The development of Philippine politics

THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT

Sefior Emilio Aguinaldo will appear before the Congress
in order to take the oath.
A secretary of the Congress '.I read the articles of
the Constitution relating to the oal-j.6
Taking of the oath by the President of the Republic.
Speech by Sefior Emilio Aguinaldo.
The President of the Republic will receive the oath of
the army, before flags, in the streets and plazas.
In the balconies of the Presidential House the Republic
will be proclaimed before the pueblo in the following heraldic
form: The Philippines for the Republic!
Review of troops and procession. (1)
Proposed Judicial Organization of the Philippine
Republic
Even after the beginning of hostilities between Americans and Filipinos the Philippine Congress continued to
meet. They discussed and passed several laws which were
not really enforced because of the defeat of the Filipino
army. These laws are interesting in that they showed the
framework of government which the revolutionists endeavored to establish. They are indicative also of the
principles which animated the Filipino law-makers in their
legislative program. On March 6, 1899, President Aguinaldo decreed that the National Assembly had passed a pension law for the disabled, and for the widows and children of dead'soldiers. But the most important of the laws
approved was the provisional law for the organization of
the judiciary, promulgated by President Aguinaldo on
March 7, 1'899. It had many commendable points, recognizing among others, two fundamental principles: the independence of the judiciary and the appointment to judicial
posts by means of competetive examination and promotion
from lower ranks. The principle of the independence of
the judiciary was secured in the following articles:
Art. 2. The power to apply the laws in civil and criminal proceedings, pronouncing judgment and enforcing the
execution of such judgments, devolves exclusively upon the
Supreme Court and other inferior Tribunals and Judges.
Art. 4. As a consequence of the provisions of the preceding article, neither judges nor tribunals can, either di

(1) Taylor, Vol. 3, Exhibit 406, 18 KU.