Plaintiff-Appellee Vs Vs Defendant-Appellant Bruce & Lawrence, Solicitor-General Harvey
Plaintiff-Appellee Vs Vs Defendant-Appellant Bruce & Lawrence, Solicitor-General Harvey
Plaintiff-Appellee Vs Vs Defendant-Appellant Bruce & Lawrence, Solicitor-General Harvey
SYLLABUS
DECISION
ELLIOTT , J : p
In 1876 the mates of the Swedish bark Frederike and Carolina engaged in a
"quarrel" on board the vessel in the port of Galvestion, Texas. They were prosecuted
before a justice of the peace, but the United States district attorney was instructed by
the Government to take necessary steps to have the proceedings dismissed, and the
aid of the governor of Texas was invoked with the view to "guard against a repetition of
similar proceedings." (Mr. Fish, Secretary of State, to Mr. Grip, Swedish and Norwegian
charge, May 16, 1876; Moore, Int. Law Dig.) It does not appear that this "quarrel" was of
such a nature as to amount to a breach of the criminal laws of Texas, but when in 1879
the mate of the Norwegian bark Livingston was prosecuted in the courts of
Philadelphia Country for an assault and battery committed on board the ship while lying
in the port of Philadelphia, it was held that there was nothing in the treaty which
deprived the local courts of jurisdiction. (Commonwealth vs. Luckness, 14 Phila. (Pa.),
363.) Representations were made through diplomatic channels to the State
Department, and on July 30, 1880, Mr. Evarts, Secretary of State, wrote to Count
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Lewenhaupt, the Swedish and Norwegian minister, as follows:
"I have the honor to state that I have given the matter careful consideration
in connection with the views and suggestion of your note and the provisions of
the thirteenth article of the treaty of 1827 between the United States and Sweden
and Norway. The stipulations contained in the last clause of that article . . . are
those under which it is contended by you that jurisdiction is conferred on the
consular officers, not only in regard to such differences of a civil nature growing
out of the contract of engagement of the seamen, but also as to disposing of
controversies resulting from personal violence involving offenses for which the
party may be held amenable under the local criminal law.
"This Government does not view the article in question as susceptible of
such broad interpretation. The jurisdiction conferred upon the consuls in
conceived to be limited to their right to sit as judges or abitrators in such
differences as may arise between captains and crews of the vessels, where such
differences do not involve on the part of the captain or crew a disturbance of the
order or tranquillity of the country. When, however, a complaint is made to a local
magistrate, either by the captain or one or more of the crew of the vessel,
involving the disturbance of the order or tranquillity of the country, it is competent
for such magistrate to take cognizance of the matter in furtherance of the local
laws, and under such circumstances in the United States it becomes a public duty
which the judge or magistrate is not at liberty voluntarily to forego. In all such
cases it must necessarily be left to the local judicial authorities whether the
procedure shall take place in the United States or in Sweden to determine if in fact
there has been such disturbance of the local order and tranquillity, and if the
complaint is supported by such proof as results in the conviction of the party
accused, to visit upon the offenders such punishment as may be defined against
the offense by the municipal law of the place." (Moore, Int. Law Dig., vol. 2, p.
315.)
The treaty does not therefore deprive the local courts of jurisdiction over
offenses committed on board a merchant vessel by one member of the crew against
another which amount to a disturbance of the order or tranquillity of the country, and a
fair and reasonable construction of the language requires us to hold that any violation
of criminal laws disturbs the order or tranquillity of the country. The offense with which
the appellant is charged had nothing to do with any difference between the captain and
the crew. It was a violation by the master of the criminal law of the country into who
port he came. We thus nd that neither by reason of the nationality of the vessel, the
place of the commission of the offense, or the prohibitions of any treaty or general
principle of public law, are the courts of the Philippine Islands deprived of jurisdiction
over the offense charged in the information in this case.
