E4b7.1

              TH" PU .:.RI'O RICAN FEDERAL RELATIONS ACT
A. FER.~OS-ISERN . Ris (J>f III r COI1 1"115..5 JONGJ? 7) F fiLl £(TO «Ie c>
•
"The Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act."
Be it enacted b the Senate and House of Re resentatiyes of the
lfniteq States of America in Cangress assemoled:
That the rOV1S10ns of this Act shall apply to the
Island of Puerto Rico and to the adjacent islands belonging to the
United States, and waters of those islands-and the name Puerto
Rico as used in this Act shall be held to include not only the
island of that name but all the ~djacent islands as aforesaid.
SECTION 2:- The rights, privileges, and immunities of citizens
of the-United States shall be respected in Puerto Rico to the same
extent as thou h Puerto Rico were a State of the Union and subject
to the rovisions of paragraph 1 Of ~ect}~ 2 of article IV of-the
Constitution of the United States. 1) & \2)
(1) In accordance with Su reme Court decisions (Insular cases) Puerto
Rico is not incorporated into the Union, although under United States
sovereignty. It is organized as a bod olitic to be known as "The
People of Puerto Rico", in accordance with section 7 of the Foraker
Act of 1900, which reads, in part, as follows:-
(The Citizens of Puerto Rico)
"together with such citizens of the United S\ates as may reside in
Puerto Rico, shall constitute a body olitic under the-name of The
People of Puerto Rico, with governmental powers as her~~~fter conferred,
and with power to sue and be sued as such."
(2) Who are citize~s of Puerto Rico:
(a) Section 7 of the Foraker Act of 1900 reads: "That all inhabitants
continuing to- reside therein who were Spanish sUbjeets on the elev~th
day of April, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine,. and then-resided in Puerto
Rico, and- their -Cbilo.ren-bo-rn subsequent ther:eto, .shall be deemed and held
to De citizens of Puerto Rico ana as such entitled to the protection of th
United States, except such as shall have elected to preserve their al­legiance
to the Crown of Spain on or Defore the eleventh day of April,
ninteen hundred, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty" of
peace between the United States and Spain enter§ld into on the eleventh
day of April eighteen hundred and ninety-nine. n
(b) Section 5a of the Jones Act, of 1917, as amended, March 4, 1927 q.v.
reads: "All citizens of the United States· who hav-e resided or who shall
hereafter reside in the island for one year shall be citizens of Puerto
Rico."
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SECTION 3:- (As amended August 26, 193'7, 50 Stat. 843.)
That no export duties shall be levied or collected on exports from
Puerto Rico, but taxes and assessments on property, income -taxes,
internal revenue, and license fees, and royalties for franchises,
privileges, and concessions may be imposed for the purposes of the
insular and municipal governments, respectively, as may be provided
and defined by the Legislature of PuBrto Rico; ~l) and when necessary
to anticipate taxes and revenues, bonds and other obligations may be
issued by puerto Rico or any municipal government ther~in as may be
provided by law, and to protect the public credit; Prov~ded, however,
That no public indebtedness of Puerto Rico and the municipalities of
San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo and Rio Piedras shall be allowed in
excess of 10 per centum of the aggregate tax valuation of its property,
and no public indebtedness of any-other subdivision or municipality
of Puerto Rico shall hereafter be allowed in excess of 5 per centum
of the aggregate tax valuation of the property in any such subdivision
or m1,lIlicipality, and all bon-ds issued by the government of Puerto Rico,
Qr by its authority, shall be exempt from taxation by the Government
of the United States, or-by the government of Puerto Rico or of any
political or municipal subdivision th~reof, or Qy any State,-Territory,
or possession or by any county, municipality, or other municipal sub­division
of any State, Territory, or possession of the United States,
or by the District of Columbia. In computing the indebtedness of the
people of Puerto Rico, municipal bonds for the payment of interest and
principal of· which the good faith of the people of Puerto Rico has here­tofore
been pledged and bonds issued by the people of Puerto Rico secured
by bonds to an equivalent amount of bonds of municipal corporations or
school boards of Puerto Rico shall not be counted, but all bonds here­after
issued by any municipality or subdivision within the 5 per centum
hereb,y authorized for which the good faith of the people of Puerto Rico
is pledged shall be counted.
