The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17

matters. If he dies the lieutenant governor
takes his place under the title of second
head"
The Philippines are divided into provinces
subject either to poltico-miitary governors
ians. When the government is military
an assistant lieutenant governor, who
must have graduated as lawyer exercises
the preliminary jurisdiction, but the alcaldes
hold that jurisdiction in their own persons.
Both dispose in their provinces of the mill
tary authority. and have the controlling dl-
rection of collecting revenues. being respon-
sible to the general administration Of trib-
utes.
The provinces are divided into pueblos
Gowns or villages). over each of which a
native Indian or mestZo (half-breed) is
placed. He is called 'governor'-the little
gOVernor-and assisted by native ieuten-
ants and alguacils. whose number is regu-
lated by the extent of the population. This
body settles all matter of police and civil
questions between natives as to rights of
person and property.
RIGHTS ENJOYED BY CHINESE.
In districts where the Chinese or their
descendants are sufficiently numerous they
are allowed by special authority of the gov
eminent to select delegates to this local
body independently of Indian jurisdiction.
To a certain extent this body Called pri-
cipalia of the pueblol is representative and
more or less democratic. The members are
especially charged to assist the clergy IN
all matters of public worship and ecclesias-
teal authority. They determine questions
involving amounts less than forty-four sill
yer dollars; they collect evidence in GRIM
inal cases. which is submitted to the pro-
vincial chief, and assist in the collection
OF The royal revenues circulate the ordi-
nanceS of the government among the peo-
pie, and last but not least, are authorized
TO levy an alleged small but specified con-
tribution in support of their office and their
dignity.
oesides these there are in every pueblo
certain functionaries called cabezas (heads)
the barangay. A barangay is collec-
tion of the chiefs of families or persons
paying tribute, usually amounting to forty
or fifty in number. They are under charge
of the cabeza, who must dwell among them,
ard under bond collect the tribute due the
state. He must settle disputes, maintain
peace and order and collect taxes for pay
ment TO the little governor OF the pueb-
los. This cabeZa also acts as the local law
one of which is to affix Don" to his name,
and in some provinces he can hold office
for three years. The little governors" of
the puebloS are elected annually, and, next
to cock fighting, it is the supreme event
of the year. There are thirteen electors
for each pueblo.
siastical functionary. There are special
provisions and concessions allowed the Chi
nese who enter largely into the population 81 p6na
40 600 of the Chinese they are no small fea-
ture in the mixed population.
The chief end of all this machinery, these
local indulgences to the rural magnate, is
to keep the tax mills grinding out revenue
for Spain. Taxes, oppressive assessments,
fines for spite or revenge and conf1Scat1on
for those in rebellious protest are among
the many ways of swelling the vast fund
which has kept the Spanish crown aloft for
centuries. Spanish rulers are supposed. to
know good thing at sight. Historian
Mallat has declared that of all the. colonies
founded by Europeans these regions are
the least known and the most worthy of
1t may be asked "Why have the Philip
be explained that the Spanish ;. system of
government is pecular-far different from
that of it's western colonies.
OF the government in force during the
last fifty years it has been said:
ITO the character of the original con-
quests and of the earlier government of
impediments which stand in the way OF I'M
prOVement In America and the West In
dies all the brutality of military conquerors
was exhibited. and the possessions and plum
der of the new territories were encouraged
by the Spanish court, and were the main
but far different was the policy adopted
in the Philippines, where only a small body
of soldiers was accompanied by jealous mis-
vert and Christianize the Indians than to
pillage and destroy them. The friars grad
ually obtained paramount influence over the
Indians. TO the Spaniard it must be CON
ceded that the religious purpose be its
value what it may, has never been aban-
doned or forgotten. Ecclesiastical jurisdic-
ton and authority are interviewer in the
Philippines with all the machinery of the
government and the daily concerns of life.
mo doubt the great remoteneSS of these
islands from Europe the infrequency of
communication has given the local author
tiles more of independent action than would
otherwise have been allowed to them, and
in case of the death of the governor the
archbishop was generally the funcuOnary
who filled his place. His adjacency to the
government and frequent direction of it nat
urally led to the strengthening of his own
authority and that of all the ecclesiastics
dependent upon him.
For more than century the Philippines
have made large contributions to Spain,
generally in excess of the stipulated
amount. which is called the 'situado.' Spain
in her periods of extreme embarrassment
frequently called on the Philippines to come
government there and the local priests saw
to it that the money was speedily raised
and sent to Madrid
AN ENGLISHNTAN'S VIEW.
Great Britain has sent commissioners and
diplomatic gentlemen from time to time to
investigate the 1400 islands of the Philip
pines, their native races the resources of
the country etc. Sir John Bowring, who
spent half his life among the people of the
Orient, remarks:
How often, when threading through the
Thousand Islands of the Philippine archi-
peago, did the shadow of Nautilus and the
visions of his philosophy present themselves
to my thoughts OF these unnumbered, sea-
surrounded regions, how many there are
that have never been trodden by European
root, how few that have been thoroughly
explored, and fewer still that are now in
hablted by any civilized foreign racei
And yet they are covered with beautiful and
spontaneous vegetable riches above and
pear countless treasures of mineral wealth
below. They nave the varieties of climate
which mountain, valleys and plains afford
rains to water, suns TO ripen, rivers to
conduct, harDorS for shipment every rec
ommendation to attract adventure and re-
ward industry. A population of only few
mllllonS, when ten times that number might
De supplied to safety, and enabled to pro-
Vlde Tor millions upon millions more out of
the superf1uities of their means
1t is claimed that the Chinese in the Phil
changing the language and customs of the
Indians in some of the districts and in di-
Iutng and radically transforming the half
bfeed spanish into unique and fearful dia-
iects, with astonishing accents. The num-
Der or European-Spaniards in the Philip
pines bear small proportion to that of the
mixed races. The mestizos, or mixed races
form numerous and influential portion of
the Philippines. The number of women of
European birth settled in the islands is
wives OF the higher Spanish functiCnaries
and OF superior officers i'm the army and
navy. whose term of service is generally
limited Though the daughters of families
of pure Spanish blood generally marry in
the colony and keep up good deal of ex-
clusiveness and caste, it is seldom that the
highest society is without large proportion
Of mestiZo ladies'. children of Spanish faith
ers and native mothers. The great major
ity OF the merchants and landed proprietors
ordinate officers of the government are filed
by them. There are very many descendantS