838.00/2348
The Chargé in Haiti (Gross) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 7.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to Despatch No. 1030, of the High Commissioner’s series, of June 27, 1927,4 in which mention was made of additional amendments to the Constitution of 1918, which appear to have been proposed by members of the Council of State.
I now have the honor to report that the following amendments to Articles 36 and 42 of the above mentioned Constitution have been proposed to President Borno by the following Councillors of State: Messrs. Paret, J. Lanoue, and Delabarre Pierre-Louis. The changes proposed by them are:
To amend Article 36 to shorten the term of a senator from six to four years.
To add to Article 42 the power of the National Assembly to amend the Constitution.
On June 14 a petition was circulated in the District of Gonaïves protesting against the amendments to the Constitution proposed by President Borno on June 7, 1927. This petition was signed by several hundred persons and contained the following brief text:
We, the population of Gonaïves, considering that the proposed amendments to the Constitution comprise an acute danger to our democratic system by the separation of the individuality heretofore existing between the executive, administrative, and judiciary branches of the Government, and of the dignity of the Haitian people by the reduction of both natives and foreigners to a state of subjection, beg the Chief Executive to withdraw the proposed amendments.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