Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-28
AMNESTY FOR FIL1PINos.
The Terms Were Agreed Upon at Yes 1 terday's Cabinet Meeting.


 terday's Cabinet Meeting.
 Washington, June 2S.1At the meet ing of the cabinet yesterday the terms of an amnesty proclamation to the Fili- pinos, which it is contemplated to issue on the Fourth of July, were agreed upon. The war department for some time past has had under consideration the draft of a proclamation and has found it necessary to make a number of changes in its text. In it's modified state it was agreed to by the cabinet yesterday and Secretary Root will ca- ble it to Acting Governor Wright for his inspection. If it meets the latters approval nothing will remain but for the president, if the Philippine civil government bill is law on that day, as is now expected it will be, to issue on July a formal proclamation setting forth terms of amnesty for all political offenders in the islands, including Aguinaldo and those held at Gaum.
 The proclamation is based on the general objects of the Philippine gov ernment bill, namely, to restore peace in the archipelago and substitute civil for a military administration. That bill is now in conference and the proclama-
  Philippine government measure has been agreed upon by both houses and the president has affixed his signature to it. The proclamation will declare that state of peace now exists in the Philippine Islands, save in the parts of the archipelago where the Mindanao or pagan tribes are giving the United States a great amount of trouble, and will declare in effect that with the transfer of the government of the arch ipelago from military to a civil status all those arrested and held for political offenses shall be restored to liberty. granted full amnesty and allowed to participate in the civil government that is to be inaugurated on the islands. While the proclamation is subject to changes in text. the general language of the document is pretty we'll mapped out. There was general discussion yesterday of the treatment that should be accorded the political prisoners of the islands. There is no intention. it is stated, to release those prisoners con- victed of other than political offenses, the benefits of the amnesty being lim- ited to those in custody as result of breaches of military law, leaving crim- fnal offenders to the action of the pEOJHI dulHOIltleS uuueI Iu0 cODlluS civil government. The purpose is to demonstrate that the motives of hu- manity and generosity dictate our course toward the Filipinos. When the islands are turned over to the civil authorities they will not be left with out adequate military protection. as no more troops will be ordered home for the present and every precaution will be taken for the military safeguarding of the islands under the new civil ad- ministration.
 Another subject under discussion at the cabinet meeting yesterday was the negotiations for the purchase of the friar lands in the Philippines. Secre. tary Root took with him to the meeting all the correspondence which had passed between himself and Governor Taft while the latter has been carrying on his negotiations at Rome It is un. derstood that Secretary Root feels great confidence in a successful outcome of l Governor Taft's efforts.
 The cabinet also took up the ques- tion of naming naval vessels provided for in the naval appropriation bill. and i it is said oecision was reached in each case. but it IS desired not to make the names public until the vessels are actually authorized.
 The cabinet meeting was held in the presidents temporary quarters on La fayette square and it was the first time in eighty-eight years that regu- lar session of the cabinet had been held outside the White House.