section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twentysixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect on its Enacted, December 13, 1906. [No. 1572.] passage. AN ACT Providing that one fiscal shall perform the duties of fiscal for the Provinces of Capiz and Romblon, abolishing the offices of fiscal of Capiz and of Romblon and Palawan as heretofore authorized by law, fixing the salary of the fiscal of the two provinces, and making provision for the traveling expenses of such fiscal. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. The duties of fiscal for the Provinces of Capiz and Romblon hereafter shall be performed by one fiscal, whose salary shall be twenty-seven hundred pesos per annum, of which two thousand pesos shall be paid from the treasury of the Province of Capiz and seven hundred pesos out of the Insular appropriation for "Judiciary," Act Numbered Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven. The fiscal for the two provinces shall reside at Capiz, Province of Capiz. Such traveling expenses of the fiscal in the Province of Capiz as are authorized by law shall be paid from the treasury of the Province of Capiz, and like traveling expenses in the Province of Romblon shall be paid from the treasury of the Province of Romblon. The necessary expenses in traveling from the capital of one of such provinces to that of the other in the performance of his duties as fiscal shall be borne two-thirds by the Province of Capiz and one-third out of the appropriation "Judiciary," Act Numbered Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven. The expense of such clerical assistance, if any, as shall be authorized for the fiscal shall be paid two-thirds by the Province of Capiz and one-third out of the appropriation "Judiciary,” Act Numbered Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven. Beginning with the fiscal year, July first, nineteen hundred and seven, such proportion of salaries and traveling expenses as are herein authorized to be paid out of Insular funds shall be paid from the treasury of the Province of Romblon. SEC. 2. The offices of fiscal of the Provinces of Capiz and of Romblon and Palawan as heretofore authorized by law are hereby abolished and the fiscal authorized by section one of this Act shall have power to perform the duties appertaining by law to the office of fiscal in Capiz and in Romblon Provinces. The Attorney-General is hereby authorized and directed, whenever the necessity there for arises, to designate any assistant attorney or fiscal to perform in the Province of Palawan the duties of fiscal heretofore performed by the fiscal of Romblom and Palawan. 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 January first, nineteen hundred and seven. Enacted, December 13, 1906. [No. 1573.] AN ACT Extending from January first, nineteen hundred and seven, to January first, nineteen hundred and nine, the time within which free patents may be granted to native settlers upon unreserved and unappropriated agricultural public lands. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Any native of the Philippine Islands now an occupant and cultivator of unreserved and unappropriated agricultural public lands, as defined by the Act of Congress of July first, nineteen hundred and two, who has continuously occupied and cultivated such lands either by himself or through his ancestors since August first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, or, who, prior to August first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, continuously occupied and cultivated such lands for three years immediately prior to said date, and who has been continuously since July fourth, nineteen hundred and two, until the date of the taking effect of this Act an occupier and cultivator of such lands, shall be entitled to have a patent issued to him without compensation for such tract of land, not exceeding sixteen hectares, in the manner provided in Chapter Four of Act Numbered Nine hundred and twenty-six, "The Public Land Act," provided that his application there for be filed as provided in said chapter prior to January first, nineteen hundred and nine, instead of January first, nineteen hundred and seven, as now provided by section thirty-three of "The Public Land Act," and said section thirty-three is hereby so amended that the words "nineteen hundred and seven " shall be stricken out and in lieu thereof shall be inserted the words "nineteen hundred and nine." 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. 1574.] AN ACT Continuing in force the existing rate of duty on rice imported into the Philippine Islands. Whereas by the terms of paragraph two hundred and seventy-six of the Act of Congress of March third, nineteen hundred and five, entitled "An Act to revise and amend the tariff laws of the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes," it is provided that the Philippine Commission may, in its discretion, continue in force the rate of duty first therein stated, until in its opinion the conditions in the Philippine Islands may warrant the higher rates therein provided; and Whereas it appears to the Philippine Commission that the existing conditions in the Philippine Islands do not warrant the higher rates of duty therein provided to take effect on and after January first, nineteen hundred and seven: Therefore, By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. The existing rates of duty upon rice unhusked, husked, and in flour, imported into the Philippine Islands, are hereby continued in force until May first, nineteen hundred and eight. 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. 66 SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect on its passage. [No. 1575.] AN ACT So amending Act Numbered Eleven hundred and forty-eight, entitled The Forest Act," as to provide but one scale of taxes on timber for all provinces. