imposed in petty cases are excessive, and
attention was drawn to this by the Municipality of Manila. [291] After
stating that the fines imposed on 2,185 persons averaged $5 per capita,
and that they had to go to prison for non-payment, the Municipality
adds: "It shows an excessive rigour on the part of the judges in the
imposition of fines, a rigour which ought to be modified, inasmuch
as the majority of the persons accused before the Court are extremely
poor and ignorant of the ordinances and the laws for the violation of
which they are so severely punished." Sentences of imprisonment and
fines for high crimes are justly severe. During the governorship of
Mr. W. H. Taft, 17 American provincial treasurers were each condemned
to 25 years' imprisonment for embezzlement of public funds. In
February, 1905, an army major, found guilty of misappropriation of
public moneys, had his sentence computed at 60 years, which term
the court reduced to 40 years' hard labour. The penalties imposed on
some rioters at Vigan in April, 1904, were death for two, 40 years'
imprisonment and $10,000 fine each for twelve, 30 years' imprisonment
for thirty-one, and 10 years' imprisonment for twenty-five.

The American law commonly spoken of in the Philippines as the
"Law of Divorce" is nothing more than judicial separation in its
local application, as it does not annul the marriage and the parties
cannot marry again as a consequence of the action. The same could be
obtained under the Spanish law called the _Siete Partidas_, with the
only difference that before the _decree nisi_ was made absolute the
parties might have had to wait for years, and even appeal to Home.

On May 26,1900, the Military Governor authorized the solemnization
of marriages by any judge of a court inferior to the Supreme Court,
a justice of the peace, or a minister of any denomination. For the
first time in the history of the Islands, _habeas corpus_ proceedings
were heard before the Supreme Court on May 19, 1900. Besides the
lower courts established in many provincial centres, sessions are
held in circuit, each usually comprising two or three provinces. The
provinces are grouped into 16 judicial districts, in each of which
there is a Court of First Instance; and there is, moreover, one
additional "Court of First Instance at large." The Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court, some of his assistant judges, several provincial
judges, the Attorney-General, and many other high lega