And it is further provided, That the internal-revenue taxes
levied by the Legislature of Puerto Rico in pursuance of the authority
granted by this Act on articles, goods, wares, or merchandise may be
levied and collected as such legislature may direct, on the articles
subject to said tax, as soon as the same are ma~ufactured, sold, used, or
brought into the Island; Provided; That no discrimination be made between
the articles imported from the United States or foreign countries and
similar articles produced or manufactured in Puerto Rico. The officials
01' the Customs and Postal Services of the United States are hereby
directed to assist.the appropriate officials of the Puerto Rican govern­ment
in the collection of these taxes.
(1) Imports from foreign countries are subject.to customs duties as
determined by section 2 of the Foraker Act, April 12, 1900, continued by
section 58 of this Act.
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SECTION 5:- That all citizens of Puerto Rico, as defined by
section seven of the Act of April twelfth, nineteen hundred, "temporarily
to provide revenues and a civil government for Puerto Rico, and for
other purposes", and all natives of Puerto Rico who were temporarily
absent from that island on April eleventh, eighteen hundred and ninety­nine,
and have since returned and are permanently residing in that
island, and are not citizens of any foreign count~, are hereby declared,
and shall be deemed and held to be,citizens of the United States; Pro­vided,
That any person hereinbefore dascribed may retain his present
political status by making a declaration, under oath, of his decision
to 0.0 so v;ithin six months of tha taking effect of this Act before the
district court in the district in which he resides, the declaration
to be in form as follows:
lllI, , being duly sworn, hereby declare my intention
not to become a citizen of the United States as provided in the Act of
Congress conferring United States citizenship upon citizens of Puerto
Rico and certain natives permanently residing in said island."
In the case of any such person wno may be absent t'rom the island
during said six months the term of this proviso may be availed of by
transmitting a declaration, under oath, in the form herein provided
within six months of the taking effect of this Act to the Executive
Secretary of Puerto Rico; And prOVided, further, That any person who is
born in Puerto Rico of an alien parent and is permanently residing in
that island may, if of full age, within six months of the taking effect
of this Act, or if a minor, upon reaching his majority, or within one
year thereafter, make a sworn -declaration of allegiance to the United
S~ates before the United States District Court for Puerto Rico, setting
forth therein all the facts connected with his or her birth and resi­dence
in Puerto Rico and accompanying due proof thereof, and from and
after the making of such declaration shall be considered to be a citizen
of the United States.
SECTION 5a:- (New Section inserted by Act of Congress approved
March 4, 1927 -- 44 Stat. 1418) -- That all citizens of the United
S+ates who have resided or who shall hereafter reside in the island
for one year shall be citizens of Puerto Rico: Provided, That persons
born in Puerto Rico of alien parents, referred to itT the last paragraph
of section 5, who did not avail themselves of the privilege granted to
them of becoming citiz~ns of-the United States, shall have a period of
one year from the approval of this Act to make the declaration provided
for in the aforesaid ~ection: And provided, further, That persons who
elected to retain the political status of- citizens of Puerto Rico may
within one year after the passage of this Act become citizens of the
United States upon the same terms and in the same manner as is provided
for the naturalization of native Puerto Ricans born of foreign parents.
