded as temporary and shall expire not later than twenty days from and after the assembly and organisation of the Legislature hereinbefore provided, unless said appointments shall be ratified and made permanent by the said Senate of Porto Rico. 57. That the laws and ordinances of Porto Rico now in force shall continue in force and effect, except as altered, amended, or modified therein, until altered, amended, or repealed by the legislative authority herein provided for Porto Rico or by Act of Congress of the United States; and such legislative authority shall have power, when not inconsistent with this Act, by due enactment to amend, alter, modify, or repeal any law or ordinance, civil or criminal, continued in force by this Act as it may from time to time see fit. 58. That all laws or parts of laws applicable to Porto Rico not in conflict with any of the provisions of this Act, including the laws relating to tariffs, customs, and duties on importations into Porto Rico prescribed by the Act of Congress entitled "An Act temporarily to provide revenues and a civil Government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes,' approved the 12th April, 1900, are hereby continued in effect, and all laws and parts of laws inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed. Approved, March 2, 1917. ACT of the Congress of the United States of America to provide a temporary Government for the West Indian Islands acquired by the United States from Denmark by the Convention entered into between said Countries on the 4th day of August, 1916, and for other Purposes.-Approved, March 3, 1917. BE it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: SEC. 1. That, except as hereinafter provided, all military, civil, and judicial powers necessary to govern the West Indian Islands acquired from Denmark shall be vested in a Governor and in such person or persons as the President may appoint, and shall be exercised in such manner as the President shall direct until Congress shall provide for the Government of said islands: Provided that the President may assign an officer of the army or navy to serve as such Governor and perform the duties appertaining to said office: And provided further that the Governor of the said islands shall be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate: And provided further that the compensation of all persons appointed under this Act shall be fixed by the President. 2. That until Congress shall otherwise provide, in so far as compatible with the changed sovereignty and not in conflict with the provisions of this Act, the laws regulating elections and the electoral franchise as set forth in the code of laws published at Amalienborg the 6th day of April, 1906, and the other local laws in force and effect in said islands on the 17th day of January, 1917, shall remain in force and effect in said islands, and the same shall be administered by the civil officials and through the local judicial tribunals established in said islands respectively; and the orders, judgments, and decrees of said judicial tribunals shall be duly enforced. With the approval of the President, or under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe, any of said laws may be repealed, altered, or amended by the colonial council having jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the judicial tribunals of said islands shall extend to all judicial proceedings and controversies in said islands to which the United States or any citizen thereof may be a party. In all cases arising in the said West Indian Islands and now reviewable by the courts of Denmark, writs of error and appeals shall be to the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and, except as provided in Sections 239 and 240 of the Judicial Code, the judgments, orders, and decrees of such court shall be final in all such cases. 3. That on and after the passage of this Act there shall be levied, collected, and paid upon all articles coming into the United States or its possessions, from the West Indian Islands ceded to the United States by Denmark, the rates of duty and internal revenue taxes which are required to be levied. collected, and paid upon like articles imported from foreign countries: Provided that all articles, the growth or product of, or manufactured in such islands from materials the growth or product of such islands or of the United States, or of both, or which do not contain foreign materials to the value of more than 20 per cent. of their total value, upon which no drawback of customs duties has been allowed therein, coming into the United States from such islands shall hereafter be admitted free of duty. 4. That until Congress shall otherwise provide all laws now imposing taxes in the said West Indian Islands, including the customs laws and regulations, shall, in so far as compatible with the changed sovereignty and not otherwise herein provided, continue in force and effect, except that articles the growth, product, or manufacture of the United States shall be admitted there free of duty: Provided that upon exportation of sugar to any foreign country, or the shipment thereof to the United States or any of its possessions, there shall be levied, collected, and paid thereon an export duty of 8 dollars per ton of 2,000 lbs. irrespective of polariscope test, in lieu of any export tax now required by law. 5. That the duties and taxes collected in pursuance of this Act shall not be covered into the general fund of the Treasury of the United States, but shall be used and expended for the government and benefit of said islands under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe. 6. That for the purpose of taking over and occupying said islands and of carrying this Act into effect and to meet any deficit in the revenues of the said islands resulting from the provisions of this Act the sum of 100,000 dollars is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and to be applied under the direction of the President of the United States. 