PRESIDENTSr. Jovito Yusay
COUNCILLORS
Sr. Julio Hernandez
Sr. Magdaleno Javellana
Sr. Fernando Salas
Sr. Ramon Avanceña
Sr. Benito Lopez
VOTERS, EX-OFFICIO
Sr. Victorino Mapa
Sr. Tranquilino Gonzalez
SECRETARY
Sr. Francisco Soriano
PROCEEDINGS
The Councillors and Voters ex-Officio whose names appear on the margin having assembled in the convent at Cabatuan, March 15th, 1899, as previously notified, the President pro tem., Señor Jovito Yusay, announced the session open.
Proceeding to business the minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved entirely, and certain propositions by some of the councillors having been submitted for deliberation, the following was resolved upon.
1st. - In view of the letter from the President, Señor Melliza, to the undersigned, to the effect that he has made no division of the Secretary's office as appears in the proceedings of February 9th, 1899, held in the city of Jaro, and that on the contrary the said President thinks that the Office of the Secretary of this Council of State must not be divided, and that what he had intended to do if the Americans had not appeared to interrupt the regular march of affairs, as well of the Government as of the island, was to divide the labors of the Secretary's office within the office itself.
And since really the division of the Secretary's office originates difficulties arising from rivalry between offices, and because said division is unnecessary, the resolution of the Council contained in the proceedings mentioned concerning the division of the Secretaryship into two (2) offices is revoked, the office remaining one (1) as it was before this innovation, according to resolution embodied in the minutes of proceedings held at Headquarters in Santa Barbara, November 17th, 1898, retaining therefore the previous designations of Secretary General and Vice Secretary, and to the tenth (10th) resolution of the proceedings held in Jaro, November 21st, 1898, describing the cases when the Vice Secretary should officiate.
2d. - The acceptance of the resignation as Delegate from Dingle, Dueñas, Passi and San Enrique, presented by Señor Nicolas Roces, on account of the incompatibility with the military office which he performs, apart from which he is at the same time Delegate of Police in Dingle.
3d. - Approval of payment of indebtedness of the local Presidente of Iloilo to certain individuals of the local guard for services rendered which could not be paid for on account of the surprise caused all of us by the bombardment of February 11th.
4th. - As result of Señor Pedro Garganera being elected Delegate of two (2) groups and being opposed to this the wish of the Government that each group should be represented by a single Delegate. One of the two (2) seats to which Señor Garganera was elected was declared vacant, and it was directed that he should be notified of this decision.
5th. - For official knowledge of nations and at the proper time to exact responsibility from the proper people for the destruction caused by the fire of February 11th, as well to natives as to strangers in Iloilo, it was resolved, that a written protest be prepared which should be addressed to the Consuls, to the effect that the Americans in the bombardment of the 11th had broken their agreement as to the end of the period fixed in the note of ultimatum sent by General Miller to the General-in-chief of the national forces of the Visayas, opening fire at early dawn when sunset of the 11th was allowed for that to take place. And in which protest it should be made evident that the burning of Iloilo was a sublime example of self-sacrifice and self-denial on the part of her sons who, not being able to prevent the landing of the enemy because from their powerful vessels, they were sending destructive projectiles in showers, and because of the danger and certainty of sadly dying if they persisted in not abandoning the town, did abandon it, but left the town the food of flames, in order not to see it flourishing in the power of the enemy, but full of ruins and debris.
And not having any other business to transact, the session was adjourned and the proceedings here recorded and signed by the Señores taking part in the meeting, to which I, the Secretary, certify.
The President,
Jovito Yusay.
Ramon Avanceña
J. Hernandez
Benito Lopez
Fernando Salas
F. Gonzalez
(Another Signature)
The Secretary General
Francisco Soriano
hughes-1902feb27
This version came from the testimony of Gen. Robert P. Hughes on February 27, 1902. Hughes said that he got it from the paper about the burning of Iloilo, which is the source of the above version. Comparing the two versions, they are virtually the same.
President:
Sr. Jovito Yusay.
Councilors:
Sr. Julio Hernandez.
Sr. Magdaleno Javellana.
Sr. Fernando Salas.
Sr. Ramon Avanceña.
Sr. Benito Lopez.
Voters, ex officio:
Sr. Victorino Mapa.
Sr. Tranquilino Gonzalez.
Secretary:
Sr. Francisco Soriano.
PROCEEDINGS.
The councilors and voters ex officio whose names appear on the margin having assembled in the convent at Cabatuan, March 15, 1899, as previously notified, the president pro tempore, Señor Jovito Yusay, announced the session open.
Proceeding to business, the minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved entirely, and certain propositions by some of the councilors having been submitted for deliberation, the following was resolved upon:
First. In view of the letter from the president, Señor Melliza, to the undersigned, to the effect that he has made no division of the secretary's office, as appears in the proceedings of February 9, 1899, held in the city of Jaro, and that, on the contrary, the said president thinks that the office of the secretary of this council of state must not be divided, and that what he had intended to do if the Americans had not appeared, to interrupt the regular march of affairs as well of the government as of the island, was to divide the labors of the secretary's office within the office itself.
And since really the division of the secretary's office originates difficulties arising from rivalry between offices, and because said division is unnecessary, the resolution of the council contained in the proceedings mentioned concerning the division of the secretaryship into two offices is revoked, the office remaining one, as it was before this innovation, according to resolution embodied in the minutes of proceedings held at headquarters in Santa Barbara, November 17, 1898, retaining therefor the previous designations of secretary-general and
532
vice-secretary, and to the tenth resolution of the proceedings held in Jaro, November 21, 1898, describing the cases when the vice-secretary should officiate.
Second. The acceptance of the resignation as delegate from Dingle, Duenas, Passi, and San Enrique, presented by Señor Nicolas Roses, on account of the incompatibility with the military office which he performs, apart from which he is at the same time delegate of police in Dingle.
Third. Approval of payment of indebtedness of the local presidente of Iloilo to certain individuals of the local guard for services rendered, which could not be paid for on account of the surprise caused all of us by the bombardment of February 11.
Fourth. As a result of Señor Pedro Garganera being elected delegate of two groups and being opposed to this the wish of the government that each group should be represented by a single delegate. One of the two seats to which Señor Garganera was elected was declared vacant, and it was directed that he should be notified of this decision.
Fifth. For official knowledge of nations, and at the proper time to exact responsibility from the proper people for the destruction caused by the fire of February 11, as well to natives as to strangers in Iloilo, it was resolved that a written protest be prepared which should be addressed to the consuls, to the effect that the Americans in the bombardment of the 11th had broken their agreement as to the end of the period fixed in the note of ultimatum sent by General Miller to the general in chief of the national forces of the Visayas, opening fire at early dawn, when sunset of the 11th was allowed for that to take place. And in which protest it should be made evident that the burning of Iloilo was a sublime example of self-sacrifice and self-denial on the part of her sons who, not being able to prevent the landing of the enemy, because from their powerful vessels they were sending destructive projectiles in showers, and because of the danger and certainty of sadly dying if they persisted in not abandoning the town, did abandon it, but left the town the food of flames, in order not to see it flourish in the power of the enemy, but full of ruins and debris.
And not having any other business to transact, the session was adjourned and the proceedings here recorded and signed by the señores taking part in the meeting, to which I, the secretary, certify.
JOVITO YUSAY,
President.
RAMON AVANCEÑA.
J. HERNANDEZ.
BONITO LOPEZ. [Benito Lopez]
FERNANDO SALAS.
F. GONZALES.
[ANOTHER SIGNATURE.]
FRANCISCO SORIANO,
Secretary- General.
- o -
hughes-1902feb27