SECTION 5b:- (New section inserted by an Act of Congress approved
June 27, 1934.) _.:. All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after April 11,
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1899, (whether before or after the effective date of this Act) and
not citizens, subject, or nationals of any foreign power, are hereby
declared to be citi~ens of the United States; Provided, That this
Act shall not be construed as depriving any person, native of Puerto
Rico, of his or her American citizenship heretofore otherwise lawfully
acquired by such persons; or to extend such citizenship to persons who
shall have renounced or lost it under the treaties and/or laws of the
United States or who are now residing permanently abroad and are citizens
or subjects of a foreign countr~.
SECTION 5c:- (New section inserted qy an Act of Congress approved
May 16, 1938.) -- That any person of good character, att~~Ey'd to the
principles of the Constitution of the United States, and~ disposed
to the good order and happiness of the United States, and born in Puerto
Rico on or after April 11, 1899, who has continued to reside within
the jurisdiction of the United States, whose father elected on or before
April 11, 1900, to preserve his allegiance to the Crown. of Spain in
accordance with the provisions of the treaty of peace between the United
States and Spain entered into on A ril 11, 1899, and who, by reason of
misinformation regarding his or her own citizenship status failed within
the time limits prescribed by section 5 or Section 5a hereof to exercise
the privilege of establishing United States citizenship and has hereto­fore
erroneously but in good faith exercised the rights and privileges
and performed the duties of a citizen of the United States, and has not
personally sworn allegiance to any for~ign government or ruler upon or
after attainment of majority, may make a sworn declaration of allegiance
to the United States before any United States district court. Such
declaration shall set forth facts concerning his or her birth in Puerto
Rico, good character, attachment to the principles of the Constitution
of the United States, and being well disposed to the good order and
happiness of the United States, residence within the jurisdiction of
the United States, and misinformation regarding United States citizenship
status, and shall be accompanied by proof thereof satisfactory to the
court. After making such declaration and submitting such proofs,
such person shall be admitted to take the oath of allegiance before the
court, and thereupon shall be considered a citizen of the United States.
SECTION 5b (1948):- Section 404 (c) of the Nationality Act of 1940
(U.S.C. Title 8, Sec. 804 (c» shall not be applicable to persons who
acquired citizenship under the provisions of sections 5 .and(5a of tliis
Act. This amen&nent to be retroactive to October 13, 1945. 1)
(1) The Nationality Act of 1940, Ch.876, Tit. I sube~. II, provides as
follOliS:
"All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after- April 11,1899, subject to
the jurisdiction of the United States, residing on the effective date of
this chapter in Puerto Rico or othvr territory over which the United States
exercises rights of sovereignty and not citizens of the United States und~
any other Act, are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States."
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SECTION 6:- That all expenses that may be incurred on account
of the Government of Puerto Rico for salaries of officials and the
conduct of their offices and departments, and all expenses and obliga­tions
contracted for the internal improvement or development of the
island, not however, including defenses, barracks, harbors, lighthouses,
buoys, and other works undertaken by the United S~ates, shall}except
as otherwise specifically provided by the Congress, be paid by the
Treasurer of Puerto Rico out of the revenue in his custody.
SECTION 7:- That all property which may have been acqUired in
Puerto Rico by the United States under the cession of Spain in the
treaty of peace entered into on the tenth day of December, eighteen
hundred and ninety-eight, in any public bridges, road houses, water
powers, highways, unnavigable streams and the beds thereof, subterranean
waters, mines or minerals under tne surface d private lands, all pro­perty
which at the time of the cession, belonged, under the laws of
Spain then in force, to the various harbor works boards of Puerto Rico,
all the harbor shores, docks, slips, reclaimed lands, and all public
lands and ~uildings not heretofore reserved by the United states for
public purposes, is hereby placed under the control of the Government
of Puerto Rico, to be administered for the benefit of the people of
Puerto Rico; and the Legislature of Puert-o Rico sha-ll have authority,
subject to the limitations imposed upon all its acts, to legislate with
respect to all such matters as it may deem advisable; Provided, That
the President may from time to time, in his discretion, convey to the
people of Puerto RiCO, such_lands, buildings, or interests in lands or
other property now owned by the United States and within the territorial
limits of Puerto RicO(~f in his opinion are no longer heeded for purposes
of the United States. And he may from time to time accept by legislative
grant from Puerto Rico any lands, buildings, or other interests or pro­perty
which may be needed for public purposes by the United States.
