Mr. Finch to Mr.
Hay.
American Legation,
Montevideo,
Uruguay, October 18,
1904.
No. 786.]Sir: I inclose translation of the message of
President Batlle to the Assembly General, dated October 15, 1904,
submitting the terms on which peace was negotiated with the
revolutionary leaders, together with a brief accompanying
explanation.
I also inclose translation of the law which was submitted by the
President with his message legalizing the terms and stipulations entered
into by the Executive.
The law of interdictions, as it is called, is not repealed, but merely
suspended, and there is quite general dissatisfaction expressed in
consequence, not among Blancos alone, but conservative Colorados
also.
The negotiations and the law appertaining thereto were approved by the
Assembly General.
Respectfully,
[Page 852]
[Inclosure.]
message of the executive power.
Montevideo, October 15,
1904.
[From the Montevideo Daily Dia, October 16, 1904.]
Honorable Assembly
General:
The Executive power has the satisfaction of informing you that the
public peace, which was disturbed from the first days of January
last, has been restored by means of the bases agreed upon with the
leaders of the forces raised in arms and which are enumerated below:
- First. General amnesty.
- Second. Electoral legality, accords depending on the
deliberations of the directive committees of the
parties.
- Third. Derogation of the interdictions.
- Fourth. Submission to the legal authority by the forces
raised in arms aginst it.
- Fifth. Real and effective delivery by those forces of all
their arms and parks to Colonel Galarza.
- Sixth. Incorporation into the army of all the chiefs and
officers included in the amnesty law.
- Seventh. A mixed committee appointed by agreement by the
Government and insurgents will distribute the sum of
$100,000 between the chiefs, officers, and soldiers of the
rebel forces.
- Eighth. The Government will include among the matters of
the extraordinary sessions the reformation of the
constitution, the legislative power being completely free to
decree it or not, and to sanction in the first case the
reformations it may judge convenient.
- Ninth. The persons who have collected taxes on account of
the insurrection shall not be prosecuted as the authors of
common offenses.
The Executive power, knowing in advance the patriotic and high
sentiments of the honorable Assembly, did not hesitate for a moment
in concluding the conditions requiring legal sanction of the pact
stipulated, in the assurance that you would uphold them and make
them your own, sanctioning the bill it has the honor to inclose,
declaring it included among the matters which are the motive of the
actual convocation to extraordinary sessions by which amnesty is
conceded for the acts of the insurrection, providing they do not
come under, the penalties of the common codes and the interdictions
decreed in compliance with the law of February 25 last are
raised.
In regard to what is stated in basis 7, relating to the distribution
of a subsidy to the chiefs, officers, and soldiers of the rebel
forces, the Executive power will attend to it, charging it to the
account for the “mobilization of forces” temporarily opened on the
occasion of the abnormal state of the country, and which is already
known to the honorable Assembly.
In reference to basis 3, the Executive power makes it its duty to
announce to you that very shortly it will include the matter
relating to the reformation of the constitution among those which
determined the actual convocation of the honorable legislative body
to extra sessions.
The Executive power entertains the firmest conviction that the peace
which constitutes the supreme national aspiration, negotiated in the
form already narrated, without injuring in the least the advanced
principles which govern our institutional organization, maintaining
in all their force the faculties which the constitution and the laws
confer on the Executive power and restoring to all citizens their
full civil and political rights, will be of auspicious results for
the country and a fruitful and lasting work of progress and civic
concord.
On begging the honorable Assembly to give special attention to the
project inclosed, the Executive power terminates by expressing the
most fervent hopes that the blessings of peace may be permanent in
the Republic and that controversies between citizens may be decided
within our democratic principles and under the shelter of liberty,
legality, and right.
The Executive power takes this opportunity to, etc.,
- José Batlle y
Ordonez,
- Claudio Williman.
Ministry of government—Project of
law.
The Senate and Chamber of Representatives of the Oriental Republic of
Uruguay, united in Assembly General, etc., decree:
Article 1. All civilians who directly or
indirectly have participated in the recent political events are
hereby amnested, persons who have collected taxes on account of the
insurrection being included in the amnesty.
Common offenders are excepted from the prerogatives referred to in
the preceding division.
Article 2. The interdictions which, in
virtue of the authorization conferred by the law of February 25 of
the current year, may have been decreed by the Executive power,
remain without effect, the rents collected and other retentions
verified for any other conception to be returned to the owners.
Article 3. Communicate, etc.
Claudio Williman.
Montevideo, October 15,
1904.
