The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-04

| dSSiStduCe Wltuiu hiS PS'oA ~ 'hAo
performance Of their duties. without
hampering them by, too specific instruc-
lions they should In general be enjoined,
after making themselves familiar with
the conditions and needs of the country.
to devote their attention in the hrst IN.
| stance to the establishment of municipal
governments. in which the natives OF the
islands, both in the cities and in the rural
communities, shall be afforded the Oppor-
tunity to manage their own local affairs
| to the fullest extent of which they are ca
pable and subject to the least degree OF
| supervision and control which a careIui
study OF their capacities and observation
OF the workings of native control show to
be consistent with the maintenance OF
law. order. and loyalty.
The neyt subject in order of Importance
should be the organization Of government
in the larger administrative divisions cor
responding to counties, departments. or
| provinces, in which the common interests
of many or several municipalities falling
within the same tribal lines, or the same
natural geographical limits, may best De
| subserved by a common administration.
Whenever the Commission Is OF the opin-
ion that the condition Of affairs In the
| islands is such that the central admins
tration may safely be Transferred from
| military to civil control they will report
that conclusion to you, with their RECON-
mendations as to the form OF central gov
eminent to be established for the purpose
| Of taking over the control.
Military Authority Reduced.
Beginning with the first day Of Septem-
Der. 1900, the authority to exercise, sud-
ject to my approval, through the Secre-
tary of War, that part of the power OF
government in the Philippine Islands,
which is of legislative nature Is to be
transferred from the military governor
of the islands to this commission. to be
thereafter exercised by them In the place
and stead of the military governor. unoer
such rules and regulations as you shall
prescribe. until the establishment OF the
civil central government for the Islands
contemplated in the last foregoing para
graph. or until Congress shall otherwise
provide. Exercise of this legislative au-
thority will include the making OF rules
and orders, having the effect Of law. for
the raising of revenue by taxes, customs
duties. and impOsts; the appro-
priation and expenditure OF pub
lie funds of the islands; the establish
ment of system to secure an efncient
civil service; the organization and estab-
1ishment of courts: the organization and
establishment of municipal and depart
mental governments, and all other mat
tiers of civil nature for which the mill
tary governor is now competent to provide
by rules or orders of legislative charac-
ter.
1.-THE commission will also have power
during the same period to appoint to office
such officers under the judicial, education |
al, and civil service systems and in the
municipal and departmental governments |
as shall be provided for. Until the COM |
plete transfer of control the military gov |
ernor will remain the chief executive head |
Of the government Of the islands, and will |
exercise the executive authority now pos |
sessed by him and not herein expressly |
assigned to the commission, subject, how |
ever, to the rules and orders enacted by |
the commission in the exercise Of the leg |
islative powers conferred upon them. In |
the mean time the municipal and depart |
mental governments will continue to re-
port to the military governor and be sub
ject to his administrative supervision and |
control, under your direction, but that !
supervision and control will be confined |
within the narrowest limits consistent |
with the requirement that the powers of
government in the municipalities and de-
partments shall be honestly and effective
ly exercised and that law and order and
individual freedom shall be maintained.
"All legislative rules and orders. estab-
Ichments of government and appoint
ments to office by the commission will
take effect Immediately, or at such times
as they shall designate, subject to your
approval and action upon the coming in
of the commissions reports, which are to
be made from time to time as their action
is taken. Wherever civil governments are
constituted under the direction Of the
commission such military posts garrisons,
and forces will be continued for the sup
preston of instruction and brigandage
and the maintenance of law and order as
the military commander shall deem re-
quisite. and the military forces shall be
at all times subject. under his orders, to
the call of the civil authorities for the
maintenance Of law and order and the en-
forcement of their authority.
In the establishment of municipal gov
ernments the Commission will take as the
basis of their work the governments es-
tabiished by the military governor under
his order of August s. 1899, and under the
report of the board constituted by the
military governor by his order Of January
49, 1900, to formulate and report a plan
of municipal government of which his
honor Cayetano Areilano. President OF the
AuGiencia, was chairman, and they will
give to the conclusions OF that board the n
weight and consideration which the high
and distinguished abilities of its
members Justify.
I'm the constitution of departmental or
provincial governments they will give es-
pecial attention to the existing govern
nent of the Island OF Negroes. constituted,
with the approval of the people of that ISL
and. under the order Of the military gov
ernor of July g. 1899. and after verifying,
so far as may be practicable, the reports
Of the successful working of that govern
ment they will be guided by the expe-
rience thus acquired SO far as it may be
applicable to the condition existing in
other portions of the Philippines They
will avail themselves, to the fullest degree
practicable of the conclusions reached by
the previous Commission to the Philip
pines.
"In the distribution OF powers among the
governments organized by the Commission.
the presumption is always to be in favor
of the smaller subdivision, so that all the
powers which can properly be exercised
by the municipal government shall be
vested in that government, and all the
powers of a more general character which
can be exercised by the departmental gov
eminent shall be vested in that govern
ment and so that in the governmental
system, which Is the result of the process.
the central government. of the islands 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 concern.
and shall have only such supervision and
control over local governments as may
be necessary to secure and enforce faith
rul and efficient administration by local Of
fcers.
1.-THE many different degrees Of civiliza-
ton and varieties OF custom and capacity |