[No. 694.] AN ACT amending Act Numbered Two hundred and eighteen, entitled "An Act creating a Bureau of Public Lands," by authorizing additional employees for that Bureau and appropriating a sum sufficient for the payment of the salaries of such employees for the remainder of the fiscal year nineteen hundred and three. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Section four of Act Numbered Two hundred and eighteen, entitled "An Act creating a Bureau of Public Lands," is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 4. There may be employed in the Bureau of Public Lands the following force: Chief clerk class four, one law clerk class six, one draftsman class six, two clerks class seven, one draftsman class eight, three clerks class eight, three clerks class nine, one clerk class ten, one surveyor Class C, one draftsman Class G, two draftsmen Class H, four clerks Class H, one messenger at one hundred and twenty dollars per annum." SEC. 2. There is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, a sum in addition to the amount appropriated under Act Numbered Five hundred and ninetyfive for "Salaries and wages, Bureau of Public Lands, nineteen hundred and three," sufficient for the payment of the force herein authorized for the remainder of the fiscal year, nineteen hundred and three. SEC. 3. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 4. This act shall take effect as of March first, nineteen hundred and three. Enacted, March 21, 1903. [No. 695.] AN ACT amending section eleven of Act Numbered Eighty-two, entitled "A general act for the organization of municipal governments in the Philippine Islands." By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Paragraph (f) of section eleven of Act Numbered Eightytwo, entitled "A general Act for the organization of municipal governments in the Philippine Islands," is hereby repealed and the following substituted in place thereof: "(f) Any elector who can not read and write shall be assisted in the preparation of his ballot by two persons whom he shall designate, who shall accompany him to a table. One of the said persons, in the presence of the other, shall thereupon fill out a ballot in accordance with the dictation of the elector, who shall then deposit it in the usual manner." SEC. 2. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 3. This act shall take effect on its passage. Enacted, March 21, 1903. [No. 696.] AN ACT authorizing the issue of three million dollars of certificates of indebtedness under and by authority of section six of the Act of Congress entitled "An Act relating to currency for the Philippine Islands," approved March second, nineteen hundred and three, and making an appropriation of two million dollars in money of the United States immediately available for the purpose of purchasing silver bullion with which to coin silver Philippine pesos in accordance with section five of the said Act of Congress approved March second, nineteen hundred and three. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. With the approval of the Secretary of War there may be coined under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury by the mints in the United States two million silver Philippine pesos per month, of the weight of four hundred and sixteen grains each, with a standard such that of one thousand parts by weight nine hundred shall be of pure silver and one hundred of copper alloy, under and by virtue of section two of the Act of Congress entitled "An Act relating to currency for the Philippine Islands," approved March second, nineteen hundred and three, and said monthly coinage of two million silver Philippine pesos may continue with the approval of the Secretary of War until there shall have been coined twenty-four millions of said pesos. SEC. 2. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized, on behalf of the Government of the Philippine Islands, temporarily to issue certificates of indebtedness to the extent of three million dollars in money of the United States, bearing interest at a rate not to exceed four per centum annually, payable at periods, of three months or more, but not later than one year from date of issue, in denominations of one thousand dollars in currency of the United States, and redeemable in gold coin of the United States, which certificates of indebtedness shall be disposed of by the Secretary of War at such favorable rate of interest or premium as he may be able to secure, the proceeds thereof to be deposited with the Guaranty Trust Company, the authorized depository of the Government of the Philippine Islands, to the credit of the Treasury of the Philippine Islands. These certificates are authorized by, and shall be issued in accordance with, section six of said Act of Congress, approved March second, nineteen hundred and three, and shall state upon their face that they have been issued in accordance with the terms of said section for the purpose of purchasing silver bullion in execution of the provisions of said Act of Congress and by authority of this Act of the Philippine Commission. SEC. 3. The Secretary of War shall report to the Auditor and the Treasurer of the Philippine Islands the amount of such certificates of indebtedness as are described in the previous section which he has issued under the authority thereof, the numbers and denominations thereof, the rate of interest to be paid thereon, the time when payable, the premium, if any, at which they were issued, and the total pro ceeds therefrom, and the same shall be made a matter of record in the offices of the Auditor and the Treasurer of the Philippine Islands. SEC. 4. By way of anticipating the proceeds of the foregoing loan, and to avoid delay in the purchase of the silver bullion and the coinage of the silver Philippine pesos, as provided in the first section hereof, there is hereby appropriated and made immediately available out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of two million dollars in money of the United States, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to be used for the purpose of purchasing silver bullion with which to enable the Secretary of the Treasury through the mints of the Government of the United States to coin the silver Philippine pesos of the size, weight, and fineness and of the character described and prescribed in section two of the Act of Congress entitled "An Act relating to currency for the Philippine Islands," approved March second, nineteen hundred and three, and in section one of this Act; and the proceeds of the certificates of indebtedness so issued, as authorized in section two hereof, when deposited to the credit of the Treasury of the Philippine Islands, shall replace in said Treasury the sum by this section advanced and appropriated for the purposes herein declared. SEC. 5. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 6. This act shall take effect on its passage. [No. 697.] AN ACT to furnish transportation to the United States to officers and employees of the Insular Government when it is impracticable to secure the same on United States Army transports. