sand dollars, in money of the United States, to be paid to the disbursing agent of the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, resident in Washington, District of Columbia, appointed under Act Numbered One hundred and twenty-nine. The sum hereby appropriated shall be devoted to the payment of such bills of the Civil Government of the Philippine Islands as may be, or may have been, approved by the Secretary of War, or ordered paid by the Civil Governor. 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 6, 1903. [No. 669.] AN ACT authorizing the improvement of the river front on the south side of the Pasig River at the expense of the civil government by the taking down of a part of the city wall of Manila and the erection of a river wall, and the reclaiming of land behind the same, and providing the mode in which such work shall be done. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. That part of the city wall extending from the Santo Domingo Gate to the Almacen Gate, along the south side of the Pasig River, in the city of Manila, shall be taken down. The moat between the bridge of the Santo Domingo Gate and the Pasig River shall be filled up after proper drainage pipes have been constructed, allowing the drainage from the rest of the moat to drain into the Pasig River, and a river wall shall be constructed from or near the east bank of the moat where it empties into the Pasig River to a point opposite and at or near the present site of the Almacen Gate. The bottom of the river behind this wall thus newly to be constructed shall be reclaimed by filling in behind the wall sufficient earth or other material to make the space filled level with the surrounding land. The river in front of the wall shall be dredged to the depth of eighteen feet so as to permit the mooring alongside of the wall of the largest steamers which enter the river. The improvement hereby authorized and directed shall be in accordance with the general plan prepared by Major Sears, Corps of Engineers of the United States Army, in charge of the Port Works of Manila, and Captain McGregor, Corps of Engineers of the United States Army, then acting as City Engineer, which plan was one of two plans prepared and submitted by such engineers and is the one known as Plan Number Two, now on file in the office of the Commission. SEC. 2. All the land between the river wall and Calle Maestranza, including that to be reclaimed and that which is now covered by the city wall to be taken down by virtue of this Act, is hereby declared to be property of the Insular Government and subject to the disposition of the Commission only, in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July second, nineteen hundred and two. The cost of this improvement shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Insular Treasury. SEC. 3. The improvement authorized and enjoined in section one of this Act shall be carried on under the immediate direction of the City Engineer of Manila and under the supervision of the Consulting Engineer of the Commission. The plans and specifications for the improvement shall be prepared by the City Engineer and concurred in by the Consulting Engineer of the Commission as soon as practicable. The plans and specifications thus prepared shall be submitted to the Municipal Board and to the Civil Governor for the approval of each, and when thus approved shall be the plans and specifications upon which bids as hereinafter provided shall be invited and the work done. SEC. 4. After the plans and specifications shall be finally approved as directed in the preceding section, the City Engineer shall advertise for bids for the construction of the work in two papers printed in the English language in the city of Manila and in two papers printed in the Spanish language in the city of Manila, and also in one paper printed in Hongkong and in a paper printed in Singapore, at least once a week for three weeks. Bids shall be received within one month after the first publication in the newspapers in Manila. Bids shall be opened in the presence of the Municipal Board and the contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, upon the recommendation of the City Engineer and the Consulting Engineer, and with the approval of the Civil Governor. Authority shall be reserved to reject any and all bids. If the amount bid for the work is in the opinion of the Municipal Board and the Civil Governor too high, all bids shall be rejected and new bids advertised for in the same manner as provided for the first bids. Should the bids continue at the second bidding to be too high in the opinion of the Municipal Board and the Civil Governor, then, by order of the Municipal Board, with the approval of the Civil Governor, the City Engineer, under the supervision of the Consulting Engineer, may be given authority to proceed with the work by the direct employment of labor and the direct purchase of material. The advertisement for bids shall require the beginning of the work within a certain time and its completion within a certain time, and such terms shall be embodied in the contract. A bond of ten thousand dollars signed by a fidelity insurance company authorized to give such bond in these Islands shall be deposited with every bid made, and no bid shall be received and considered unless such bond shall accompany it. The contract shall provide for partial payments upon estimates of the City Engineer, approved by the Consulting Engineer of the Commission. SEC. 5. The contracts may contain a provision giving to the contractor the use of all suitable stone taken out of the walls for the construction of the new river wall, and also for the use of the debris for the filling in of the moat and the filling in of the river bottom behind the river wall, as in the discretion of the City Engineer and the Consulting Engineer may seem best. SEC. 6. Except where this Act specifically provides otherwise or is inconsistent with the general rules and regulations contained in section five of Act Numbered Twenty-two, such rules and regulations shall control in the letting of bids, and the conduct of work upon this improvement so far as the same are applicable. SEC. 7. The City Engineer shall make to the Consulting Engineer of the Commission detailed monthly reports of the progress of the work directed hereunder, containing a statement of the expenditures made during the month, and the Consulting Engineer shall transmit the same to the Civil Government. SEC. 8. After the contract shall have been duly awarded in accordance herewith, the contract shall be signed by the contractor and his sureties, on the one hand, and by the municipal board and the Civil Governor, on the other, and the incurring of the liability of the Insular Government by reason of such contract is hereby authorized. The amounts necessary for the payment of the contractor under the contract shall be provided in current appropriation bills upon the estimate of the City Engineer approved by the Consulting Engineer of the Commission. SEC. 9. 