THE SUPREME COURT OF PORTO RICO.
THE Supreme Court of Porto Rico, as at present constituted, was created by the Act of Congress approved April 12, 1900, commonly called the " Foraker Bill," provid ing a civil government for the Island. It consists of five justices and has the usual jurisdiction of appellate tribunals, with an appeal or writ of error to the Supreme Court of the United States, " in the same manner and under the same regulations and in the same cases as from the Supreme Court of the Territories." The Spanish language has heretofore been used exclusively in all proceedings in this court, but on appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, the whole record is re quired to be translated into English. No case has so far been brought to the Conti nental court from the Insular court for re vision. An act has been recently passed authorizing the use of both the languages without distinction in all the courts and pub lic offices throughout the island, and goes into effect the first day of July next. The salary of the Chief Justice is five thousand dollars, and of each of the Associ ate Justices four thousand five hundred dollars, annually; being fixed by the Foraker law. Since the institution of civil government in the island on the first of May, 1900, up to the first of March, 1902, there have been on the files of the Supreme Court of Porto Rico a total of 519 cases. Of these, 213 were civil and 306 criminal. Among the civil cases are classed those called in the Spanish law administrative and contaicioso, which are appeals from the Executive branch of the Government. Of the civil cases, 155 have been decided and 58 are yet left pending; and of the
criminal cases 27 are pending and 279 have been disposed of. Thus it appears that of the total of 519 cases entered, 434 have been decided and 85 are left yet remaining on the docket. This is certainly not a bad showing for a tropical climate. Jose Severo Quiiiones, the Chief Justice, was born in the capital city of Porto Rico, on the 6th of November, 1839, and attended school and college in his native town. He studied law in the universities of Seville and Madrid, taking his degrees in 1860. He en gaged at once in the practice of his profes sion in his native island, and rose to eminence at the bar. He enjoyed a very lucrative prac tice until 1894, when he was appointed to a high office in the civil administration. He also held the office of Secretary of Agricul ture, Commerce and Industry under the Au tonomous Government. He was elected also a member of the House of Delegates. During the American occupation he was appointed by the Military Governor a judge of the Ter ritorial Court. He was afterwards trans ferred to the Supreme Court, as organized under the Military Government by General Brooke. On the 5th of June, 1900, President McKinley selected him for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Porto Rico. He has many friends among his countrymen, and is, regarded by men of all parties as a thor oughly honest and able man, and worthy to be the head of the Porto Rican judiciary. Louis Sulzbacher, the oldest Associate Justice, was appointed to that office by Presi dent McKinley on the 4th of June, 1900. He was born in Germany in the year 1840, and received a good education in his native land, where he mastered the French and German languages and the principles of the