It is further contended that the complaint is defective because it does not allege
that the animals were disembarked at the port of Manila, an allegation which it is
claimed is essential to the jurisdiction of the court sitting at that port. To hold with the
appellant upon this issue would be to construe the language of the complaint very
strictly against the Government. The disembarkation of the animals is not necessary in
order to constitute the completed offense, and a reasonable construction of the
language of the statute confers jurisdiction upon the court sitting at the port into which
the animals are brought. They are then within the territorial jurisdiction of the court, and
the mere fact of their disembarkation is immaterial so far as jurisdiction is concerned.
This might be different if the disembarkation of the animals constituted a constitutional
element in the offense, but it does not.
The Constitution confers upon the United States the express power to make war
and treaties, and it has the power possessed by all nations to acquire territory by
conquest or treaty. Territory thus acquired belongs to the United States, and to guard
against the possibility of the power of Congress to provide for its government being
questioned, the framers of the Constitution provided in express terms that Congress
should have the power "to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations
respecting territory and other property belonging to the United States." (Art. IV. sec. 3,
par. 3.) Upon the acquisition of territory by the United States, and until it is formally
incorporated into the Union, the duty of providing a government therefor devolves upon
Congress. It may govern the territory by its direct acts, or it may create a local
government, and delegate thereto the ordinary powers required for local government.
(Binns vs. U.S., 194 U.S., 486.) This has been the usual procedure. Congress has
provided such governments for territories which were within the Union and for newly
acquired territory not yet incorporated therein. It has been customary to organize a
government with the ordinary separation of powers into executive, legislative, and
judicial, and to prescribe in an organic act certain general conditions in accordance with
which the local government should act. The organic act thus became the constitution of
the government of the territory which had not been formally incorporated into the
Union, and the validity of legislation enacted by the local legislature was determined by
its conformity with the requirements of such organic act. (National Bank vs. Yankton,
11 Otto (U.S.), 129.) To the legislative body of the local government Congress has
delegated that portion of legislative power which in its wisdom it deemed necessary
for the government of the territory, reserving, however, the right to annual the action of
the local legislature and itself legislate directly for the territory. This power has been
exercised during the entire period of the history of the United States. The right of
Congress to delegate such legislative power can no longer be seriously questioned.
(Dorr vs. U.S., 195 U.S., 138; U.S. vs. Heinszen, 206 U.S., 370, 385.)
The Constitution of the United States does not by its own force operate within
such territory, although the liberality of Congress in legislating the Constitution into
contiguous territory tended to create an impression upon the minds of many people
that it went there by its own force. (Downes vs. Bidwell, 182 U.S., 289.) In legislating
with reference to this territory, the power of Congress is limited only by those
prohibitions of the Constitution which go to the very root of its power to act at all,
irrespective of time or place. In all other respects it is plenary. (De Lima vs. Bidwell, 182
U.S., 1; Downes vs. Bidwell, 182 U.S., 244; Hawaii vs. Mankichi, 190 U.S., 197; Dorr vs.
U.S., 195 U.S., 138; Rassmussen vs. U.S., 197 U.S., 516.)
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This power has been exercised by Congress throughout the whole history of the
United States, and legislation founded on the theory was enacted long prior to the
acquisition of the present Insular possessions. Section 1891 of the Revised Statutes of
1878 provides that "The Constitution and all laws of the United States which are not
locally inapplicable shall have the same force and effect within all the organized
territories, and in every Territory hereafter organized, as elsewhere within the United
States." When Congress organized a civil government for the Philippines, it expressly
that this section of the Revised Statutes should not apply to the Philippine Islands, (Sec.
1, Act of 1902.)
In providing for the government of the territory which was acquired by the United
States as a result of the war with Spain, the executive and legislative authorities have
consistently proceeded in conformity with the principles above stated. The city of
Manila was surrendered to the United States on August 13, 1898, and the military
commander was directed to hold the city, bay, and harbor, pending the conclusion of a
peace which should determine the control, disposition, and government of the Islands.
