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PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
HISTORY
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In his trip around the world, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese, in the service of Spain, discovered the Philippine Islands on March 16th, 1521. Spain, claiming the country, colonized it in 1565, when Legaspi, the first Governor of the Philippines, founded the first Spanish settlement in Cebu. The city of Manila was founded on June 24th, 1571.
The early history of the Philippines is a record of continual trouble. Conflicts. between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities led to internal contentions, while both Portugal and the Netherlands coveted these rich possessions and liarassed the Spaniards. In 1606 the Dutch blockaded the ports with five ships, which were, however, destroyed by the Spanish fleet. Attacks were also made at different points by powerful Chinese piratical fleets. The most celebrated of these was the invasion by Li Ma Hong, who with 2,000 men landed at Manila in 1574, but was defeated and driven out by the Spaniards and natives, under the leadership of Juan de Salcedo. In 1762 the capital was taken by the English, the private property of the inhabitants being saved from plunder on the condition of the payment of a ransom of £1,000,000, half of which was paid in money and the other half in bills upon the Spanish Treasury. In the meantime, however, peace had been concluded, and the islands were restored to Spain, payment of the balance of the indemnity not being insisted upon.
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The Filipinos were given representation in the Spanish Cortes in 1810. galleon trade instituted by the Spanish Government ending in 1815. The port of Manila was opened to the commerce of the world in 1830. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, direct mail service with Spain was inaugurated and railroads and telegraphs were introduced into the Islands. Attempts to throw off the Spanish yoke were made in 1822, 1841, 1842, 1872 and 1896. On June 12th, 1897, Philippine Inde- pendence was proclaimed in Cavite, and the Philippine flag was officially unfurled.. Upon the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Spain in 1898, the Insurgents offered to co-operate with the former. The offer was accepted with the result that while the Americans took and held the city of Manila, the Insurgents overthrew Spanish authority throughout the remainder of the Island of Luzon and established a government of their own with General Aguinaldo as Dictator. Com- modore Dewey sank the Spanish squadron in Manila Bay on May 1st, 1898. The Philippine Republic was established on January 23rd, 1899. The Treaty of Paris, providing for the cession of the Philippine Islands to the United States, was ratified by the Senate of the United States on February 6th, 1899. Civil government was established in the Islands on July 4th, 1901. The first Philippine Assembly was inaugurated on October 16th, 1907. The new Philippine Autonomy Act, commonly known as the Jones Law, came into force on August 29th, 1916. To-day, with the exception of the Governor-General, and the Vice-Governor, the administration of the internal affairs of the country is practically in the hands of the Filipinos.
GOVERNMENT
The government of the Philippine Islands is administered through three separate and co-ordinate branches-the executive, legislative, and judicial.
The Governor-General is the chief executive of the Islands and represents the sovereign power of the United States. He is appointed by the President of the United States by and with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. Under him are the secretaries of six executive departments-the Department of the Interior and Labour, the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Finance, the Department of Justice. the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and the Department of Public Works and Communications. With the exception of the Vice- Governor, who is appointed in the same way as the Governor-General and is at the same time Secretary of Public Instruction, all the other secretaries are Filipinos. Under each executive department are the different bureaus of the Government.
The Philippine legislative body is composed of two Houses-the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are in all 93 representatives and 24 senators, ré- presenting the City of Manila and the 48 provinces of the archipelago, all of whom are elected by popular vote with the exception of nine representatives and two senators who are appointed by the Governor-General to represent the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Mountain Province, Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao,
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