SECTION 8:- That the harbor areas and navigable streams and bodies
of water and submerged land underlying the same in and around the
Island of PUerto Rico and the adjacent islands and wat-ers, now owned
-by the United States and not reserved by the United States for public _
purposes be, and the same are hereby, placed under the control of the
Government of Puerto Rico, to be administered in the same manner and
subject to the same limitations as the property enumerated in the pre­ceding
section: Provided, That all laws of the United States for the
protection and improvement of the navigable waters of the United Sts.tes
and the preservation of the interests of navigation and commerce, except
so far as the same may be locally inapplicable, shall apply to said
(1) Except federal property the title of which is vested in the Defense
Department. (Under Camp-Taylor proviso 46 Stat. 1191 approved february
20,19.31. )
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Island and waters and to its adjacent islands and waters; Provided,
further, That nothing in this Act contained shall be construed so as
to affect or impair in any manner the tenus or conditions of any
authorizations, permits, or other pavers heretofore lawfully granted
or exercised in or in respect of said waters and submerged land in
and surrounding said Island and its adjacent islands by the Secretary
of W~r or other authorized officer or agent of the United States; And
provided, further, That the Act of Congress approved June aleven-th, nine­teen
hundred and six, entitled, "An Act to empower the Secretary of
War, under certain restrictions, to authorize the construction, extension,
and maintenance of wharves, piers, and other structures on lands under­lying
harbor areas in navigable streams and bodies of water in or sur­rounding
Puerto Rico and the islands adjacent thereto:1Fimd all other
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this section be, and the same
are herebY,repealed.
SECTION 9:- That the statutory laws of the United States not
locally inapplicable, except as hereinbefore or hereinafter otherwise
provided, shall have the same force and effect in Puerto Rico as in the
United States, exce t the internal-revenue laws; PrOVided, however, That
hue:teadftser al
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1 ~~x~.. f.~~~e~~~~.~lW~), ~~~fljr~1st..1rr:#e,.r;lf.~"d.,J.twt 71~fd$~J Jr"'.J
nl e ta eSA or cons~e~ In ~e isfana Sll~ De covefe ln~O ~e
Treasury of Puerto Rico. (1)
SECTION 10:- That all judicial process shall PUn in the name. of
"United States of America, ss, the President of the United States," and
all penal or criminal prosecution in the local courts shall be conducted
in the name and by the authority of "The People of Puerto Rico"; and
all officials shall be citizens of the United States, and before entering
upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take an oath to sup­port
the Constitution of the United States, and the laws of Puerto Rico.
(1) See sections 3,4, and 14 Foraker Act. (1900). In accordance with
section 3, articles of merchandise of Puerto Rican manufacture shipped
into the United States shall be subject to a tax equal to that imposedJjt
under United States internal revenue laws, upon the like United States
domestic merchandise. This countervailing tax is to be paid at the
United States port of entry or under law of 1906, before shipment from
Puerto RlCO.
Under Section 4 of the Foraker Act/all duties and taxes collected
"in Puerto Rico" in pursuance of the Act shall be paid into the Treasury of
Puerto Rico.
In accordance with section l4;the United S,ates internal revenue
laws do not apply to Puerto RicojQ"ln view of section 3". _ The proviso of
section 9 supra is supplementary~~he sections of the Foraker Act as
quoted. -
According to the report accompanying the Jones Act, this. proviso
in section 9 was found necessary,) since prior to 1917 the report says,
the countervailing tax-,when collected in Puerto Rico)was being covered
into the Treasury of Puerto Rico but not so when collected in the main­land.
It was considered that it should be covered into the Treasury' of
Puerto Rico in either case.
