The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-04

I eulaItIys
as they shall designate, subject to your
| approval and action upon the coming IN
/ of the commissioners reports, which are
to be made from time TO time. as their
! action is taken. Wherever civil govern
| ments are constituted under the direclon
| of the commission, such military posts,
/ garrisons and forces will be continued for
the suppression of insurrection and brig
/ andage and the maintenance of law and
See as 1ns ans the SrY
| shall be at all times subject, under ms
orders. to the call of the civil authorities
for the maintenance OF law and order ana
the enforcement of their authority.
| I'm the establishment of municipal gov
! ernments the commission will take as the
| basis of their work the governments es-
| tablished by the military governor under
his order of August 5, 1890. and under the
Of the board constituted Ss drdnr by 1ne
| airy 90 1900, to formulate and report
| plan of municipal government of when
| of the audiencia. was chairman. and they
| Will give to the conclusions OF that ooaro
| the. weight and consideration which the
| high character and distinguished aDllities
| of its members justify.
| I'm the constitution of departmental or
provincial governments they will give es-
pecial attention to the existing govern
! ment of the island of Negroes, constitut-
| ed with the approval of the people of that
island under the % ord dsao OF the en-, military r
| tying, so far as may be practicable, the
| reports of the successful working of that
fhu ne ACQUIRED far as Z
| be applicable to the condition existing in
| other portions of the Philippines: They
| will avail themselves to the fullest de-
gree practicable of the conclusions reach
ed by the previous commission to the
| Philippines.
Distribution of Powers.
| I'm the distribution of powers among the
| governments organized by the commits
| sion. the presumption Is always to be in
| favor of the smaller subdivision, so that
all the powers which can properly be ex,
| ercised by the municipal government shall
/ be vested I'm that government and all the
| powers of more general character which
can can be exercised by the depar tine gov
| ment, so that in the governmental sys-
| tenn. which is the result of the process.
| the central government of the island. fol-
lowing the example of the distribution
| of the powers between the states and the
| national government of the United States,
! shall have no direct administration ex-
| cept of matters of purely general con-
| Germ, and shall have only such supervi-
| sion and control over local governments
| as may be necessary to secure and en-
| force faithful and efficient administration
| by local officers.
1.-The many different degrees of civiliza-
| ton and varieties of custom and capac-
/ ity among the people of the different is-
/ lands preclude very definite Instructions
| as to the part which the people shall take
! In the selection of their own officers; but
| these general rules are to be observed:
That In all cases the municipal officers.
who administer the local affairs of the
| people. are to be selected by the people,
| and that wherever officers of more ex-
| tended jurisdiction are to be selected In
any. way, natives of the island are to be
| preferred, and If they can be found COM
| petent and willing to perform the duties,
| they are to receive the offices in prefer
ence e., TO AN. any others 1t win be necessary
| Americans, which, after time, may be
! well filled by natives of the island AS
| soon as practicable a system of ascer-~
| tanning the merit and fitness of Napdf-
| dates for civil offices should be put in
| force, An indispensable qualification for
| all offices and positions of trust and au-
thority In the island must be absolute
| and unhampered authority, and power to
remove and punish any official deviating
| retained In the hands of the central au-
/ thority of the island
In all of the forms of government and
| administrative provisions which they are
authorized to prescribe. the commission
| should bear In mind that the government
which they are establishing is designed
| not for our satisfaction or for the ex-
! preston of our theoretical views, but for
I the happiness, peace and prosperity of
/ the people of the Philippine islands. and
/ made to conform TO their customs. their
! habits and even their prejudices, to the
fullest extent consistent with the accom-
! plshment of the indispensable requisites
| OF just and effective government.
Individual Freedom.
AT the same time the commission
| should bear in mind, and the people OF
/ the islands should be made plainly to un-
| derstand, that there certain great
/ principles OF government which have been
made the basis of our governmental sys-
tenn which we deem essential to the rule
/ of law and the maintenance of individual
freedom and of which they have, unfor-
/ tunatey. been denied the experience pos
sessed by us. that there are also certain
| practical rules of government which we
| have found to be essential to the pres
| ervation OF these great principles of lib
erty AND. and law, and that these principles
/ established and maintained In their ISL
/ ands for the sake of their liberty and
| happiness however much they may con-
| fiict with the customs or laws of proceed
/ ure with which they are familiar.
| 1T is evident that the most enlightened
thought Of the phiiippine Islands th fully
ciples and rules, and they Will inevitably
within a short time command universal
/ OF the government of the Philippines,
therefore must be imposed three inyiola-
. bic rules
THAT no person shall be deprived of life
| liberty or property without due process
| Of law; that private property shall not be
taken for public use without Just COM
I. pensation; that In all criminal proseeu-
I lions the accused shaft enjoy the right to
| speedy and public trial 10 be informed
OF the nature and cause OF the accusation.
/ 20 be confronted with the witnesses
| against him. To have compulsory process
/ for obtaining witnesses in his favor. and
to have the assistance OF counsel Tor his
defense: thar excessive bail shalt not be
I required nor excessive hnss imposed, nor
/ cruel and unusual punishment inflicted:
l that no person shall be put twice In jeop-
1 ardy for the same ofrense. or be COM
| PEELED in any criminal case TO be a witt
ness against himself; that the right TO be
| secure against unreasonable searches and
I seizures shall not be violated. that neither
I slavery nor involuntary servitude shall
[ exist except as a punishment for crime:
/ that no bill of attainder or sx post facto
/ law shall be passed; that no law shall no
I passed abridging the freedom Of speech
I or Of the press. or the rights OF the peo-
4 pie TO peaceabia assembly and petition 10
the government for redress Of griey-
I ances: that no law shall be made respect
/ ing an establishment Of religion or pro-
4 hlhitlng the free exercise thereof, and
( that the free exercise and enjoyment OF
I religious profession and worship without
I discrimination or preference shall forever
/ Be allowed
/ Titles tn Lands.
/ 'It viii be the duty Of the commission 20