No. 468.

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF CUBA,

Havana, November 15, 1900. The military governor of Cuba, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice, directs the publication of the following order: I. From and after the publication of this order there shall be in each one of the courts of primera instancia é instrucción of the island of Cuba two handwriting experts, whose duties shall consist of aiding the courts of justice within the judicial circuit in which they reside in the performance of such acts or duties as may be considered proper within their obligations.

II. The handwriting experts to which the preceding article refers shall be entitled to the collection of fees in civil matters from the party interested, should he not have been declared insolvent, at the rate of three dollars United States currency for each piece of work that they perform, and when the latter consists of the examination and comparison of lengthy documents, they may collect fifty cents additional for each page that they may have to examine and compare, with the exception of the first. The said experts shall be under obligation to render their services in criminal matters without any remuneration whatsoever, but the right of action shall be reserved to them to claim their fees in cases where a person implicated therein is condemned to the payment of the costs of the suit.

III. The positions of handwriting experts to which this order refers shall be filled by the Secretary of Justice, appointing persons thereto who may have the title or degree of teacher of elementary primary instruction or advanced primary instruction and who do not hold any paid position in the branch of public instruction.

J. B. HICKEY, Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 500.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF CUBA,

Havana, December 10, 1900.

In order to remove all unnecessary burdens from the lawyers of this island the Military Governor, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice, publishes the following order, which terminates the official relations existing between the Government and the various "colegios de abogados" of Cuba:

I. In future, judges and courts shall not require the affixing to powers of attorney of the so-called "bastanteo" and "aceptación" stamps.

II. Para ejercer la profesión de abogado ante los juzgados y tribunales no será necesaria la inscripción en ningún colegio de abogados; bastando sólo los demás requisitos que exigen las leyes.

III. Quedan disueltos como corporaciones oficiales los colegios de abogados existentes en esta isla.

IV. Todas las facultades y atribuciones que hasta ahora han tenido los colegios de abogados como corporaciones oficiales; las asumirán en lo sucesivo los juzgados y tribunales en sus respectivas jurisdicciones, pero de acuerdo con lo que en esta orden se dispone.

V. Los abogados que quieran actuar ante los juzgados y tribunales deberán presentar ó remitir sus títulos profesionales al Tribunal Supremo para que se tome razón de dichos títulos; y se comunique por el expresado tribunal á todas las audiencias de la isla y se publique en la "Gaceta Oficial de la Habana" dicha toma de razón; á fin de que en todos los juzgados y tribunales de la isla se admita á los abogados que hayan llenado ese requisito, al ejercicio de su profesión.

VI. El turno para la designación de defensor de pobres ó de oficio se llevará, en toda la isla, como se ha llevado hasta ahora en los lugares donde no existían colegios de abogados.

VII. La graduación de los honorarios impugnados á los abogados se hará por el juez ó tribunal que conozca del juicio en que se haga la impugnación, con audiencia verbal del impugnante y del impugnado ó de los letrados que los mismos designen con tal objeto.

VIII. Quedan derogadas las disposiciones legales que se opongan á lo establecido en esta orden.

IX. Queda autorizado el secretario de justicia para resolver las dudas que pueda ofrecer en la práctica, el cumplimiento de esta orden.

X. Esta orden empezará á regir desde su publicación en la Gaceta Oficial de la Habana.

DISPOSICIÓN TRANSITORIA.

Todos los abogados que deseen continuar ejerciendo su profesión ante los juzgados y tribunales de esta isla, deberán remitir sus títulos profesionales al Tribunal Supremo para que de ellos se tome razón gratuitamente cuya remisión harán antes que transcurra el último día del mes de Enero próximo entrante. Durante ese término podrán continuar ejerciendo su profesión ante dichos juzgados y tribunales, los que venían ejerciéndola legalmente; entendiéndose que podrán hacerlo en toda la isla sin distinción de localidades.

El Comandante de Estado Mayor,

J. B. HICKEY.

II. To exercise the profession of the law, before any court of law, registration in any lawyers' association shall not be necessary, the other requirements exacted by law being sufficient.

III. All lawyers' associations throughout the island are hereby declared to be without official status.

IV. All rights and attributes vested in the lawyers' associations as official corporations until now, shall in future be assumed by the courts of law within their respective jurisdictions, but in accordance with the provisions of this order.

V. All lawyers who desire to practice before the courts must present or forward their professional titles to the Supreme Court, in order that it may take due note thereof, and notification be given by the latter to all audiencias of the island and that due publication be made in the Official Gazette of Havana; that said Supreme Court has official knowledge of the said titles in order that every court of law of the island may admit to the practice of their profession such lawyers as may have complied with the said requirement.

