The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-02


ment. burden which he may escape by
paying an additional $3.50 Women of over
| twenty-one years are required to pay only
| from $3.50 to $14, according to their means.
The natives pay from 81 to IS a year for
| the hut they inhabit, and special tax upon
! every piece of furniture valued over 81
Licenses are required to plant crop, to
| kill live stock, to cut timber. to harvest
| tobacco, grain, indigo, and other products.
Even cocoanuts cannot be gathered by their
owner without previously purchasing a per-
nit. These impositions are placed upon the
natives. Should an American or other alien
attempt to engage in agricultural pursuits,
a system of special taxation is applied
amounting to absolute prohibition. If a ma
tive is unable to pay the tax gatherer his
property is seized and sold at public auction.
and, if the proceeds be insufficient, he is
mercifully put in Jail.
The customs duties and monopolies, add
ed to this legalzed robbery, produces, with
the lotteries Throwing off a revenue of
about 81 100000 a Year,, the revenue derived
by the state or secular authorities who,
however, distribute handsome share to
the church. The latter has, besides, a spe-
cia and profitable system of taxation of its
own. Birth, baptism, marriage and death
must be paid for in hard cash at firmly es-
tablished rates. and these fees constitute a
lien upon the property and body of the de-
inquent. Before a.corpse may be buried the
government collects a fee of S1.50 from the
sexton! Comment is superfiuous.
The government of the islands is con-
Quoted by the Governor General and his
council or cabinet, the members of which
are all native Spaniards, as also the Of
foin1c an fad under them THE president
OF this council, or Junta de Autoridades, is
the Governor General, while the members
are as follows, and rank in the order named:
The archbishop the commander-in-chiefo of
the army the commander-in-chief of the
navy, the president of the Supreme Court
(presidente de la real audiencia), the
treasurer Gntendente general de hacienda
the civil administrator director general de
administration civiD and the crown attor-
ney fiscal de su majestad).
FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.
What are the functions of this council?
All that / could find out is that it decides
upon the affairs of aliens. Attached to it
is the consorate (comision permanente de
censurs), of which the crown attorney is
the president, and which consists of twelve
members, four of whom are friars. / will
add the names of the present incumbents
with the tonsure: FIR. E. f. Arias, FIR. c.
de las Huertos, FIR. L Monasterio and FIR.
c. Elera.
Next come the Console de Administra-
cion, whose functions resemble somewhat
those Of our Department of the Interior.
The Governor General presides; the same
members sit as in the Council named be-
FORE with the addition of the Rev. Father
Superior of the religious orders, the presi-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce and the
president of the Economical Society of the
Friends of the Country (Spain.) The de-
partments of the government are:
L. Gracia Justicia or Cult and Justice,
Of which the archbishop, is the chief. 1t is
somewhat suggestive that the "Registra-
cion de la Propiedad," or registration Of
realty, the abstract office, should be sub
division of this department.
2. Guerra, or Department of War. In
looking over the members of this depart
ment 1 find the following regiments: Lee
gaspi No. IS; Yberia, No. SO; Magallanes,
No. 20; Mindanos, No Il; Bisayas, No. ~;
Jolo, No. 73; Manila, No. 74 Cazadores, l, 2.
8, f. 5, 6, z, s, or a total of fifteen regiments
of infantry. There is one squadron of cav
airy and three tercios of civil guards, and
one brigade of artillery. All this may have
cAlStCO Ou pdpCly Jul tAAC ICAoOhAASA "a eAAO
various staffs is here.
g. Marina, or Department. of the Navy
There is no use to examine this, since
Dewey has taken a pretty complete in
ventory.
4. Hacienda or Treasury. The present in
tendente general, Senior Don J. Gutierrez
de la Vega, could, no doubt, furnish some
valuable information regarding the work
Of this department.. There is, however, no
hope that he will condescend to do it. In
the customs house department the chief
boasts of the following mixed" name: F.
P. del Pulgary O'Lawlor. His accent does
not indicate that he is a Spaniard from
Cork
s. Gobernacion, or civil administration,
which includes the contaduria, or public
accounts.
G. Fomento or Charity, which we would
call the Department of Education and Pub
lie Works. The latter department or sec
ton has been in a chronic state of innocuous
deseutude, except in furnishing sinecures
to large number of Dons.
The great majority of the European resi-
dents alien to Spain do business in the cap
ital Manila, according to the last official
census, that is some years ago, CONTAINED
$50 European residents outside of Spaniards,
41S9 natives of Spain exclusive of army and
navy, 1851 Chinese, 1906 Chinese half
breeds, SS49 Spanish mestizos and 160,S96
pure natives. This population has increased
but the proportion was fairly maintained.
In view of the anxiety of Germany to pro-
tect its subjects, 1 have been doing some
little census work of my own The following
are the British or American firms at pres
emit located here: Macleod & Co., Andrews
& Co., Armstrong. Sloan & Co., J. NJ. Bren,
Boyle & Earnshaw, Brown & Co. Gin liqui-
dation), Warner Barnes & Co., Chartered
Bank of India, Australia and China,
Charles H. Cundall, Donaldson, Sims &
Co., Daniel Earnshaw Findlay & Co., W.
A. Fftton, Forbes, Mum & Co., Joseph
Hogg, Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation, Holiday, Wise & Co., Johns
ton Gore, Booth & Co.. Ker & Co., Rail-
way Company Limited, Simpson & Co.,
Smith, Bell & Co., Stevenson & Co., Tillson,
Hermann & Co. and Watson & Co. The fol-
lowing are all the German firms: Boie &
Schadenberg. Martin Buck g. Co., Fressel
& Co. Froehlich & Kuttner, Germann &
Co., Heinszen e. Co., Holman & Co., E.
Meyer, Meyer G. Co., AID Richter & Co.,
Roensch & Co., E. Spitz, Struckmann
Co. and Wusinowski & Co. There are, be-
Sides some French. Swiss and Dutch firms.
fc ND 10 ali