7. That the sum of 25,000,000 dollars is hereby appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be paid in the city of Washington to the diplomatic representative or other agent of His Majesty the King of Denmark duly authorised to receive said money, in full consideration of the cession of the Danish West Indian Islands to the United States made by the Convention between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Denmark entered into the 4th August, 1916,* and ratified by the Senate of the United States on the 7th day of September. 1916. * Vol. CX, page 843. 8. That this Act, with the exception of Section 7, shall be in force and effect and become operative immediately upon the payment by the United States of said sum of 25,000,000 dollars. The fact and date of such payment shall thereupon be made public by a Proclamation issued by the President and published in the said Danish West Indian Islands and in the United States. Section 7 shall become immediately effective and the appropriation thereby provided for shall be immediately available. Approved, March 3, 1917. MEMORANDUM (Extract) compiled by the United States Department of State relative to the Abrogation of certain Treaties, or Articles of Treaties, between the United States of America and various Foreign Countries (Belgium, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Congo, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Roumania, Spain. and Sweden).—Washington, March 27, 1919.* (Extract.) Belgium. Notice of the abrogation, to take effect the 1st July, 1916. of Articles XI and XII of the Treaty concluded between the United States and Belgium on the 9th March, 1880,+ was given by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress approved the 4th March, 1915 (38 Stat. L., 1164). In a note dated the 29th June, 1916, the Belgian Government indicated its acceptance of this abrogation, with the added statement that the other provisions of the Treaty were understood to remain in force. Bolivia. Notice of the abrogation, to take effect the 1st July, 1916, of Article XXXIV of the Treaty between the United States and Bolivia, concluded the 13th May, 1858, was given by the United States in a note dated the 23rd September, 1915, in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved the 4th March, 1915 (38 Stat. L., 1164). In a note dated the 4th October, 1915, the Bolivian Government indicated its acceptance of this abrogation. * United States Senate Document, No. 2 (66th Congress, 1st Session). + Vol. LXXI, page 93. Vol. XLVIII, page 759. China. Notice of the abrogation, to take effect the 1st July, 1916, of the provisions relating to deserting seamen contained in Article XVIII of the Treaty between the United States and China, concluded the 18th June, 1858,* was given by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved the 4th March, 1915 (38 Stat. L., 1164). In a note dated the 30th June, 1916, the Chinese Government indicated its acceptance of this abrogation, with the added statement that the other provisions of the Treaty were understood to remain in force. Colombia. Notice of the abrogation, to take effect the 1st July, 1916, of Article XXXIII of the Treaty between the United States and Colombia, concluded the 12th December, 1846, and of Article III of the Treaty between the United States and Colombia, concluded the 4th May, 1850, was given by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved the 4th March, 1915 (38 Stat. L., 1164). No indication of the acceptance of this abrogation by the Colombian Government has been received by the Department of State. Congo. Notice of the abrogation, to take effect the 1st July, 1916, of Article V of the Treaty between the United States and the independent State of the Congo, concluded the 24th January, 1891, § was given by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved the 4th March, 1915 (38 Stat. L., 1164). In a note dated the 29th June, 1916, the Belgian Government indicated its acceptance of this abrogation, with the added statement that the other provisions of the Treaty were understood to remain in force. Denmark. Notice of the abrogation, to take effect the 1st July, 1916, of Articles I and II of the Treaty between the United States and Denmark, concluded the 11th July, 1861, was given by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved the 4th March, 1915 (38 Stat. L., 1164). In a note dated the 2nd June, 1916, the Danish Government indicated its acceptance of this abrogation. * Vol. XLVIII, page 606. Vol. XXXIX, page 72. + Vol. XXXVI, page 994. || Vol. LIV, page 1119. |