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. In every case wherein it is impracticable to secure for an officer or employee of the Insular Government transportation from Manila to San Francisco on a United States Army transport, and such officer or employee is entitled by law or under his contract, after two or more years of satisfactory service, to return transportation, exclusive of subsistence, from Manila to San Francisco, the Executive Secretary is hereby authorized to issue an official request for such transportation upon any transportation company with which the Insular Government may have a contract, upon the payment to the disbursing officer of the Executive Bureau of a sum which such officer or employee would have been required to pay for subsistence if he had made the journey upon a United States Army transport, allowing thirty days for the trip. The sum so received by the disbursing officer of the Executive Bureau shall be deposited in the Insular Treasury to the credit of the appropriation, "Insular salary and expense fund." The account of the transportation company shall be paid by settlement warrant upon certification of the amount by the Auditor, and said payment is hereby made a proper charge against the appropriation designated "Insular salary and expense fund." SEC. 2. In every case where an officer or employee is by law entitled. to full traveling expenses, which include transportation and subsistence, from Manila to San Francisco or to his home or place of appointment in the United States, the Executive Secretary is hereby authorized to issue an official request for such transportation, as in the first section provided, upon any transportation company with which the Insular Government may have a contract, and the cost thereof shall be a proper charge against the "Insular salary and expense fund," and settlement shall be made as provided in the preceding section. SEC. 3. Every transportation company upon which requests are issued shall submit to the Auditor bills for transportation furnished under this Act, accompanying the same with the official requests upon which the said transportation was furnished, the same to be duly receipted, showing that the transportation was actually furnished. SEC. 4. The Executive Secretary shall certify the name of the officer or employee to whom such transportation was furnished, the Bureau or Office to which he belonged, the amount received from him and deposited in the Insular Treasury to the credit of the "Insular salary and expense fund," and shall also cite the law or authority under which the said transportation was furnished, with a true copy of the contract providing for such return transportation, if any. SEC. 5. No transportation shall be furnished at the cost of the Insular Government when an officer or employee is going to or coming from the United States on leave of absence, except in cases specially provided by law or resolution of the Commission: Provided, however, that any officer or employee of the Philippine Government, Insular, provincial or municipal, going to or coming from the United States on leave of absence or for any other lawful reason may secure the benefit of the contract of the Insular Government made with the commercial lines for transportation between Manila and any town or city in the United States, either for himself or for any member of his family, including his fiancée, by applying in case he is going from Manila to the United States to the Executive Secretary for a proper order of transportation and by depositing upon the order of the Executive Secretary the proper amount due for the same with the disbursing officer of the Executive Bureau, who shall deposit such sum in the Insular Treasury to the credit of the appropriation, "Insular salary and expense fund," and in case the officer or employee or any member of his family is going from the United States to Manila by applying to the Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs in Washington and by depositing upon the order of the Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs with the disbursing agent of the Philippine Government in Washington the proper amount due for the transportation applied for; and said disbursing agent shall deposit the same with the depository of the Insular Government in the city of New York to the credit of the appropriation, "Insular salary and expense fund," and the disbursing agent of the Philippine Government in Washington shall be and he is hereby authorized to draw upon funds thus deposited in payment of the corresponding claims of the commercial lines for the transportation thus furnished. SEC. 6. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-six nineteen hundred. SEC. 7. This act shall take effect on its passage. Enacted, March 23, 1903. [No. 698.] AN ACT authorizing the loan of fifteen thousand dollars in money of the United States or its equivalent in local currency at the authorized ratio to the Province of Batangas. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. The provincial board of the Province of Batangas is hereby authorized to borrow, by resolution, from the Insular Government the sum of fifteen thousand dollars in money of the United States or its equivalent in local currency at the authorized ratio, to be expended by the provincial board in the improvement and construction of roads and bridges in said province and to furnish labor to the suffering poor. The sum thus borrowed shall be repaid to the Insular Treasury, without interest, in annual installments of three thousand dollars beginning two years from the date of the loan. The amount of the loan shall be paid to the provincial treasurer upon receipt of the resolution of the provincial board, and shall be by him disbursed upon order of the provincial board as in other cases. SEC. 2. There is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars in money of the United States, or its equivalent in local currency at the legal rate, in order to comply with the provisions of this Act. SEC. 3. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section. two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 4. This act shall take effect on its passage. [No. 699.] AN ACT to amend section nine of "The Provincial Government Act," Numbered Eighty-three, as amended by Act Numbered One hundred and thirty-three. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Section nine of "The Provincial Government Act," Numbered Eighty-three, as amended by Act numbered One hundred and thirty-three, is hereby further amended by striking out paragraph (b) and inserting the following in lieu thereof: (b) He shall, by himself or deputy, collect all taxes imposed upon property or persons in the province, either by the municipalities of the province or the provincial government. He shall have power to |