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SECTION 11:- That_ all reports required by law to be made by the
Governor or heads of departments to any official of the United States
shall hereafter be made t6 an executive department of the Government of
the United S.ates to be designated by the President, and the President
is hereby authorized to place all matters pertain..:.ng to the Government
of Puerto Rico in the jurisdiction of such department~.(1)
(1) ThE prov~s~on has become largely obsolete. Upon the adoption of a
Constitution by the people of Puerto Rico)a11 provisions of law hereto­fore
requiring reports to be made by the Governor or heads of departments
in the Insular Government to officials of the United States Government
shall be repealed. .The- Government of Puerto Rico iICsQ'ar as it will
function on the basis of the Constitution of Puerto Rico shall be conducted
by officials locally elected or appointed, and responsible to the people
of Puerto Rico only. However, there will continue to function in Pu~rto
Rico such federal agencies as provided by federal law. Such governmental
mat ters as they are in charge of will continue to be within the Juris­diction
of the United States Department of the Interior in accordance With
t~is section. Executive Order No. 9383, October 5, 1934 implements this
latter provision of law. It is given in full as follows:-
Ex. Ord. No. 9383, Oct. 5, 1943, 8 F.R. 13781, provides:-
1. Each Federal civil agency performing services in Puerto Rico or
in the Virgin "'slands shall make current reports to the Secretary of the
Interior com erning the work 01 such agency in such manner and form and
at such times as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.
2. The Secretary of the Interior shall make such recommendations
to the heads of Federal civil agencies so reporting as may in his judgment
serve to correleate the work of such agencies in Puerto Rico and in the
Virgin Islands, eliminate unessential Federal-activities, assist agencies
to assume increasing responsibility in civil administration, meet more
efficiently the needs of the people -of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
for essential Federal services, and implement the policies of the United
Sta~es with respect to its island possessions.
3. The Secretary of the Interior shall from time to time report
to the President and to the Congress co~erning th~ actions taken
pursuant to this order.
4. Thi~-order shall not be applicable to United States District
Judges, United States Atto-rneys, and United States 11a.rshals.
SECTION 36:- (As amended May 17,- 1932, 47 Stat. 158; June 5, 1934,
48_Stat. 879; March 4, 1925, 43 Stat. 1301.)- That the qual~fied
electors of Puetto Rico shall at the next general election choose a
Resident Commissioner to the. United States, whose term of-office shall
begin on the date of the is-suance of his certificate of election and
shall continue until the fourth of Mareh, o.inteen hundred and twenty~one.
At each subsequent election, beginning with the year nineteen hundred
and twenty, the qualifiea electors of Puerto Rico shall choose a Resident
Commissioner to the United States, whose term of office shall be four
years from the third day of January following such general election, and
who shall be entitled to receive official recognition as such Commissioner
by all of the departments of the· Government of the Un-i:ted Sates, upon
;presentation, through the Department of State, of a certificate of
election of the Governor of Euerto Rico. The Resident .Commissioner
shall receive a salary, payable monthly by the United States, of
.$7,500 per annum.(l} Such Commissioner shall be allowed the same sum
for stationery and for the pay of necessary cl:erk hire as i-s now allowed
to !vlembers of tfie House of Representatives of the Unit?d. S1'ates (1);
and he shall-be allowed the sum of $500 as mileage for each session
of the House of Representativ-es and the franking privilege granted
4'.embers of Congress. No person shall be eligible to election as·Resident
Commissioner Who is not a bona fide citizen of the United States and
who is not more than twenty-five years of age, and who does not read
write the English language. In the case of a vacancy in the office
of Resident Commissioner by death, resignation, or otherwise, the
Governor, by and with the advise and consent of the Senate shall
(1) Amended by reorganization Act of 1944.
appoint a Resident Commissioner to fill the vacancy, who shall serve
until the next general election and until his successor is elected
and qualified. (1) & (2)
(1) In addition to the above provls10ns of law, the Resident
Commissioner has the privileg~.Rf. the House of Representatives.
