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Domestic returns.-Disposition of all mail matter originating in this Department and number of letters on hand at close of the fiscal year, June 30, 1900:

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1This does not include double daily exchange with Cavite and First Reserve Station, daily exchange with Dagupan and Manila R. P. O., or exchange with points on Manila Bay.

APPENDIX MM.

OFFICE OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE PORT,
Manila, P. I., July 31, 1900.

SECRETARY UNITED STATES MILITARY GOVERNOR,

IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

SIR: In compliance with your instructions dated July 25, 1900, I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the administration of affairs in the office of the captain of the port, from July 1, 1899, to June 30, 1900, inclusive.

The departments embodied in and administered by this office are as follows:

1. Entrance and clearance of vessels.

2. Registration of vessels.

3. Recording change of ownership of vessels.

4. Adjusting all cases of damage arising from collisions, grounding, and salvage. Regulating disputes on board vessels between masters and crews.

5. Shipping commissioner's duties.

6. Branch hydrographic office, in connection with Manila Observatory and Weather Bureau, storm signals, etc.

7. Light-house duties, installing and carrying on light-house service in the archipelago.

8. Public works, river and harbor works, dredging, removing wrecks, care and preservation of Government machinery, repairing same, docking and undocking vessels for repairs.

9. Harbor commissioner's duties. Berthing and mooring vessels.

10. Harbor pilots' department.

11. Regulating fishing industries.

12. General police duties afloat.

13. Inspection of boilers and hulls.

14. Examinations and licensing of masters, mates, and machinists.

The administration of the foregoing departments has been carried on entirely with the help of civil employees, paid from the public civil funds, the expenses having been as follows:

Financial statement of the office of the captain of the port from July 1, 1899, to June 30,

1900.

Apportioned by the military governor from the public civil funds, including balance on hand July 1, 1900..

DISBURSEMENTS.

Office expenses: Wages, supplies, lights, etc...

Raising wrecks, dredging, clearing channel, dry docking, etc.
Repairs and supplies for Government boats and launches.
Light-houses and signal stations: Wages and supplies..

Machine shops: Labor and material for repairing Government machinery -
Salaries of crews of office launches...

Sundries: Labor and material expended on account repairs of property

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$125, 638. 38

$24, 235. 48

27, 919. 63

11, 417. 74

19, 421.33 17,868. 65 10, 416. 50

8, 897.64 684. 70 4, 776. 71

125, 638. 38

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FLOYD W. HARRIS,

First Lieutenant, Fourth U. S. Cavalry, Aid-de-camp,

Acting Captain of the Port.

APPENDIX NN.

ROOMS BOARD OF OFFICERS CONVENED TO CONFER
WITH SPANISH BOARD OF LIQUIDATION,

Intendencia, Manila, P. I., August 15, 1900.

SECRETARY TO THE MILITARY GOVERNOR,

Manila, P. I.

SIR: In obedience to your letter of July 25, 1900, I have the honor to submit the following report of the work of the board of officers convened to confer with the Spanish board of liquidation for the past year.

The board was convened by paragraph 4, Special Orders, No. 31, Headquarters Department of the Pacific and Eighth Army Corps, January 31, 1899, and consisted of three officers. On April 5, 1899, three additional officers were added. The board, at the commencement of the period of this report, consisted of Lieut. Col. J. D. Miley, inspector-general, U. S. V.; Maj. John A. Hull, judge-advocate, U. S. V., and Second Lieut. M. A. Hildreth, First North Dakota Volunteer Infantry. Lieutenant Hildreth was relieved from his duties with the board August 14, 1899, having been mustered out pursuant to paragraph 29, Special Orders, No. 204, Headquarters Department of the Pacific and Eighth Army Corps, 1899.

In the early part of September Lieutenant-Colonel Miley was taken sick, and died on the 19th day of September, 1899.

The Spanish Government had here three commissions-civil, naval, and military-and that division will be followed in this report.

CIVIL BRANCH.

There was at the audiencia quite a number of personal records, which, under a misapprehension of facts, the board first held to be a part of the archives, and declined to return the same to Spain. Upon further investigation the facts were reported to your office, and under your directions the records in question were turned over to Señor Sastron, president of the Spanish civil commission.

At the Malacañan Palace and in the building known as the Gobierno Civil on Calle Anda, walled city, were quite a number of oil paintings of former Spanish rulers and governors-general. These pictures, on account of their nature, this board was directed to turn over to Señor Sastron, which was done and receipts taken for the property.

The machinery which was used in the lottery was given to the Spanish commission before I became a member of the board, and at the same time permission was given to store it in the intendencia. Shortly before Señor Sastron departed permission was given him to remove the machinery, but his claims to the furniture which was used by the lottery officials were not favorably considered and denied.

By authority from your office the board reconsidered their former ruling that the material in the mint belonged to Spain, and retained

possession of that material, as well as some coining machinery which was stored in a private storehouse when this city capitulated. There were turned over to the Spanish commission, however, all the dies as well as several sacks of Spanish medals.

In March, 1899, the board turned over to the Spanish commission the property of the medico-legal laboratory, but upon learning the true facts involved report of same was made to your office, and the board was directed to obtain the return of this property. Upon demand Señor Sastron returned the property, and it was turned over to the board of health. Señor Sastron also turned over to this board the furniture and archives of the direccion civil, which were removed to the intendencia. The telegraphic material belonging to the direccion civil were taken possession of by Captain Russel, of the Signal Corps. About 23,000 books used in public instruction, the property of the direccion civil, were turned over to Captain Todd, Sixth U. S. Artillery.

A small amount of furniture of the direccion civil was by direction of the military governor turned over to the Spanish consul-general in this city.

Some of the furniture taken from the direccion civil was turned over to Captain Slavens, assistant quartermaster, U. S. A., and by him removed to his storehouse in San Miguel.

Certain documents received by the Spanish commission from the attorney-general of Isabella de Luzon were received by the board from Señor Sastron and turned over to the president of the audiencia, together with certain documents in relation to Jolo and Mindanao, not properly archives of the direccion civil, which were also received and placed in the intendencia.

The Spanish commission demanded the return of two scales used in the custom-house, but as they were unable to point out the property their claim was not considered. The Spanish commission also demanded all the books of the treasury and a great amount of other books and documents, which claim was not favorably considered, but at all times all of the Spanish archives in our possession have been open to inspection by the Spanish commission, and full facilities have at all times been given so that they could make such copies as might be necessary in the discharge of their duties, even going so far as to permit them to take copies of the books which it was found necessary for us to make in the investigation of the special deposits of the Spanish treasury.

A great deal of time was spent in facilitating the work of the Spanish commission by looking for documents, as well as aiding private individuals by all means that were proper.

On October 3, 1899, the board made a report of their investigation of the special deposits of the reserve safe in the intendencia. Upon the approval of the report by your office, the board was directed to turn over to private individuals certain of these deposits. This was done in the presence of the custodian of public funds, and receipts duly taken.

On November 4, 1899, the board made its report on the Caja de Depositos, called for by indorsement from your office under date of June 19, 1899.

The Spanish commission turned over the effects of the Nautical School and the School of Arts, Sculpture, and Painting, which were taken in charge by Captain Russel, United States Signal Corps, who was detailed for that duty.

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