Evening star., 1901-08-15

of your department, and In which ne re
newed his recommendation OF April 70 as
to placing prohibition upon the return OF
friars to their former parishes
Replying to these two communications
the military governor directs me to state
that he is prepared to assure the native
citizens of the Philippine Islands that the
following provision will be embodied In any
form of civil government, which may here
after be established In the archipelago.
Guarantee of Religious Freedom.
..As,under the Constitution Of the United
States, complete religious freedom is guar
anteed, and no minister Of religion can
he interfered with OF molested in fol-
lowing his calling in a peaceful and law
full manner and there must be a complete
separation of church and state, SO here
the civil government of these islands here
after to be established will give the same
security to all citizens thereof, and guar
antee that no form Of religion shall De
forced by the government upon any COM
munity, or upon any citizen of the islands;
that no minister Of religion In following
his calling in a peaceful and lawful manner
shall be interfered with or molested by
the government or any person; that no
public funds shall be used for the sup
port Of religious organizations of any mem.
Der thereof; that no official process shali
be used to collect contributions from the
people for the support Of any church.
priest or religious order; that no minister
of religion, by virtue of his being minis
ter, shall exercise any public or govern
mental office or authority; and that the
separation of church and state must be
complete and entire.
I'm pursuance of the policy embodied in
the foregoing paragraph 1t Is apparent
that congregations by Independent lnd1vld-
ual action, SO far as any governmental In
reference is concerned, may reject any
clergyman who is not acceptable to ma
jority of the communicates Of the parish
III. ,tctv 81 lows
such means as are suitable to accomplish
the purpose, provided that any action In
the premises be not accompanied by appll-
cation of violence.
Efforts to Impress the People.
In other similar cases which have arisen
instructions in substantial accord with
those above set forth have been given, the
attempt being constantly made to impress
upon the natives the principles governing
the relations Of church and state under
American institutions. They have been
they claimed for themselves in such mat
ters they must be prepared to accord 10
others; that as no state church exists, no
minister of religion will be forced upon
them and no public funds will be devoted
to ecclesiastical purposes: that priests ana
ministers of the gospel OF any denomina-
ton are at liberty to engage In religious
teaching In the islands, and that the peo-
such teachings as they see mt, and that the
government would not favor one denomina-
ton over another. its general policy being
one of non-interference except where in
teryention becomes necessary in the preser-
walton of good order and property rights.
Considerable activity has been noticeable
in real estate transfers from religious or
ders to syndicates and corporations during
the period of United States rule. Including
those made a few days prior to the fall Of
Manila, and in evident anticipation of the
change in sovereignty. the transfers report
ed to this Office aggregate more than 213,-
$50 acres, of the estimated value OF about
81 OOO 600 Mexican and conveyed princi-
paliy by the Dominican, Augustinian and
Recoilet orders. Other transfers Of which
this office has unofficial but reliable in
formation materially increase these figures.
Relegated to the Courts.
Certain of the grantees applied to the
military governor through this Office for
confirmation Of title, and were informed
that such questions were not appropriate
for administrative settlement, but pertained
to the re-established civil courts, to which
these and. all related questions should be
submitted In the usual way for adjudication.
In one case process issuing out OF one
os the courts of first instance OF Manila, at
the inst ance Of the grantee. directing the
survey OF certain OF these properties, was
suspended in its execution by the refusal of
the military governor To furnish the force
necessary to overcome the resistance of the
very large number Of tenants who claimed
title TO the lands directed to be surveyed, !,
Il having been ascerlained that, In the opin-
ion OF local military authorities. any at
tempt to make the survey would probably