~ouse Rule XXXIV, renumbered"~~!J"as follows:-
"1. The persons hereinafter named, ~d none other? shall p~.iW;~~~!'ie"t
the Hall of the House or rooms lead1ng thereto, V1Z: The resluent or
the United States and their private secretaries, judges of the Sup~eme
Court, embers of Congress and Members-elect, contestants in election
cases during the pendency of their cases in the House, the Secretary
and Sergeant at Arms of the- Senate, heads of departments, foreign minist~~
governors of Stc:tes, the Superintendent of the Capitol Building and
Grounds, the Librarian of Congress and his assistant in charge of the
Law Library, the Resident Commissioner to the United states from Puerto
Rico, such persons as have by name, received the tilanks of Congress,
ex-members of the House of Representatives who are not interested in
any claim or directly ;in any bill pending before Congress, and clerks,
of committees when business from their committee is under consideratim;
and it shall not be in order- f()r the Speaker to entertain a request for
the suspension of this rule or to present from the Chair the request of
any Member for unanimous consent. n
(2) House Rule XII of the House of Representatives, section 2 as
adopted under H. R. 158, on Feb. 2, 1904 reads:-
"The Resident Commissioner to the United S.ates shall possess the
same powers and privileges as to committee service- and in the House
as are possessed by Delegates, and shall be competent to serve on the
Committee on Insular Affairs as an additional member."
Rule XII now reads:
"1. The Delegate from Hawaii and Alaska, and the Resident Commissioner
to the United States from Puerto Rico, shall be elected to serve
as additional members on the Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services,
and Public ,L,ands (now Interior and Insular Affairs); and they shall
possess in such committees the same powers and privileges as in the
House,' and may _ake any motion except to reconsider."
SECTION 37:- That the legislative authority herein provided
shall extend to all matters of a legislative character not locally
-inapplicabJ:e, including power to create, consolidate, and reorganize
the municipalities so far as may be necessary, and to provide and
re eal laws and ordinances therefor; alsO" the pm·Ter to alter, amend,
modify, or repeal any or all laws and ordinances of every character
now in force in Puerto Rico or muni~ipality or district thereof, in
so far as such alteration, amendment, modification, or repeal may be
consistent with the provisions of this Act.
SECTION 38:- The Interstate Commerce Act and the several amendments
made or to be made thereto, the Safety Appli~ce Acts and the several
amendments made or to be made-thereto, and t~e Act of Congress entitled
"An Act to amend an Act entitled tAn Act 'to regulate commerce', approved
February 4, 1887, and all Acts amendatory thereof, by providing for a
valuatIon of the s_veral classes of property of carriers subject thereto
I.and securing information concerning th-:3ir stOCkS, bonds, and other
secu/rities~, approved March 1, 1913, shall not apply to Puerto Rico.
SECTION 41:- (As amen d by the Act of June 25, 1948) The
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico shall
have jurisdiction for the naturalization of aliens' and Puerto Ricans,
and for this purpose residence in Puerto Rieo shall-:be counted in
the same manner as residence elsewhere in the United States. Said
district court shall have jurisdiction of all controversies where all
of the parties on either side of the controversy are citizens or
subjects of a foreign State or States, or citizens of a State, Territory
or District of the United States hot domiciled in Puerto Rico, wherein
the matter in dispute exceeds, exclusive of interest or costs, the sum
or value of $3,000 and of all controversies in which there is a separable
controversy involving such jurisdictional amount and in which all the
parties on either side of such separable controversy are citizens or
subjects of the character aforesaid. The salaries of the j~dge and
officials of the United States District Court, the District of Puerto
Rico to.gether with the court expenses, shall be paid from the United
States revenues in the,same manner as in other United States district
courts. In case of vacancy or of the death, absence, or other legal
disability on the art of the judge of the said United States District
Court for the District of Puerto Rico, the President of the United
States is authorized to designate one of the judges of the Supreme
Court of Puerto Rico to discharge the duties of jUdge of said court
until such absence or disability shall be removed, and thereupon such
judge so designated for said service shall be fully authorized and empowere
to perform the duties of said office during such absence or disability of
such regular judge, and to sign- all necessary papers and records as the
acting judge of said court, without extra compensation.
