The age-herald., 1900-12-04

cipal and department governments as shall
 be provided for. Until the complete trans
 l fer of control the military government will ! remain the chief executive head of the 1 government of the island and will exercise
 the executive authority now possessed by
 him and not herein expressly assigned to l the commission, subject, however, to the | rules and orders enacted by the commits | sion in the exercise of the legislative DOW 1 CT conferred upon them. In the meantime l the municipal and departmental govern 1 ments will continue to report to the mili- 1 tary government and be subject to his ad- | ministrative supervision and control, un- l der your direction. but that supervision
 and control will be confined withia the mar | rowest limits consistent with the require | ments that the powers of government in l the municipalities and departments shall | be honestly and effectively exercised and 1 that law and order and individual freedom l shall be maintained.
 l All legislative rules and orders and bills l of government and appointments to office | by the commission will take effect imme- diately or at such times as they shall de- ! signate, subject to your approval and ac- I ton upon the coming in of the commission CTS reports, which to be made from l time to time as their action is taken What 1 ever civil governments are constituted un- 1 der the direction of the commission such l military ports. garrisons and forces will 1 be continued for the suppression of insur- l rection and brigandage and the mainten- 1 anee of law and order as the military com 1 mander shall demand requisite and the military forces shall be at all time subject 1 under his orders to the call of the civil | authorities for the maintenance of law and | order and the enforcement of their author 1 ity.
 In the establishment of municipal gov ernments the commission will take as the l basis of their work the governments sstab- | lished by the military government under his order of August 8, 1899, and under the | report of the board constituted by the mili- | tary government by his order of January | l9, 1900, to formulate and report plan of | municipal government of which his honor Cayetano Arellano, president of the Au- diencia, was chairman, and they will give 1 to the conclusions of that board the weight | and consideration which the high character 1 and distinguished abilities of its members | justify.
 Smaller Subdivisions.
 l In the execution of the departmental or | provincial governments they will give es- | pecial attention to the existing government | of the island of Negros. constituted, with l the approval of the people of that island l under the order of the military governor | of July 27, 1899, and after verifying so far | as may be practical, the reports of the sat | sfactory working of that government they | will be guided by the experience thus | quired so far as 1t may be applicable to
 
 | the Philippines. They will avail them
 selves to the fullest degree possible of the conclusion reached by the previous | mission to the Philippines
 | In the distribution of the powers among
 the government organized by the commits | sion the presumption was to be in favor | of the smaller subdivision so that all the l powers which can properly be exercised by | the municipal governments shall be invest | ed in that government and all the powers | of a more general character which can be | exercised by the departmental governments | shall be invested in that government; and | so that in the governmental system which 1 is the result of the process, the central 1 governments of the islands following the example of thea distributions of the pow | CTS between the states and national gov | ernment of the United States, shall have | no direct administration except of matters l Of purely general concern, and shall have | only such supervision and control over To- 1 cal governments may be necessary to | secure and enforce faithful and efficient | administration by local officers.
 l The many different degrees of civiliza- | tion and varieties of customs and capacity | among the people of the different islands 1 prelude very definite instruction as to the l part which the people shall take in the | selection of their own officers, but these | general rules are to be observed: That in 1 all cases the municipal officers who admin 1 ister the local affairs of the people are to l be selected by the people and that wherev- l CT officers are extended Jurisdiction to be | selected Tn any way natives of the island l are to be preferred and if they can be | found competent and willing to -perform l the duties, they are to receive the offices | in preference to any others
 It will be necessary to fill some offices | at present with Americans, which after a | time may be filled with natives of the isl- 1 ands. As soon as practicable a system for ascertaining the merit and fitness of candi-- dates of civil office should be put in force. | An indispensable qualification for all offices l and positions of trust and authority in the l islands must be absolute and unconditional | loyalty to the United States and absolute | and unhampered authority and power to re- | move and punish any officer deviating from | that standard must at all times be retained l In the hands of the central authority of the | islands.
 In all the forms of government and ad- 1 ministrative provisions which they are au- thoriZed to prescribe the commission should | bear in mind that the government which | they are establishing Is designed not for | our satisfaction for the expression of our theoretical views but for the happiness, peace and prosperity of the people of the Philippine Islands, and the measures adopt 1 ed should be made to conform to their | toms, their habits. and even their preju- dices to the fullest extent consistent with the accomplishment of tho indispesable requisites of just and effective government. Fundamental Principles At the same time the commission should | bear in mind and the people of the island should be made to understand that there are | certain great principles of government l which have made the basis of our govern 1 mental system which we deem necessary | to the rule of law and maintenance of in- l dividual freedom and of which they have l unfortunately been denied the experience possessed by us; that there are also cer- tain practical rules of government which we have found to be essential to the pres ervation of those great principles of liberty and law and that these principles of rule and government must be established and maintained in the islands for the sake of their liberty and happiness. however much they may conflict with the customs or laws of procedure with which they are familiar It is evident that the most enlightened thought of the Philippine Island fully ap- preciates the importance of these principles and rules and they will inevitably within a short time command universal assent.