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Section eleven of Act Numbered Eleven hundred and forty-eight, entitled "The Forest Act," is hereby amended by striking out of said section the first three paragraphs thereof beginning with the words "For the purposes of this Act "and ending with the words "Samar, Surigao, and Tayabas." SEC. 2. Section twelve of said Act is hereby amended in the following particulars: (a) Paragraph three of section twelve of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "On all timber included in the first group, two pesos and fifty centavos.' (b) Paragraph four of section twelve of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "On all timber included in the second group, one peso and fifty centavos." (c) Paragraph five of section twelve of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "On all timber included in the third group, one peso." (d) Paragraph six of section twelve of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "On all timber included in the fourth group and on all nonenumerated timber, fifty centavos: Provided, That the taxes imposed in this section on ebony and camagon shall be charged on said timbers when presented for measurement and appraisal with the sapwood still attached; and the number of cubic meters in each piece of timber so measured shall include the sapwood attached to the same, and when ebony or camagon timber from which the sapwood has been stripped is presented for measurement and appraisal there shall be assessed and collected the following sums: " (e) Paragraph seven of section twelve of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "On each cubic meter of ebony, six pesos. On each cubic meter of camagon, four pesos and fifty centavos." 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 twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred. SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect on January first, nineteen hundred and seven. Enacted, December 14, 1906. [No. 1576.] AN ACT To amend Act Numbered Three hundred and fifty-five, entitled "An Act to constitute the customs service of the Philippine Archipelago and to provide for the administration thereof," as amended, by providing a more expeditious method of dealing with small seizures and by defining the term 66 officer of the customs." . By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Sections three hundred and thirteen, three hundred and thirteen (a), and three hundred and thirteen (b) of Act Numbered Three hundred and fifty-five, entitled "An Act to constitute the customs service of the Philippine Archipelago and to provide for the administration thereof," as amended by Acts Numbered Eight hundred and sixty-four and Fourteen hundred and five, are hereby so amended as to make the decision of the Insular Collector of Customs final and conclusive in all seizure cases in which the appraised local value of the goods in controversy is less than two hundred pesos: Provided, That in such cases an appeal to the court may be had in the following manner: Notice of an adverse decision shall be served in the manner prescribed for the service of notices in section three hundred and thirteen (a), as nearly as may be, or, when practicable, by actual personal service on the owner or person in possession at the time of seizure. Any person claiming a right to the possession of the merchandise may, within thirty days after such service of the collector's decision, make claim for all or any part thereof, and pay whatever fine may be assessed thereon; or in cases where forfeiture is adjudged and the goods are other than prohibited importations, pay the local appraised value of such goods, in either case under protest and subject to the conditions prescribed for "rate and amount of duty cases," in section two hundred and eighty-six of Act Numbered Three hundred and fifty-five; whereupon the collector shall certify up the record to the Court of First Instance, and the action shall proceed as in section two hundred and eighty-seven of said Act Numbered Three hundred and fifty-five: And provided further, That if no claimant shall appear within sixty days after service of the collector's decision, as above prescribed, the goods shall become absolutely forfeited to the Government, and without further proceedings shall be sold for the benefit of the Government at the first convenient opportunity at public auction in the manner prescribed by law. SEC. 2. Section three hundred and thirty-three of said Act Numbered Three hundred and fifty-five is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following words: "The expression officer of the customs' and like terms shall be construed both in this section and in all other sections of this Act, and in all Acts or laws enforcible in whole or in part by the Insular Collector of Customs or any of his subordinates, so far as the same relate to crimes committed by or upon such officers, to include all persons whose compensation is paid out of customs appropriations or arrastre or other funds controlled by the customs authorities; also storekeepers in private bonded warehouses and persons in charge of Government coal piles." 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. [No. 1577.] AN ACT To provide for the execution in Bilibid Prison of criminals sentenced to death. By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that: SECTION 1. Hereafter the execution of all criminals finally sentenced to incur the death penalty shall take place inside the walls of Bilibid Prison in the city of Manila, and within an inclosure to be erected or arranged for that purpose, if none suitable exists, under the direction of the Director of Prisons, which inclosure shall be higher than the gallows, and be so constructed as to exclude entirely the view of persons outside. For the purpose of carrying into effect all such executions of the death sentence the Director of Prisons shall perform the duties prescribed by existing law for sheriffs of the Courts of First Instance; the order of execution shall be directed to him instead of to the sheriff of the court, and he shall return to the court the order of execution, duly certifying thereon that he has complied therewith in the manner prescribed by law for sheriffs of the courts. Hereafter it shall not be necessary for the clerk of the Court of First Instance to witness the execution, nor to certify said act to the court. Such executions shall be conducted by the persons prescribed by existing law for the conducting of executions at said institution or by such law as may be hereafter enacted. SEC. 2. The following persons only may be present at an execution: Officials and employees of Bilibid Prison and such persons as may be necessary, in the opinion of the Director of Prisons, to assist in conducting the execution; members of the medical profession, including |