Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-04

1
power during the same period tt appoint
| to office such officers under the judicial.
| educational and civil service system and
| In the municipal and departmental gov
elnments as shall be provided for. Un-
| til the complete transfer of control, the
military government will remain the
chief executive head OF the government
of the islands and exercise the executive
| outflority now possessed by him and not
herein expressly assigned to the commis-
| sion, subject. however, to the rules and
orders enacted by the commission in the
| exercise of legislative powers conferred
upon them. In the meantime the muni-
| cipal and departmental governors will
continue to report to the military gov
ernor and be subject to his supervision
and control under your direction, but
supervision and control will be confined
within the narrowest limits consistent
with the requirements that the powers or
government in the municipalities and de-
partments shall be honestly and efs
| fectively exercised and that law and or.
| der and individual freedom shall be
maintained.
/ All executive rules and orders of govs
ernment and appointmen to office by
| the commission will take effect imme.
! diately, or at such time as they shalt
| ueSlSnate. SUBJECT u youl dpPi o'iee
action upon the coming in of the COM
| nissioners reports, which are to be made
4 from time to time as their action is taxi
en- Wherever civil governments are con-
| stituted under the direction OF the COM
/ mission. such military posts garrisons
! and forces will be continued for sup
! preston of insurrection and the mainte-
, nance of law and the military forces
| shall be at all times subject to such or
ders as you may designate.
In the establishment of municipal gov.
ernments established by the military
! governor under his order of August s,
! lS99 and under the report of the board
| constituted by the military governor by
! his order of January 29 1900. to solmuate
! and report a plan of municipal govern
ment of which Cayetano Arelano, presi-
dent of the Audiencia, was chairman.
and they will give to the conclusions of
that board the weight and consid Grafton
which the high character and dstin.
guished abilities of it's members justify.
In the constitution of departmental or
provincial governments they Will give
especial attention to the existing govern.
ment of the island of Negros, constitute
| ed with the approval of the people OF
! that island under the order of the mill.
tary governor of July %. 1899, and after
verifying so far as may be practicable
| the reports of the successful working Of
/ the government they will be guided by
the experience thus acquired Sd far as
it may be applicable to the onlition eX-
| listing in other portions of the islands.
| They Will avail themselves to the fullest
degree practicable of the conclusions
reached by the previous commission to
the Philippines.
hn Evil, ne O.
the governments organized by the COM
| mission, the assumption is always to be
in favor of the smaller subdivision so
that all the powers which can properly
be exercised by the municipal govern-
ment shall be vested in that government
! and all the powers of a more general
! character which can be exercised by the
departmental governments shall be vest-
! ed in that government and 50 that in the
| governmental system which is the result
Cf process, the central government of the
island following the example Of distri-
| button OF the powers between The states
and the national government of the
United States shall have no direct ad.
ministration except of matters Of pure.
| ly general concern and shall nave onr-
| such supervision and control over local
governments as may be necessary to SEE
| cure anu eHIpltt ldllIl III anu eIllCleuL
| administration by local officers. The
many different degrees Of civliza ton and
varieties of custom and capacity among
the people of the different islands pre-.
clude very definite instruction as to the
part which the people shall take In the
selection Cf 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 Deonla
and that whatever officers OF mere exc
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 to any others. 1t will De necessary
to fill some offices for the present with
Americans, which after time may be
well filled by natives of the islands. AS
soon as practicable a system for ascer-
tanning the merit and fitness OF candle
dates for civil offices should be Put IN
force. IAN indispensable qualification for
all offices and positions of trust and
authority in the island must be absolute
and unhampered authority and power to
remove and punish any officer deviating
from the standard, must at al times
Ie retained in the hands of the central
authority of the island.
SHOULD PLEASE THE PEOPLE.
In all of the forms of government and
administrative provisions which they
are authorized to prescribe, the commits
sion should bear in mind that the gov
ernment which they are establishing is
designed, not for our satisfaction or
for the expression of our theoretical
views, but for the happiness, peace and
prosperity of the people of the Philip
, pine islands, and the measures adopted
should be made to conform to their GUS
TOMS their habits and even their pre-
judices to the fullest extent consistent
with the accomplishment of the isdis-
Lie reull SiteS Of OFF,. ~