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. 10. This act shall take effect on its passage. [No. 670.] AN ACT creating the position of local purchasing agent. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. There is hereby created in the office of the Insular Purchasing Agent the position of local purchasing agent, at a salary of three thousand five hundred dollars United States currency per annum. The local purchasing agent shall be appointed by the Civil Governor, by and with the consent of the Philippine Commission. The said local purchasing agent shall perform such duties as the Insular Purchasing Agent shall direct and, during the absence of the Insular Purchasing Agent, he shall act as Insular Purchasing Agent. SEC. 2. The appropriation for "Salaries and wages, Bureau of Insular Purchasing Agent, nineteen hundred and three," appropriated in Act Numbered Five hundred and ninety-five, is hereby made available for the payment of the salary of the said local purchasing agent for the remainder of the fiscal year nineteen hundred and three. SEC. 3. The said local purchasing agent shall give a bond to the satisfaction of the Chief Executive of the Islands in the sum of twentyfive thousand dollars for the faithful discharge of his duties and the proper accounting for all moneys and property which may come into his hands. SEC. 4. 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. 5. This act shall take effect on its passage. [No. 671.] AN ACT amending section two of Act Numbered Five hundred and twenty-two relative to the payment of rewards for information leading to the capture and con viction of the perpetrators of any murder or robbery or of the members of any band of brigands in the Archipelago. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Section two of Act Numbered Five hundred and twentytwo, entitled "An Act empowering the Civil Governor to authorize any provincial governor or the Chief of the Philippines Constabulary to offer a reward of any sum not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars, local currency, for information leading to the capture and conviction of the perpetrators of any murder or robbery or of the members of any band of brigands in the Archipelago," is hereby amended by substituting in lieu thereof the following: "SEC. 2. The rewards, the offer of which is authorized in the preceding section, shall be paid out of the Insular Treasury in pursuance of an appropriation duly made. The officer offering the reward is authorized to incur the expense of properly advertising the same and such expense shall be paid out of the Insular Treasury in pursuance of an appropriation duly made: Provided, however, That the provincial board of any province in which rewards in accordance with section one hereof are offered, is authorized to order the payment from provincial funds of such rewards; and reimbursement from the Insular Treasury of the amounts so paid shall be made by settlement warrant to the province upon certification by the Auditor, based on claim for the same by the provincial treasurer of the province, supported by proper vouchers and evidence." 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. [No. 672.] AN ACT amending Act numbered Seventy-four, establishing a Department of Public Instruction, as amended by Acts Numbered Four hundred and seventyseven and five hundred and twenty-five, by providing for an assistant to the General Superintendent of Education, for the reduction of the number of school divisions to thirty-five, for the traveling expenses of the General Superintendent, assistant to the General Superintendent, and division superintendents, and for other purposes. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Act numbered Seventy-four, as amended by Acts Numbered Four hundred and seventy-seven and five hundred and twentyfive, is hereby amended as follows: (a) By making paragraph (b) of section three read as follows: (b) He shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Public Instruction, an assistant to the General Superintendent of Education, at an annnal salary of two thousand four hundred dollars, payable monthly, and shall prescribe the duties of said assistant. He shall also appoint, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Public Instruction, a city superintendent of schools for Manila and division superintendents of schools for other parts of the Archipelago at the salaries hereinafter provided, and the teachers and clerks authorized by law, and shall prescribe the duties of such teachers and clerks." (b) By making section five read as follows: 66 SEC. 5. The Archipelago shall be and is hereby divided into thirty-five school divisions. In the First Division (the city of Manila and its barrios) there shall be a city superintendent of schools, and in each of the other divisions, except the Thirty-second, Thirty-third, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-fifth, there shall be a regularly appointed division superintendent. The division and the annual salaries of the superintendents thereof shall be as follows: "First Division, the city of Manila and its barrios, three thousand dollars. "Second Division, Albay and Sorsogon, one thousand eight hundred dollars. "Third Division, Ambos Camarines, two thousand dollars. "Fourth Division, Batangas, two thousand dollars. "Fifth Division, Bohol, two thousand dollars up to July first, nineteen hundred and three, and on and after that date one thousand eight hundred dollars. "Sixth Division, Bulacan, one thousand six hundred dollars. "Seventh Division, Cagayan and Isabela, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. 66 Eighth Division, Capiz, one thousand five hundred dollars. "Ninth Division, Cavite, one thousand six hundred dollars. "Tenth Division, Cebu, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. "Eleventh Division, Ilocos Norte, two thousand dollars." "Twelfth Division, Ilocos Sur and Abra, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. "Thirteenth Division, Iloilo and Antique, two thousand five hundred dollars. "Fourteenth Division, La Laguna, one thousand eight hundred dollars. "Fifteenth Division, La Union, one thousand five hundred dollars. "Sixteenth Division, Leyte and Samar, two thousand four hundred dollars. 66 "Seventeenth Division, Masbate, one thousand five hundred dollars. Eighteenth Division, Mindanao and Jolo (with the exception of Misamis and Surigao), two thousand five hundred dollars. "Nineteenth Division, Misamis, one thousand five hundred dollars. "Twentieth Division, Nueva Ecija, two thousand dollars. "Twenty-first Division, Nueva Vizcaya, one thousand five hundred dollars. "Twenty-second Division, Occidental Negros, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. "Twenty-third Division, Oriental Negros, one thousand six hundred dollars. "Twenty-fourth Division, Pampanga and Bataan, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. |