--.J;F- - I J -
SECTION 42:- (As amended By ~section 21 of the Act of June 25, 1948)
That th_e laws of the United States relating te--appeals, writs or error
and certiorari, removal or causes, and oth~r matter or proceedings as
between the courts of the United States and the courts of the several
States shall govern in such matters and proceedings as between the
United States District Court for the District of~uerto Rico and the
courts of Puerto Rico. All pleadings and proceedings in said court
shall be conducted in the English language.
SECTION 44:- That the qualifications of jurors as fixed by the
local laws of Puerto Rico shall not apply to jurors selected to ­serve-
in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto
Rico; but the qualifications required of jurors in said court shall
be that each shall be of the age of not less than twenty-one years
and not over sixty-five years, a resident of Puerto Rico for not less
than one year, and have a sufficient knowledge- of the English language
to enable him to serve as a juror; they shall also be citizens-of the
United States. JUries for the said court shall be selected, drawn
and subj ect to exemption in accordance "fith the laws of Congress .
regulating the same in t~ United States courts in so far as locally
applicable.
SECTION 45:- That all such fees, fines, costs, and forefeitures as
would be deposited to the credit of the United States if collected and
paid into a district court of the United States shall become revenues
of the United States when. collected and paid into the United States
bistrict Court for the District ·of Puerto Rico; Provided, That ;500
a year from such fees, fines, costs and forfeitures shall be retained
by the -clerk and e:h.-pended for· laJf libra!';)r purposes under the direction
of the judge.
SECTION 48:- (As amended March 4, 1927, 44 Stat. 1421; May 17,
1932; 47 Stat. 158.) - That the Supreme and District Courts of Puerto
Rico and the respective judges_ thereof may grant writs of habeas corpus
in all cases in which the same are grantable by the judges of the
District Courts of the United States and the District Courts may grant
writs of mandamus in all proper cases.
That no suit for the purpose of restraining tha assessment or
collection of any tax imposed by the laws of Puerto Rico shall be
maintained in the United States District Court for the District of
Puerto Rico.
SECTION 54:- That ~ deeds and other instruments affecting
land situated in the District of Columbia, or any other territory
or possession of the United S~ates, may be acknowledged in Puerto
Rico before any notary public appointed therein by proper authority,
or any officer therein who has ex officio the powers of any notary
public; Provided, That the certificate by such notary shall be ac­companied
b.Y the certificate of the Executive Secretary of Puerto Rico
to the effect that the notary taking such acknowledgment is in fact such
notar±al officer.
· '
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SECTION 55:- Tha.t nothing in this Act shall be deemed to impair
or interrupt the jurisdiction of exis'ting courts over matters ending
therein upon the approval of this Act, which jurisdiction is in
all respects hereby continued, the purpose of tnis 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.
SECTION 58:- That all laws or parts -of laws applicable to Puerto
Rico not in conflict with any of the provisions of this Act, inc~uding
the laws relating to tariffs, customs, and duties on importations into
Puerto Rico prescribed by the Act of Congress entitled "An Act
temporarily to provide revenues and a cIvil government for Puerto
Rico, and for other purposes," I:}pproved April twelfth, ninteen hundred ...
are hereby continued in effect, ~l) and all laws aIld parts of laws
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.
Approved, March 2, 1917.
(1) Provisions of law above referred to are to be found in the
following pages, as given by U.S. Code.
w •
Provisions of the Foraker Act continued under section 58 of
the Statute of Relations and, consequently, parts thereof.
