[ Act No. 608, January 30, 1903 ]
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE CONVERSION INTO THE INSULAR TREASURY OF SPANISH SEIZED FUNDS, RETURNS AT THE MINT, RETURNS AT THE TREASURE, AND SPECIAL DEPOSITS IN THE HANDS OF THE TREASURER, AND AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF SUCH ASSETS AS HAVE AN ASCERTAINABLE VALUE AND THE CONVERSION OF THE PROCEEDS THEREOF INTO THE INSULAR TREASURY, AND FOR THE DISPOSITION OF THOSE THAT MAY BE WITHOUT MONETARY VALUE.
By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that:
Section 1. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to deposit in the Insular Treasury on account of "miscellaneous receipts" all such Spanish seized funds, returns at the Treasury, and special deposits now in his hands as are in the form of Mexican pesos, Spanish-Filipino pesos or fractional pars thereof, Spanish-Filipino bank notes, or United States currency.
Section 2. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to deliver to the Attorney-General for the Philippine Islands all Spanish seized funds, returns at the Treasury and special deposits, that are int he form of deposit certificates, checks, or drafts, taking his receipt for the same. is is hereby made the duty of the Attorney-General to proceed to collect such deposit certificates, checks, and drafts so far as may be practicable, and to pay the proceeds of such collections to the Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago, who shall deposit them in the Treasury on account of "miscellaneous receipts." Such of said deposits, certificates, checks, and drafts as are impossible of collection shall be returned by the Attorney-General to the Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago, and shall be by him transferred to his property account.
Section 3. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to advertise for sale to the highest bidder all Spanish seized funds, returns at the Treasury, and special deposits which are now in his hands in the form of Spanish gold coin, Spanish treasury bonds, Filipino Treasury bonds Series B (except such of said bonds as belong to the "Carriedo Fund" for the benefit of the city of Manila), Spanish copper coin, Filipino gold coin, bar gold, gold dust, burned silver, burned silver pesos, copper, bank notes of foreign countries, and foreign coins not otherwise in this Act specially provided for the Treasurer shall publish the advertisement for bids once a week, for six successive weeks in two newspapers published in Manila in the English language, and in two newspapers published in Manila in the English language, and in two newspapers published in Manila in The Spanish language. The advertisement shall describe specifically each item of property to be sold, and shall announce that bids will be received for all the items advertised, or for any separate class of said items, or parts of any class, and that bids may be accepted for the whole of any part thereof, and that the right to reject all bids is reserved. The bids shall state the sum tendered in money of the United States. The bids shall be under seal and shall each be accompanied by a certified check upon some bank which is by law a depository of funds of the Philippine Treasury, payable to the Treasurer, for ten per cent of the amount of the bid. the bids shall be opened, on the date stated in the advertisement, by the Treasurer in the presence of the Secretary of Finance and Justice, and in the presence of the bidders, should they desire to be present. The Treasurer shall accept such bids as are considered the most favorable for the Government, with the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice: Provided, nevertheless, That the right to reject any and all bids is reserved. Should no satisfactory bids be received for the Spanish gold, Filipino gold coin, bar gold, gold dust, burned silver pesos, burned copper and silver, then in that case such Spanish gold, Filipino gold coin, bar gold, gold dust, burned silver pesos, burned copper and silver shall be forwarded to the United States mint at San Francisco, California, for coinage into United States coin, or shall be coined into local coinage in the mint at Manila, as the Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice, may determine to be expedient, and the proceeds thereof shall be deposited in the Insular Treasury on account of "miscellaneous receipts." The proceeds of the sale of sales of property by reason of accepted bids in accordance with the provisions of this Act shall be deposited in the Insular Treasury on account of "miscellaneous receipts.1aшphi1" Should no bids be accepted for the Spanish treasury bonds, the Filipino treasury bonds, and the copper coins aforesaid, the treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized, with the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice, to sell the same or any part thereof at private sale, upon terms not less favorable to the Government than the most favorable of the rejected bids: Provided, however, That this Act shall not apply to the silver and other metal seized from the steamer Don Juan and discovered from the same source by officers of the Spanish Government in the month of July, eighteen hundred and ninety-three, the disposition of which is provide for by Act Numbered Five hundred and seventy-three; all such silver and other metal shall be disposed of in the manner provide by said Act Numbered Five hundred and seventy-three. The certified checks accompanying bids not accepted shall be returned to the bidders. Checks accompanying accepted bids shall be covered into the Insular Treasury as part of the purchase price, and shall be deemed as liquidated damages in case the bidder fails to comply with the terms of the accepted bid. General Orders Numbered Forty-one, Office of the United States Military Governor in the Philippine Islands, dated September twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, whereby the exportation of Spanish copper coin from the Philippine Islands was prohibited under the penalties there prescribed, is hereby repealed, so far as it applies to the exportation of the Spanish copper coin in this section mentioned.
Section 4. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to sell at public auction, at such place in the city of Manila as he may deem most suitable, after due advertisement, all such special deposits now in his hands, as Treasurer, as consists of small articles of gold, silver or other metals, jewelry, finger rings, earrings, field glasses, Japanese or Chinese coin, combs, necklaces, watches, studs, watch chains, medallions and pocketbooks. Articles in this section named shall be sold to the highest bidders, singly or in classified lots, under the direction of the Treasurer, and shall be advertised such length of time and in such manner as he shall direct, with the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice. The proceeds of the sale shall be deposited in the Insular treasury on account of "miscellaneous receipts:" Provided, nevertheless, That such special deposits now in his possession as consist of insurrecto stick-pins, flags, medallions, cuff buttons, and other pins as badges of insurrection, shall be forthwith forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, as an addition to its historical collection, and shall not be exposed for sale.
Section 5. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to transfer to his property account all Philippine Treasury notes and Philippine Treasury provisional bonds now in his hands as Treasurer.
Section 6. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to transfer to the city of Manila ninety-four shares of the Banco Espaņol-Filipino now in his possession, and seventy-seven Filipino bonds, Series B, to be kept by the city of Manila as a part of the "Carriedo fund," the income thereof to be applied for the purposes provided in the foundation of that fund. He is also directed to collect and transfer to the credit of the city of Manila all dividends and income now due upon said bank shares and bonds. He is also directed to deliver to the Municipal Board of the city of Manila one box of Fire Department medals now in his custody, to be disposed of in the discretion of that Board.
Section 7. The Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago is hereby authorized and directed to deliver to the Bureau of Insular affairs of the War Department, at Washington, all books and papers now in his possession as Treasurer seized from insurgents, constituting the records of the insurgent forces; and to forward to the Secretary of the Navy at Washington all discharges of deceased enlisted men of the United States Navy now in his possession.
Section 8. Claims against any of the property in this Act referred to shall be adjusted by presentation to the Philippine Commission and by such allowance as the Commission may make upon application.
Section 9. 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.
Section 10. This act shall take effect on its passage.
Enacted, January 30, 1903.
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