ESTADO FEDERAL DE BISAYAS MEETING, DECEMBER 21, 1898

Exhibit 1202.

[Original in Spanish. D.S. P.I.R., Books C. 6.]

JARO [PANAY], December 21st, 1898.

MINUTES.

Office of the President, town of Jaro, December 21st, 1898. The Council of the Federal State of the Visayan Islands met in extraordinary session at 7 o'clock, p.m., at the request of Sr. Ramon Avanceņa, Councilor of State, which request was made in view of a letter he had received direct from Sr. Jose Maria Romero Salas, a Peninsular Spaniard, in which, in the name of the Spanish Government, he offered advantageous conditions for an immediate treaty of peace. The session was opened with the consent of the President, and the General Secretary, Sr. Francisco Villanueva, proceeded to read said letter, which is as follows:

"DECEMBER 21st.

"Sr. RAMON AVANCENA, Jaro.

"My DISTINGUISHED FRIEND: All is arranged. It is absolutely necessary that this very night, at the earliest hour possible, Srs. Jovito Yusay, Pablo Araneta, Juan de Leon and yourself meet Sr. Vicente Guy and myself on the bridge, or wherever else you may decide. We have full powers to settle all. Answer at once stating the hour and place of meeting, and give the necessary orders so that we shall not be disturbed. Understand, the present of our friend, Araneta, at the interview is indispensible.

"Yours sincerely,

J. MA. ROMERO.

"The bearer can bring back your answer to-night."

The main points of the answer to this letter having been discussed, the following resolutions were passed:

1. That through Sr. Avanceņa immediate answer be made informing Mr. Romero that the Council of State grants the conference asked for and designates as the place of meeting the house on the other side of the bridge as you approach this city.

2. Srs. Ramon Avanceņa, Jovito Yusay, Juan de Leon and the General Secretary, Sr. Francisco Villanueva, are hereby appointed, the latter in lieu of Sr. Araneta who is absent in Arevalo, to take part in said conferences and to discuss the conditions of the treaty, for which purpose they are amply empowered by this Government, as shown by the following letter which they take with them: "We the people of the Visayan Islands, through our Federal State now in session, the same being an integral part of the Philippine Republic, and represented by President Roque Lopez and the Council of State, do hereby confer ample, complete and sufficient power on Srs. Ramon Avanceņa, Jovito Yusay, Juan de Leon and Francisco Villanueva, the former three Councilors of this Federal Republican State and the latter the General Secretary of the same, to make. in the name of the Visayan people, a treaty with the Spanish Government or its envoys, this power covering the surrender of the military post and civil towns of Iloilo and Molo; this treaty to be in the form prescribed by international law without destroying the unity of the Philippine Republic or the Constitution of the same. The acts of our representatives in this matter as above set forth shall be valid and binding, the same to be ratified or amended according as it is or is not in conformity with the verbal instructions given them, which could not be put in writing due to lack of time. And that this power have the desired effect, we sign the same in the Government House of Jaro, at seven o'clock and fifteen minutes of the night of the twenty-first of December of the year eighteen.hundred-and.ninety-eight.

"ROQUE LOPEZ,
"President.

"VICENTE FRANCO,
"Vice President.

"and eight other signatures."

There being no other business before the meeting, the session was closed, the President first having stated that in view of the present conditions through which we are passing, and which bear on questions of Government, a permanent session of the Council of Federal State is hereby opened and shall continue until further orders; whereupon these mmutes were drawn up and signed by all present; to which I the secretary certify.

(Signed) R. LOPEZ, President,.

(Signed) VICENTE FRANCO,
Vice President.

(And nine other signatures.)