nt Provincial Governments (before 1884) in Luzon Island,
on the basis of so much for salary and so much for fees and _caidas_.

However, although the tribute and _fallas_ system worked as well as any
other would under the circumstances, for some reason, best known to the
authorities, it was abolished. In lieu thereof a scheme was proposed,
obliging _every civilized inhabitant_ of the Philippines, excepting
only public servants, the clergy, and a few others, _to work for
fifteen days per annum without the right of redeeming this obligation
by payment_. Indeed, the decree to that effect was actually received
in Manila from the Home Government, but it was so palpably ludicrous
that the Gov.-General did not give it effect. He had sufficient common
sense to foresee in its application the extinction of all European
prestige and moral influence over the natives if Spanish and foreign
gentlemen of good family were seen sweeping the streets, lighting the
lamps, road-mending, guiding buffalo-carts loaded with stones, and so
on. This measure, therefore, regarded by some as a practical joke,
by others as the conception of a lunatic theorist--was withdrawn,
or at least allowed to lapse.

Nevertheless, those in power were bent on reform, and the Peninsular
system of a document of identity (_Cedula personal_), which works
well amongst Europeans, was then adopted for all civilized classes
and nationalities above the age of 18 years without exception, its
possession being compulsory. The amount paid for this document, which
was of nine classes, [107] from P25 value downwards, varied according
to the income of the holder or the cost of his trading-licences. Any
person holding this document of a value under P3 1/2 was subject to
fifteen days' forced labour per annum, or to pay 50 cents for each
day he failed to work. The holder of a document of P3 1/2 or over
paid also P1 1/2 "Municipal Tax" in lieu of labour. The "_Cedula_"
thenceforth served as a passport for travelling within the Archipelago,
to be exhibited at any time on demand by the proper authority. No
legal document was valid unless the interested parties had produced
their _Cedulas_, the details of which were inscribed in the legal
instrument. No petitions would be noticed, and very few transactions
could be made in the Government offices without the presentation of
this identification document. The decree relating to this reform,
like most ambiguous Spanish edicts, set forth t