the army in Union Province wrote: "In accordance
with the orders of the secretary of war of our republican government
of these islands, issued in compliance with royal decree, article 5,
published on March 8." On September 1, 1898, the local presidente
of the town of Mangatarem, writing to the head of the province,
said that he had not furnished the estimates required because the
elections provided for in "article 7 of the royal decree of the
superior government, dated June 18 last," had not been approved. A
young son of a member of Aguinaldo's cabinet, writing to his father in
September, 1899, spoke of the "royal decree of June 18, 1898."--P.I.R.,
1188. 3. In Romblon, in August, 1898, elections were held in compliance
with the prescription of the "royal decree of June 18, 1898," and
Aguinaldo approved them, apparently without considering that this
was an anomalous way of describing a decree of the dictator of the
so-called republic. On March 7, 1899, a general in the revolutionary
service stated that an officer had been released from arrest by a
"royal order." The attitude of mind which made men speak of Aguinaldo's
"royal orders" in 1898 did not change when he fled before the advance
of the United States army. His orders remained royal orders. They
were again and again referred to in this way.

[365] P.I.R., Books C-1.

[366] P.I.R., 1216. 1.

[367] P.I.R., 1216. 1.

[368] P.I.R., 223.

[369] P.I.R. 1133. 1.

[370] P.I.R., 1137. 4.

[371] _Ibid.,_ R., 1165. 2.

[372] P.I.R., 319. 1.

[373] _Ibid.,_ 3. 33.

[374] _Ibid.,_ 1022. 3.

[375] P.I.R., 1200.

[376] P.I.R., 907. 6.

[377] P.I.R., 39. 7.

[378] The following memorandum to accompany a letter from Senor Don
Sixto Lopez, Secretary of Senor Don Felipe Agoncillo, to the Honorable
the Secretary of State, written January 5, 1899, clearly sets forth
this claim:--

"Pursuant to the action of said congress a detailed system of
government has been provided for and is actually maintained in all the
portions of the Philippine Islands, except so much of the provinces of
Manila and Cavite as is now in the actual possession of the American
Army, such excepted part containing only about 3 per cent. of the
population of the entire islands and an infinitely smaller proportion
of their area.

"From the foregoing it will appear that the Philippine government is
now, as it has been practically ever since the 16th of June, 1898,
in substantially full possessi