The times., 1899-11-01
THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.
Further Progress Toward Determine
ing the Chnrncter of the Report.

Further Progress Toward Determine
ing the Character of the Report.
The Philippine Commission at yesterdays
meeting made further progress in deter
mining the character and extent of the re-
port to be presented to the President. II
is yet too early to fix upon a tine for com
pleting the documents, and il was thought
yesterday that some weeks would be con-
sumed in sitting the mass of evidence
taken. A great part of the documents are
not before the Commission. being in the
custody of Clerk Macarthur. who is on his
way here from Manila He sailed on the
transport China. now due at San Francisco
and is expected to arrive in Washington
within week. When the papers in Mr.
MacArthur's possession are received, the
Commission will get down to work in ear
nest, but in the mean time the general out
lines and the scope of the work Will be
determined and the different subjects dis
tributed among the members for treat
ment. The various heads of the report will
be assigned to those members best qualified
from experience to handle them.
While the completed report will deal
primarily with questions of fact, it is prob
able that the Commission will make def
mite recommendations for dealing with the
This seems inevitable from the very nature
Of the situation, as it is realized that in
investigating the conditions in the Philip
pines positive conclusions must necessarily
be drawn 1t is not unlikely, therefore, that
the Commission will express it's opinion
as to the best means of governing the
islands.
Owing TO the diYersifcation OF the races,
customs, and conditions of the inhabitants
Of the former Spanish possessions a uni
form system of government will not be
practicable throughout, but must be adapt
able to the conditions existing in the sew
eral groups or districts. For instance, the
Sulu archipelago, under the Treaty Of Paris.
must be governed along the lines laid down
by the agreement between the Sultan and
Spain, or rather by the new agreement be-
tween the United States and the Sultan,
which is practically identical with the old
Spanish agreement. Il is probable, too
that agreements will be made with the sew
eral chiefs ruling the Mindanao group
whereby the people of those Islands will ac-
knowledge the sovereignty of the United
States, but will retain at the same time
their forms of local government.
A committee consisting of two members
of the Commission has been appointed to
wait upon President Mckinley and ascer-
tain his wishes on the subject Of making
the proceedings of the Commission public
This action has been taken by the Com
mission, it is thought, account OF the
pressure for information as to the real
situation in the Philippines on the part Of
public men and the press of the country.
The Commission instead of meeting at
the Arlington Hotel today, viii make a
formal call on President Mckinley As
there is some doubt as to the completion
OF the report in time for its recommenda-
tions 10 be used in the Presidents annual
message TO Congress, il is probable that the
members of the Commission will at the
meeting today. furnish him with their
views on the various subjects on which he
desires information.