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and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference shall forever be allowed.

157. The Philippine Assembly

...

The following proclamation issued by President Roosevelt on March 28, 1907, describes the steps taken under the act of 1902, by which a general election was called in the islands for the choice of delegates to a Philippine assembly:

for a

Whereas by the sixth section of the act of Congress approved Provision July first, nineteen hundred and two, entitled "An act temporarily census. to provide for the administration of the affairs of civil government in the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes," it was provided "That whenever the existing insurrection in the Philippine Islands shall have ceased, and a condition of general and complete peace shall have been established therein, and the fact shall be certified to the President of the Philippine Commission, the President, upon being satisfied thereof shall order a census of the Philippine Islands to be taken by said Philippine Commission;" and

Whereas by the seventh section of said act it was provided: "That two years after the completion and publication of the census, in case such condition of general and complete peace with recognition of the authority of the United States, shall have continued in the territory of said islands, not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes, and such facts shall have been certified to the President by the Philippine Commission, the President, upon being satisfied thereof, shall direct said Commission to call, and the Commission shall call, a general election for the choice of delegates to a popular assembly of the people of said territory in the Philippine Islands, which shall be known as the Philippine Assembly. After said Assembly shall have convened and organized, all the legislative power heretofore conferred on the Philippine Commission in all that part of said Islands not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes shall be vested in the legislature consisting of two houses the Philippine Commission and

Conditions

warranting

the call of the assembly

The census

taken and published.

The

commission advises the President.

the Philippine Assembly. Said Assembly shall consist of not less than fifty nor more than one hundred members, to be apportioned by said Commission among the provinces as nearly as practicable according to population, Provided, That no province shall have less than one member: And, provided further, That provinces entitled by population to more than one member may be divided into such convenient districts as the said Commission may deem best;" and

Whereas on September 8, 1902, the Philippine Commission certified to me that the insurrection of the Philippine Islands had ceased, and that a condition of general and complete peace had been established therein; and

Whereas in pursuance of the provisions of the law above quoted, and upon the foregoing due certification, and being satisfied of the facts therein stated, on the 25th day of September, 1902, I ordered a census of the Philippine Islands to be taken by the Philippine Commission; and

Whereas, the census so ordered was taken and announcement of its completion and publication made to the people of the Philippine Islands on March 28, 1905; and

Whereas the Philippine Commission has now certified to me the following resolution:

"Whereas the census of the Philippine Islands was completed and published, on the 27th day of March, 1905, which said completion and publication of said census was, on the 28th day of March, 1905, duly published and proclaimed to the people by the governor-general of the Philippine Islands with the announcement that the President of the United States would direct the Philippine Commission to call a general election for the choice of delegates to a popular assembly, provided that a condition of general and complete peace, with recognition of the authority of the United States, should be certified by the Philippine Commission to have continued in the territory of the Philippine Islands for a period of two years after said completion and publication of said census; and

islands.

"Whereas since the completion and publication of said census, Good order there have been no serious disturbances of the public order save maintained generally and except those caused by the noted outlaws and bandit chieftains, in the Felizardo and Montalon, and their followers in the provinces of Cavite and Batangas, and those caused in the provinces of Samar and Leyte by the non-Christian and fanatical pulajanes resident in the mountain districts of the said provinces, and the barrios contiguous thereto; and

"Whereas the overwhelming majority of the people of said provinces of Cavite, Batangas, Samar, and Leyte have not taken part in said disturbances and have not aided nor abetted the lawless acts of said bandits and pulajanes; and

"Whereas the great mass and body of Philippine people have, during said period of two years, continued to be law abiding, peaceful and loyal to the United States, and have continued to recognize and do now recognize the authority and sovereignty of the United States in the territory of said Philippine Islands, Now therefore be it

"Resolved by the Philippine Commission in formal session duly assembled, that it, said Philippine Commission, do certify and does hereby certify to the President of the United States that for a period of two years after the completion and publication of the census a condition of general and complete peace with recognition of the authority of the United States, has continued to exist, and now exists in the territory of said Philippine Islands, not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes; and be it further

"Resolved by said Philippine Commission, That the President of the United States be requested and is hereby requested to direct said Philippine Commission to call a general election for the choice of delegates to a popular assembly of the people of said territory in the Philippine Islands, which assembly shall be known as the Philippine Assembly;"

Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, in pursuance of the provisions of the law above cited, and

Proclama

tion calling

being satisfied of the facts certified to me by the Philippine Comthe election. mission do hereby direct said Philippine Commission to call a general election for the choice of delegates to a popular assembly of the people of the territory of the Philippine Islands not inhabited by the Moros or other non-Christian tribes which shall be known as the Philippine Assembly.

Status of the inhabitants.

The chief executive.

The White House, March 28, 1907.

THEODORE Roosevelt.

158. The Organization of Government in Porto Rico

These extracts from the organic law of Porto Rico give the principal sections dealing with the form of government for that dependency:

SEC. 6. That the capital of Porto Rico shall be at the city of San Juan and the seat of government shall be maintained there.

SEC. 7. That all inhabitants continuing to reside therein who were Spanish subjects on the eleventh day of April, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, and then resided in Porto Rico, and their children born subsequent thereto, shall be deemed and held to be citizens of Porto Rico, and as such entitled to the protection of the United States, except such as shall have elected to preserve their allegiance to the Crown of Spain on or before the eleventh day of April, nineteen hundred, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty of peace between the United States and Spain entered into on the eleventh day of April, eighteen hundred and ninetynine; and they, together with such citizens of the United States as may reside in Porto Rico, shall constitute a body politic under the name of The People of Porto Rico, with governmental powers as hereinafter conferred, and with power to sue and be sued as such.

SEC. 17. That the official title of the chief executive officer shall be "The Governor of Porto Rico." He shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; he shall hold his office for a term of four years and until his successor is chosen and qualified unless sooner removed by the Presi

dent; he shall reside in Porto Rico during his official incumbency, and shall maintain his office at the seat of government; he may grant pardons and reprieves, and remit fines and forfeitures for offenses against the laws of Porto Rico, and respites for offenses against the laws of the United States, until the decision of the President can be ascertained; he shall commission all officers that he may be authorized to appoint, and may veto any legislation enacted, as hereinafter provided; he shall be the commander in chief of the militia, and shall at all times faithfully execute the laws, and he shall in that behalf have all the powers of governors of the Territories of the United States that are not locally inapplicable; and he shall annually, and at such other times as he may be required, make official report of the transactions of the government in Porto Rico, through the Secretary of State, to the President of the United States: Provided, That the President may in his discretion, delegate and assign to him such executive duties and functions as may in pursuance with law be so delegated and assigned.

executive

officials and

SEC. 18. That there shall be appointed by the President, by The and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for the period of four years, unless sooner removed by the President, a secretary, council. an attorney-general, a treasurer, an auditor, a commissioner of the interior, and a commissioner of education, each of whom shall reside in Porto Rico during his official incumbency and have the powers and duties hereinafter provided for them, respectively, and who, together with five other persons of good repute, to be also appointed by the President for a like term of four years, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall constitute an executive council, at least five of whom shall be native inhabitants of Porto Rico, and, in addition to the legislative duties hereinafter imposed upon them as a body, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are hereinafter provided for them, respectively, and who shall have power to employ all necessary deputies and assistants for the proper discharge of their duties as such officials and as such executive council.

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