Second Philippine Legislature. Second Session. JOURNAL OF THE COMMISSION. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1911. The Commission met at the call of the Chair at 10 o'clock and 30 minutes antemeridian. Present: Commissioners Gilbert, Luzuriaga, Araneta, Palma, Sumulong, and Branagan (after roll call). Absent: The President, and Commissioners Worcester and Elliott (on official business). Commissioner Gilbert in the chair. READING OF JOURNAL. The Journal of Tuesday, November 7, 1911, was read and approved. UNFINISHED BUSINESS-A. J. R. NO. 14 IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Assembly Joint Resolution No. 14, entitled "Joint Resolution requesting the Congress of the United States, through the Resident Commissioners, for the enactment of a law to amend section thirteen of an Act of Congress passed August fifth, nineteen hundred and nine, so as to lower the export duty on abacá to five cents for each one hundred kilos gross weight," pending in Committee of the Whole, On motion by Commissioner Gilbert, Further consideration in Committee of the Whole was postponed. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. [Committee Report No. 260.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Finance and Justice, to which was referred on November 2, 1911, in accordance with Rule XVI (b), Rules of the Commission, a petition of Honorio Puruganan of Dingras, Ilocos Norte, requesting favorable action on the divorce bill now pending in the Assembly, or in case the Commission cannot see its way clear to approve a general law on the subject that a special law be passed in his case, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the petition be laid on the table: The general divorce law referred to is not before the Commission, not having yet been received from the Assembly, and your committee cannot see its way clear to recommend the passage of a special law in this case. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, GREGORIO ARANETA, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. Commissioner Branagan entered the Session Chamber during the reading of the report. The report and the recommendation contained therein were adopted. [Committee Report No. 261.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Finance and Justice, to which was referred on November 2, 1911, in accordance with Rule XVI (b), Rules of the Commission, numerous protests against the divorce bill now pending in the Assembly, including one signed by the apostolic delegate, the Archbishop of Manila, and all the bishops of the Catholic Church present in the Philippine Islands, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That these papers be filed for consideration when the bill referred to is received from the Assembly, and that any others of a similar nature received in the meantime be treated in the same manner. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, GREGORIO ARANETA, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report and the recommendation contained therein were adopted. [Committee Report No. 262.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Finance and Justice, to which was referred on November 3, 1911, a resolution of the provincial board of Occidental Negros expressing their approval of the Padilla Bill, providing for the issuance of cedulas free of charge for cedulas lost or destroyed, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the resolution be laid on the table. The bill referred to is apparently Assembly Bill No. 84, first session Second Philippine Legislature, which was referred to your committee on December 27, 1910, and reported with the recommendation that it be laid on the table. (Report No. 120, p. 396, Journal No. 4.) Your committee now recommends the same disposition of this resolution as it recommended for Assembly Bill No. 84 for the reason stated in its report on that bill, to which reference is hereby made. A similar Assembly Bill, No. 532, was also introduced in the second session of the First Philippine Legislature and was disposed of in like manner. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, GREGORIO ARANETA, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report and the recommendation contained therein were adopted. [Committee Report No. 263.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Commerce and Police, to which was referred on November 2, 1911, in accordance with Rule XVI (b), Rules of the Commission, resolution of the convention of municipal presidents of Rizal held during August, 1911, recommending that the firearms of the municipal police be guaranteed by the property of the municipality instead of by the personal bonds of the members of the council, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the petition be laid on the table. The attention of the Commission is invited to the report of this committee on a similar petition during the first session of the present Legislature, to be found on page 687 of Journal No. 4 as published. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, C. B. ELLIOTT, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report and the recommendation contained therein were adopted. [Committee Report No. 264.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Commerce and Police, to which was referred on November 2, 1911, in accordance with Rule XVI (b), Rules of the Commission, resolution of the convention of municipal presidents of Rizal held during August, 1911, recommending the reorganization of the municipal police, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the petition be laid on the table. In the opinion of your committee the change recommended by the municipal presidents of Rizal is not desirable. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, C. B. ELLIOTT, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report and the recommendation contained therein were adopted. [Committee Report No. 265.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Commerce and Police, to which was referred on October 18, 1910, resolution No. 24 of the convention of municipal presidents of Capiz, adopted July 27, 1910, requesting that an Act be passed extending the powers of the provincial boards so that they may expend as high as 2,000 for public works without necessity of any intervention on the part of the Bureau of Public Works or any of the branches thereof, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That it be laid on the table. The present system of assigning engineers which is in force in the Bureau of the Public Works, the method of payment which has been adopted and the accounting instructions issued by the Insular Auditor in Circular No. 202 has, in the opinion of your committee, resulted in a condition which makes it no longer necessary to consider the request contained herein. Your committee is of the further opinion that there is not at the present time any necessity whatever for amending Act No. 1401 as amended by Act No. 1752. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, C. B. ELLIOTT, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. On motion by Commissioner Araneta, The matter was recommitted to the Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Commerce and Police for consideration and report in connection with Assembly Bill No. 613, entitled "An Act establishing the office of provincial engineer, amending the Provincial Government Act and amendments thereto," now with said committee for report and recommendation. [Committee Report No. 266.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Public Instruction, to which was referred on November 2, 1911, resolution passed by the convention of municipal presidents, Province of Rizal, recommending that prisoners sentenced for offenses triable by justice of the peace courts shall serve sentences in the municipal jails, has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That this petition be laid upon the table, reference being had to report No. 49 of the Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Public Instruction, submitted to the Commission on October 26, 1910,' wherein it was recommended that a petition similar to this one be laid upon the table. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, NEWTON W. GILBERT, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report and the recommendation contained therein were adopted. COMMUNICATION. The Secretary then read a communication signed by Tomás Emboscado and sixty-three others, residents of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, protesting against the appointment of Nazario Cando as justice of the peace of that municipality, and giving certain facts concerning his previous record. Referred to the Secretary of Finance and Justice. 1 See pp. 184, 185, Journal of the Commission, No. 4. |