[No. 1666.] AN ACT Appropriating one hundred thousand pesos from the Congressional relief fund to be loaned under certain conditions to the provinces and municipalities of the Philippine Islands for public works. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. There is hereby appropriated, out of the Congressional relief fund in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, or which may hereafter become available for appropriation, the sum of one hundred thousand pesos, to be loaned under the direction of the Governor-General at an annual interest of four per centum to the various provinces and municipalities of the Philippine Islands for the purpose of constructing artesian wells, bridges, municipal government office buildings, markets, slaughterhouses, ferries, and public works of a permanent character: Provided, That the provincial board of any province to which a loan is made, or of any municipality to which a loan is made, under authority of this Act, shall guarantee in writing the repayment of the loan, and the provincial treasurer is hereby authorized and directed to deduct from the revenues of the province or municipality, as the case may be, the amount due on such loan and deposit the same in the Insular Treasury. Loans made under authority of this Act for a period of two years or more shall be repaid in annual installments. 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, nine-, teen hundred. SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect on its [No. 1667.] passage. AN ACT To amend section sixty-one of act numbered thirteen hundred and ninety-seven, entitled The Township Government Act." By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Section sixty-one of Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ninety-seven, entitled "The Township Government Act," is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 61. Whereas many of the non-Christian inhabitants of the Philippine Islands have not progressed sufficiently in civilization to make it practicable to bring them under any form of municipal government, and whereas many of the Christian settlements in the provinces organized under the Special Provincial Government Act are so small that their organization as municipalities or townships is undesirable and so remote that their organization as barrios of municipalities or townships is impracticable, the provincial governors of such provinces are authorized, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, in dealing with such non-Christian tribes and small Christian settlements, or members thereof, to appoint officers for their settlements, to fix the designations and badges of office of such officers, and to prescribe their powers and duties: Provided, That the powers and duties thus prescribed shall not be in excess of the powers conferred upon township officers by this Act." 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. 1668.] AN ACT Appropriating the sum of two hundred and twenty thousand two hundred and seventy-four pesos from the funds realized from the sale of publicimprovement bonds authorized by Act Numbered Fourteen hundred and fortyfour, for certain public works and permanent improvements of the Insular Government. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. The following sums, in Philippine currency, or so much thereof as may be necessary, are hereby appropriated, out of the funds realized from the sale of public-improvement bonds authorized by Act Numbered Fourteen hundred and forty-four, for certain public works and permanent improvements of the Insular Government: BUREAU OF PUBLIC WORKS. For continuing the construction of the Wright-Taft road and branch trail to Magtaon, Island of Samar, as authorized by a resolution of the Commission dated February thirteenth, nineteen hundred and seven, and in accordance with the provisions of Act Numbered Fourteen hundred and ninety, five thousand pesos. BUREAU OF NAVIGATION. For compensation of necessary office assistants and employees of the division of port works and for engineering staff engaged in work on the deep-water harbor at the port of Manila, from January first, nineteen hundred and seven, to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eight, seventy-seven thousand five hundred pesos: Provided, That the rates of compensation shall be fixed by the chief of the division of port works with the concurrence of the Director of Navigation and approval of the Secretary of Commerce and Police. For placing additional riprap along the west breakwater at the port of Manila, as authorized by a resolution of the Commission of February fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seven, and to continue the project as authorized by a resolution of the Commission of July third, nineteen hundred and seven, to the extent of sixty-eight thousand seven hundred and seventy-four pesos, one hundred and thirtyseven thousand seven hundred and seventy-four pesos. In all, for the Bureau of Navigation, two hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred and seventy-four pesos. Total of appropriations for all purposes, two hundred and twenty thousand two hundred and seventy-four pesos. SEC. 2. All balances remaining unexpended when any public work or permanent improvement appropriated for by this Act is completed shall be returned at once to the Treasury of the Philippine Islands and shall not be available for withdrawal or disbursement thereafter, but shall be carried to the account of funds realized from the sale of public-improvement bonds. 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 twentysixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect on its passage. Enacted, July 5, 1907. [No. 1669.] AN ACT To annex the municipalities of the late province of Romblon to the third assembly district of Capiz for the purposes of the election to be held July thirtieth, nineteen hundred and seven, and amending the election law by reducing the number of delegates to the Philippine assembly to eighty and redistricting the province of Capiz for the assembly election to be held in nineteen hundred and nine and thereafter. Whereas the late Province of Romblon has been made a subprovince of Capiz and has thus lost its identity as a province and its right to separate representation in the Philippine Assembly; and Whereas it is necessary that the qualified electors in the subprovince of Romblon be not disfranchised in the forthcoming assembly election; and Whereas it is not practicable at the present time to make an entire new division of the Province of Capiz into assembly districts, inasmuch as such entire division would take effect so late as to be an injustice to a great number of electors and their candidates: Now, therefore. