The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-08
IMPROVES ON LODGE
REPRESENTATIVE COOPER PRO-
POSES CIVIL GOVERNMENT
FOR PHILIPPINES

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-Representative
Cooper, Of Wisconsin, Chairman of the
house committee on insuIar affairs. to-
day introduced a bill giving a complete
form of civil government for the Philip
pines, to begin Jan. l, 1904, with a gov
ernor appointed by the president, a lagis-
lature of two houses and with two Phil
lpplne commissioners to represent the
Filipino people at washington. The upper
branch Of the legislature is called the
council and is to consist Of five native
Fflipinos appointed by the president.
The lower house is called the house of
delegates and consists Of thirty members
selected every two years Dy vote of the
Filipino people. The qualifications Of yo-
tiers are that they shall be over twenty
one years of age, shall be able to read
and write Spanish or English, shall pos
sess taxable property and shall have
resided for one year in the islands.
The Cooper bill makes complete provi-
sion for executive, legislative and Judi
cial branches Of administration in the
Philippines The executive branch of
government is to be conducted by a gov
ernor assisted by a cabinet or body Of
executive officers, consisting Of a secra-
tary Of administration, attorney general.
treasurer, auditor, commissioner of in
terror and commissioner of education.
The governor is to be appointed by the
president for term Of four years, and
Manila is made the headquarters Of the
central administration. The members of
the governors cabinet are to be ap-
pointed by the president for terms of
four years.
No person holding a military or civil
position under the United States is eli
gible for membership in the legislature
AS to the powers of the Philippine legis-
lature, section rs provides that the Iegis.
iative power shall extend to all right
full subjects Of legislation not inconsist-
ent with this act or with the laws of the
United States, locally applicable
owing to the mixed character of the
inhabitants of the islands-natives, Span
ish and American-the following section
is important as defining citizenship:
All inhabitants continuing to reside in
the Philippines who were Spanish sub
jects on April II, 1885, and then resided
therein, and their children born subse-
quent thereto, shall be held to be citizens
of the Philippines, except such as have
elected to preserve their allegiance, in
accordance with the provisions of the
treaty of peace; and they, with the citi-
zens of the United States who reside in
the Philippines shall, after JAN 1, 1901,
constitute body polite under the name
of the people Of the Philippines with
governmental powers as herein con-
ferred."
The two commissioners who are to be
sent to Washington are to be selected at
the first session of the legislature
by joint vote Of the two houses When
in Washington the Philippine commits
sioners shall be entitled to official recog-
milton at all departments upon present.
ing their credentials to. tle department
of state.
The foregoing civil goyernment features
of the Cooper bill distinguish it from the
measure framed by the war department
and introduced by Mr.. Lodge Mr. Coop
er Incorporates in his. bill substantially
the provisions as to franchises, mining
and land regulations, Shomesteads, etc,
in the Lodge bill