GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ANTIQUE, APRIL 19, 1899

Exhibit 1246.

[Original in Spanish. D.S. P.I.R., 116.2c.]

RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF A GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE PEOPLE HELD IN THE PUEBLO OF ANTIQUE,
APRIL 19TH, 1899.

In the town hall of this pueblo of Antique all the Local Presidentes the delegates, heads of all the towns of this province and some members of the provincial council have assembled in accordance with a circular calling upon them to do so, issued by Sr. Leandro Fullon, the General commanding the operations in all the Visayas, assisted as acting secretary by Seņor Egmidio Moscoso y Alipio, Captain of the General Staff, for the purpose of explaining to all that as this province is menaced by the enemy, the Americans, and as action by the authorities is difficult under the present conditions, it is necessary for some militny authority to assume the powers of the head of the province, in accordance with paragraph 2 of article 8 of the Decree of the Supreme Government dated June 18th, 1898. The General informed all present that the President of the Provincial Council opposed this decision on the ground that the province was not threatened. Hence a conflict between the civil and military authority had followed, the General would have much preferred that the Government should decide upon this matter, but the want of time, the difficulty of communications with the capital, and, above all, on account of the constant danger to which the province is exposed on account of the daily presence of vessels which are believed to belong to the enemy as is established in communications to the provincial cuncil and to the military headquarters, the General commanding has thought it well to convene representatives of all the pueblos in order that they by a man· ifestation of their free and sovereign will, should state what form of authority should govern the province under the present conditions. The gentlemen who took part in it, presidentes of all the pueblos, delegates and heads of the same and hence representatives of the will of the sovereign people, unanimously stated that what had been proposed by the General in chief was not only expedient but necessary. The Seņor General in chief further stated that as there was no communication with Malolos, the province of Antique being isolated and there being no orders of the Supreme Government applicable in a case like the present and as there were no final and definite laws for the government and administration of the province, nothing could be better than to consult the so· vereign will of the people and to establish for sole foundation of the system of administration and government the principles of unity, liberty and of popular sovereignty, as far as it may be possible in our actual political existence in which he regrets to say that normal existence is much influenced by the requirements of a state of warfare. Having considered what had been stated by the Seņor General in chief, all of the assembled local presidentes, delegates and cabezas de barrio stated that they fully agreed with him, and declared that, as long as no other military authority arrived, the General should provisionally be head of the province. At this point the General ordered that the meeting should adjourn and that all present with the delegates of the treasury and of justice should sign the record of the meeting after the said General, which was done as I the Secretary certify.

(Signed) LEANDRO FULLON.
General-in-chief of operations.

[NOTE. - In the original this signature is followed by seven folio pages of signatures.]