 |
|---|
 Philippines portal |
ThePhilippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by thepresident of the United States, to assist with governing thePhilippines.
TheFirst Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by PresidentWilliam McKinley on January 20, 1899 as a recommendatory body.
TheSecond Philippine Commission, also known as the Taft Commission, was appointed on March 16, 1900 to provide civil government to areas under U.S. control. It relied on the presidential war powers of theUS military government for its authority. In 1901, theSpooner Amendment to theArmy Appropriations Act of 1901 gave the commission, "All military, civil, and Judicial powers necessary to govern the Philippine Islands".[1] ThePhilippine Organic Act was passed by theUnited States Congress in 1902 enshrining into more permanent law the commission's legislative and executive authority. As stipulated in that act, thebicameralPhilippine Legislature was established in 1907, with the Commission as theupper house and the electedPhilippine Assembly acting aslower house. TheJones Act of 1916 ended the Commission, replacing it with an electedPhilippine Senate as the legislature's upper house.
On January 20, 1899,President McKinley appointed the First Philippine Commission (the Schurman Commission),[2] a five-person group headed byDr. Jacob Schurman, president ofCornell University, to investigate conditions in the islands and make recommendations. In the report that they issued to the president the following year, the commissioners acknowledged Filipino aspirations for independence; they declared, however, that the Philippines was not ready for it. Specific recommendations included the establishment of civilian government as rapidly as possible (the American chief executive in the islands at that time was the military governor), including establishment of abicameral legislature, autonomous governments on the provincial and municipal levels, and a system of free public elementary schools.[3]
Philippine Commission (or the Second Philippine Commission) | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | of thePhilippine Legislature |
| History | |
| Founded | March 16, 1900 (1900-03-16)[4] |
| Disbanded | October 3, 1916 (1916-10-03) |
| Preceded by | Schurman Commission |
| Succeeded by | Philippine Senate |
| Leadership | |
FromPhilippines:A Country Study by Ronald E. Dolan:[3]
The Second Philippine Commission (the Taft Commission), appointed by McKinley on March 16, 1900,[4] and headed byWilliam Howard Taft, was granted legislative as well as limited executive powers. Between September 1900 and August 1902, it issued 499 laws. Ajudicial system was established, including aSupreme Court, and alegal code was drawn up to replace antiquated Spanish ordinances. Acivil service was organized. The 1901 municipal code provided for popularly electedpresidents,vice presidents, and councilors to serve onmunicipal boards. The municipal board members were responsible for collecting taxes, maintaining municipal properties, and undertaking necessary construction projects; they also electedprovincialgovernors."[5] On July 4, 1901, Taft became governor of a civil administration for the Philippines.[6] This regime, called theInsular Government, administered the country until 1935.
"ThePhilippine Organic Act of July 1902 stipulated that... a Philippine Legislature would be established composed of a lower house, thePhilippine Assembly, which would be popularly elected, and an upper house consisting of the Philippine Commission. The two houses would share legislative powers, although the upper house alone would pass laws relating to the Moros and other non-Christian peoples. The act also provided for extending theUnited States Bill of Rights to Filipinos and sending two Filipino resident commissioners to Washington to attend sessions of theUnited States Congress. In July 1907, the first elections for the assembly were held, and it opened its first session on October 16, 1907."[5][7]
The body was led by thegovernor-general of the Philippines:
Secretary of finance and justice:
| Name | Month started | Month finished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries of finance and justice | |||
| Henry Clay Ide | September 1, 1901 | September 24, 1906 | |
| James Francis Smith | September 25, 1906 | June 30, 1908 | |
| Gregorio S. Araneta | July 1, 1908 | October 30, 1913 | |
| Victorino Mapa | November 1, 1913 | January 14, 1917[citation needed] | |
Secretary of the Interior:
| Name | Month started | Month finished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries of the Interior | |||
| Dean C. Worcester | September 1, 1901 | 1913 | |
| Winfred Thaxter Denison | 1913 | 1916 | |
Secretary of commerce and police:
| Name | Month started | Month finished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries of commerce and police | |||
| Luke Edward Wright | September 1, 1901 | January 31, 1904[8] | |
| William Cameron Forbes | June 16, 1904[8] | 1909 | |
| Charles Elliott | 1910 | 1912[8] | |
| Clinton L. Riggs | 1913 | 1915 | |
| Eugene Reed | 1916[8] | 1916 | |
Secretary of public instruction:
| Name | Term started | Term finished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries of public instruction | |||
| Bernard Moses | September 1, 1901 | 1902 | |
| James Francis Smith | 1902 | September 28, 1906 | |
| W. Morgan Shuster | September 28, 1906 | 1909 | |
| Newton W. Gilbert | 1909 | 1915 | |
| Henderson Martin | 1915 | 1916 | |
Philippine members (1901–1909):
| Name | Term started | Term finished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippine members of the Philippine Commission | |||
| Benito Legarda | September 1, 1901 | December 21, 1907 | |
| Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera | September 1, 1901 | March 1, 1909 | |
| Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga | September 1, 1901 | 1913 | |
Philippine members (1909–1913):
| Name | Term started | Term finished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippine members of the Philippine Commission | |||
| Rafael Palma | December 21, 1907 | 1913 | |
| Juan Sumulong | March 1, 1909 | 1913 | |
| Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga | September 1, 1901 | 1913 | |
| Gregorio S. Araneta | 1909 | 1913 | |
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)