CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 461

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characteristics, education, secular and religious

orders, the Chinese in the Islands, public health,&c.

The Commission announces itself in a most un-

qualified manner in favour of a Government of the

Philippines analogous to that of a Territory of the

United States, with a Governor appointed by the Pre-

sident and recommend that the inhabitants of the

Archipelago shall have a large measure of home rule

in local affaire. They should manage their own

town and county affairs with no help from American

Officials except such as would be involved in con-

trolling the local Government at Manila. The suf-

frage to be restricted by educational and property

qualifications. This system would necessitate the

employment of a small body of American Officials

of great ability and integrity who should receive

large salaries. It is suggested that one for even

250,000 Natives would suffice, and they would act

as advisers to the town and county councils and

watch the collection of Revenue.

The report discusses the system of Covernment

by a Protectorate as established over the Malayan

Peninsula by Great Britain deeming it inadvisable.

It further goes with care into the different kinds

of Government in the British Colonies and explains

that there is no analogy between the relation of

the self governing colony of Australia or of Canada

to Great Britain and the Philippines to the United

States.

and

Instead of community of blood, race,

language there is the greatest diversity and instead

of a common political experience, the one has breath-

ed the air of freedom while the other has been re-

pressed by despotism. The plan of a self-governing

Colony is therefore out of the question. Neither

should the style of Government of British Guiana or

that of HongKong be applied.

A territorial Government it concludes is the

desideratum and the territorial organization of

Louisiana is taken as a basis for the Government

proposed.

The scheme provides for a Governor and

The

Secretary