Fundamentally, these provisions create an Economic Union
between Puerto Rico and the United States.
JI~_t.J,S,C,-73~
~.O. S8g~ - H7JS ~ib. 48
Free interchange of mercnandise with United States. (Free Trade.)
All merchandise and articles coming into the United States from
I:uerto Rico and comine, into Puerto Rico from the United States shali
be entered at the several ports of entr,y free of duty and.~ no
event shall any tariff duties be collected orr said merchandise
or articles. (Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 191, 3, 31 Stat. 77; May 17, 1932,
ch~ 90, 47 Stat. 158.)
'4s>-~. ,C;-7.3'1
g S CSQs $739 - Title ~
Duties on foreign imports into Puerto Rico. (Customs Union.)
The same tariffs, customs, and duties shall be levied, collected,
and paid upon all articles imported into Puerto Rico from ports other
than those of the United States 'which are required by lav to be
collected upon articlas imported into the United States from foreign
countries. (Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 191, 2, 31 Stat. 77; Aug. 5, 1909, ch.
6, 1, 36 otat. 71,74; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158.)'
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tJ. ~. Code /;''?iId. ~ib. ~
Duties on taxes to constitute fund for benefit of Puarto Rico;
ports of entry. (Custom Union.)
The duties and taxes collected in Puerto Rico in pursuance of
the provisions of t~rs chapter, less the cost of collecting the same,
and the g ross amount of all collections of duties and taxes in the
United States-upon articles of merchandise coming from Puerto Rico,
shall be pa{d into the treasury of Puerto Rico to be expended as
required by law for the government and benefit thereof, and the
Secretary of the Treasury shall designate the several ports and sub­ports
of entry in Puerto Rico and shall make such rules and regulations
and appoint such agents as may be necessary to colJ:ect the duties and
taxes authorized to be levied, collected, and paid in Puerto Rico by
the provisions of tr.is chapter, and he shall fix the compensation and
provides for the payment thereof of all such officers, agents, and
assistants as he may find it necessary to employ to carry out the
provisions of law. (Apr. l2,L900, ch.19l, 4, 31 Stat. 78; May 17,1932,
ch. 190, 4·7 Stat. 158.)
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tJ .S, C.- 7lfIJ
Coasting-trade laws.
The coasting trade between Puerto Rico and ,the United States
shall be regulated in accordance with the provisions of law applicable
to such trade between any two great coasting districts of the United
States. (Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 191, 9, 31 Stat. 79; May 17, 1932, ch.
190, ~? Stat. 158.)
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8. Code HTS5 ~ib. 48.-
Coins; redemption; exc .ange-; recoinage; legal tender. (Monetary Uni<;m.)
For the purpose of retiring the Puerto Rican coins in circulation
in Puerto Rico on April 12, 1900,' and substituting therEfbr the coins
of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to
redeem, on presentation in Puerto Rico, all the silver coins of Puerto
P..i..co known as the' peso and all other stlver and copp~r Puerto' Rican
coins in circulation in Puerto Rico on such date, not including any
such coins that miv be im orted into Puerto Rico a.fter the 1st
day of February 1900, at the rate of 60 cents in the coins _of the
United States for L peso 'of puerto-Rican coin, and for a.ll minor
or subsidiary coins the same rate of. change shall be applied. The
Puerto Rican coins so purchased or redeemed shall be recoined at the
expense of the United States, under the direction of the Secretary
of the Treasury, into such coins of the United States now authorized
by law as he may direct. No coins shall be a. legal tender, in
payment of debts contracted for any ~ oun;; in Puerto RiCO, except
those of the United States, ana except those owing prior to April
12, 1900, which shall be pay ble in the coins of Puerto Rico in
circulation at that date, or in the coins of the United States at the
rate of exchange herein mentioned. (Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 19r, 11, 31
Stat. 80; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158.)