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION V. The first paragraph of section five of Act Numbered Fifteen hundred and eighty-two is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 5. The Philippine Assembly. The Philippine Assembly shall consist of eighty members, apportioned among the provinces as follows: SEC. 2. The municipalities of Badajoz, Cajidiocan, Looc, Odiongan, Romblon, excepting the Island of Maestro de Campo, and San Fernando are hereby added to the third district of Capiz. The posting of notices and maps required for Assembly districts by Act Numbered Fifteen hundred and eighty-two is hereby declared to be unnecessary for the election to be held July thirtieth, nineteen hundred and seven, within the district hereby created, and the registration heretofore effected and the registry lists made in the various municipalities and precincts in said district, as such lists shall be corrected in accordance with the provisions of said Act, shall be used as the registry lists within the various municipalities in the said new district, and, generally, all official acts done with respect to said election in the municipalities and precincts affected by this Act as they were constituted prior to the passage hereof and which were legal at the time that they were done are hereby ratified and confirmed and made applicable to the election to be held on the thirtieth day of July, nineteen hundred and seven, in the new district hereby created. SEC. 3. For the purposes of the election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, nineteen hundred and nine, and elections subsequent thereto, the ninth paragraph of section seven of said Act Numbered Fifteen hundred and eighty-two is hereby repealed and a new paragraph substituted therefor to read as follows: 66 Capiz: First District-Composed of the municipalities of Capiz, Dao, Dumarao, Iuisan, Panay, Panitan, Pilar, Pontevedra, and Sigma. Second District-Composed of the municipalities of Calibo, Dumalag, Jamindan, Mambusao, New Washington, Sapian, and Tapas. Third District-Composed of the municipalities of Badajoz, Buruanga, Cajidiocan, Ibajay, Looc, Malinao, Nabas, Odiongan, Romblon, excepting the Island of Maestro de Campo, San Fernando, and Taft." 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 twentysixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 5. Sections one, two, and four of this Act shall take effect on July fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seven, and section three shall take effect on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, nineteen hundred and nine. Enacted, July 8, 1907. [No. 1670.] AN ACT Authorizing the trustees or directors of asylums and institutions where poor children are maintained at public expense to place such children in charge of suitable persons and providing for the adoption of such children. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. The board of trustees or directors of any asylum or institution in which poor children are cared for and maintained at public expense are hereby authorized, with the consent of the Director of Health, to place any orphan or other child so maintained therein whose parents are unknown, or being known are unable or unwilling to support such child, in charge of any suitable person who may desire to take such child and shall furnish satisfactory evidence of his ability suitably to maintain, care for, and educate such child. SEC. 2. The entrusting of any child to a person as provided in the preceding section shall not constitute a legal adoption and shall not affect the civil status of such child or prejudice the right of any person entitled to its legal custody or guardianship. SEC. 3. It shall be the duty of any person who shall take any poor child from an asylum.or institution, as provided in section one of this Act, suitably to maintain, care for, and educate such child while in his custody. The Director of Health shall visit such child personally or by agent at least once every three months and make all needful inquiries as to its welfare. SEC. 4. If the Director of Health shall find that any child so taken from any asylum or institution is not being properly maintained, cared for, and educated, or if the person with whom such child has been placed shall no longer desire to retain the custody thereof, the Director of Health shall again place the child in the asylum or institution from which it was taken. SEC. 5. Upon the application of any person to the trustees or directors of any asylum or institution where poor children are maintained at public expense to adopt any child so maintained therein, it shall be the duty of such trustees or directors, with the approval of the Director of Health, to report the fact to the provincial fiscal, or in the city of Manila to the city attorney, and such official shall thereupon prepare the necessary adoption papers and present the matter to the proper court. The costs of such proceedings in court shall be de oficio. 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 twentysixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect on its passage. [No. 1671.] AN ACT To amend Act Numbered Three hundred and forty-five, entitled "An Act designating the days which shall be observed as public holidays in the Philippine Islands," as amended, so as to make election days public holidays. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Section one of Act Numbered Three hundred and forty-five, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows: "SECTION 1. The first day of each week, commonly called Sunday, the first of January, the twenty-second of February, Thursday and Friday of what is commonly called Holy Week, the thirtieth of May, to be known as Memorial Day in honor of the soldiers and sailors of the United States who gave up their lives for their country, the fourth of July, the thirteenth of August. Thanksgiving Day, the twenty-fifth of December, and the thirtieth of December |