VI. The designation in turn of lawyers for the defense of persons too poor to pay lawyers' fees, or of official matters, shall be made throughout the island in the manner followed until now, in places where no lawyers' associations existed.

VII. The regulation of lawyers' fees, to which objections may have been made, shall be arranged by the judge or court having cognizance of the suit wherein the objections have been raised, by giving a hearing to the objecting party and to the person to whom the fees pertain or to the counsellors whom the aforesaid parties may designate for the purpose.

VIII. All rulings antagonistic to the provisions of this order are hereby revoked.

IX. The Secretary of Justice is hereby authorized to decide all questions that may arise in connection with the enforcement of this order.

X. This order shall take effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of Havana.

TRANSITORY PROVISION.

All lawyers who may desire to continue to practice their profession before the courts and tribunals of this island must send their licenses to the Supreme Court, in order that they may be recorded gratuitously, which must be done before the 31st of January, 1901. Meanwhile those who have legally practiced before the courts and tribunals may continue to do so, it being understood that they may practice throughout the island without restriction as to jurisdictions.

J. B. HICKEY, Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 513.

CUARTEL GENERAL, DEPARTAMENTO DE CUBA,

Habana, 19 de Diciembre de 1900. El Gobernador General de Cuba, á propuesta del secretario de justicia, ha tenido á bien disponer la publicación de la siguiente orden: I. La orden No. 228 de la presente serie, de este cuartel general, regirá en lo sucesivo con la siguiente adición:

"III. Los comprendidos en el párrafo I de esta orden no podrán ausentarse de la isla sin permiso del juez ó tribunal que conozca de la causa, el cual no lo dará sin oír al ministerio fiscal. Los que traten de infringir esta prohibición, serán detenidos y permanecerán en prisión tal como se dispone en el párrafo II."

II. Esta orden empezará á regir desde su publicación en la Gaceta Oficial de la Habana.

El Teniente Coronel de Estado Mayor,

No. 3.

H. L. SCOTT.

CUARTEL GENERAL, DEPARTAMENTO DE CUBA,

Habana, 1.° de Enero de 1901.

El Gobernador General de Cuba, á propuesta del secretario de justicia, ha tenido á bien disponer la publicación de la siguiente orden:

I. Siempre que los jueces ó tribunales resuelvan alguna controversia entre partes, harán declaración expresa sobre si ha habido, ó no, temeridad ó mala fe en alguno de los litigantes.

II. Al litigante declarado temerario ó de mala fe por el juez ó tribunal se le impondrá siempre el pago de las costas, las cuales comprenderán los honorarios y derechos de abogados, peritos, procuradores, etc., y los demás gastos que se hayan ocasionado en el juicio, con exclusión de los honorarios y derechos de los abogados y procuradores que hayan defendido ó representado al litigante temerario ó de mala fe, quienes perderán todo derecho á retribución por su trabajo, si hubiesen tenido participación manifiesta en la temeridad ó mala fe declarada.

III. Si liquidadas las costas y aprobada la liquidación por el juez ó tribunal no fuesen pagadas dentro de los cinco días siguientes al requerimiento de pago, el litigante declarado temerario ó de mala fe á

No. 513.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF CUBA,

Havana, December 19, 1900.

The Military Governor of Cuba, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice, directs the publication of the following order: I. Order No. 228, current series from these headquarters, is hereby amended by adding thereto the following paragraph:

"III. Those included in Paragraph I of this order can not leave the island without permission of the judge or tribunal having cognizance of the case, which shall not be granted without hearing the fiscal department (ministerio fiscal). Those who attempt to violate this prohibition shall be arrested, and shall remain in prison as is provided for by Paragraph II of this order."

II. This order shall take effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of Havana.

The Military Governor of Cuba, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice, directs the publication of the following order:

I. Whenever any controversy between parties in a suit or action at law is decided, express declaration shall be made by the court as to whether or not there has been just cause for bringing or defending the suit or action at law or whether the suit or action at law has been instituted and carried on with malicious intent on the part of the litigants.

II. The litigant who shall be declared by the court to have acted without just cause shall be required to pay the costs of said suit or action at law, which shall consist of fees of lawyers, experts, solicitors, etc., as well as all other expenses of the suit or action at law, excepting fees due the lawyer or lawyers and solicitors who have defended or represented the litigant declared to have acted as above stated, the said lawyers and solicitors forfeiting all right of payment for their services in the event that they have knowingly participated in the malicious prosecution or defense without just cause, so declared by the court.

III. If, after the taxation of the costs, the litigant declared by the court to have been guilty of bringing suit or action at law, or defending the same, without just cause or in a malicious manner, fails to pay