The duty then devolved upon the American authorities to preserve peace and protect
persons and property within the occupied territory. Provision therefor was made by
proper orders, and on August 26 General Merritt assumed the duties of military
governor. The treaty of peace was signed December 10, 1898. On the 22d of
December, 1898, the President announced that the destruction of the Spanish eet and
the surrender of the city had practically effected the conquest of the Philippine Islands
and the suspension of the Spanish sovereignty therein, and that by the treaty of peace
the future control, disposition, and government of the Islands had been ceded to the
United States. During the period of strict military occupation, before the treaty of peace
was rati ed, and the interim thereafter, until Congress acted (Santiago vs. Nogueras,
214 U.S., 260), the territory was governed under the military authority of the President
as commander in chief. Long before Congress took any action, the President organized
a civil government, which, however, had its legal justi cation, like the purely military
government which it gradually superseded, in the war power. The military power of the
President embraced legislative, executive, and judicial functions, all of which he might
exercise personally, or through such military or civil agents as he chose to select. As
stated by Secretary Root in his report for 1901
"The military power in exercise in a territory under military occupation
includes executive, legislative, and judicial authority. It not infrequently happens
that in a single order of a military commander can be found the exercise of all
three of these different powers-the exercise of the legislative powers by provisions
prescribing a rule of action; of judicial power by determinations of right; and of
executive power by the enforcement of the rules prescribed and the rights
determined."
President Mckinley desired to transform military into civil government as rapidly
as conditions would permit. After full investigation, the organization of civil government
was initiated by the appointment of a commission to which civil authority was to be
gradually transferred. On September 1, 1900, the authority to exercise, subject to the
approval of the President, "that part of the military power of the President in the
Philippine Islands which is legislative in its character" was transferred from the military
government to the Commission, to be exercised under such rules and regulations as
should be prescribed by the Secretary of War, until such time as complete civil
government should be established, or Congress otherwise provided. The legislative
power thus conferred upon the Commission was declared to include "the making of
rules and orders having the effect of law for the raising of revenue by taxes, customs
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duties, and imposts; the appropriation and expenditure of public funds of the Islands;
the establishment of an educational system throughout the Islands; the establishment
of a system to secure an ef cient civil service; the organization and establishment of
courts; the organization and establishment of municipal and department governments,
and all other matters of a civil nature which the military governor is now competent to
provide by rules or orders of a legislative character." This grant of legislative power to
the Commission was to be exercised in conformity with certain declared general
principles, and subject to certain speci c restrictions for the protection of individual
rights. The Commission were to bear in mind that the government to be instituted was
"not for our satisfaction or for the expression of our theoretical views, but for the
happiness, peace, and prosperity of the people of the Philippine Islands, and the
measures adopted should be made to conform to their customs, their habits, and even
their prejudices, to the fullest extent consistent with the accomplishment of the
indispensable requisites of just and effective government." The speci c restrictions
upon legislative power were found in the declarations that "no person shall be deprived
of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; that private property shall not be
taken for public use without just compensation; that in all criminal prosecutions the
accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, to be informed of the nature
and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have
compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of
counsel for his defense; that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excursive nes
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment in icted; that no person shall be put twice
in jeopardy for the same offense or be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness
against himself; that the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures
shall not be violated; that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist except as a
punishment for crime; that no bill of attainder or expost facto law shall be passed; that
no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or of the rights
of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the Government for a redress of
grievances; that no law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and that the free exercise and enjoyment of
religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference shall forever be
allowed."
To prevent any question as to the legality of these proceedings being raised, the
Spooner amendment to the Army Appropriation Bill passed March 2, 1901, provided
that "all military, civil, and judicial powers necessary to govern the Philippine Islands . . .
shall until otherwise provided by Congress be vested in such person and persons, and
shall be exercised in such manner, as the President of the United States shall direct, for
the establishment of civil government, and for maintaining and protecting the
inhabitants of said Islands in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and religion,"
Thereafter, on July 4, 1901, the of ce of Civil Governor was created, and the executive
authority, which had been exercised previously by the military governor, was transferred
to that of cial. The government thus created by virtue of the authority of the President
as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy continued to administer the affairs of the
Islands under the direction of the President until by the Act of July 1, 1902, Congress
assumed control of the situation by the enactment of a law which, in connection with
the instructions of April 7, 1900, constitutes the organic law of the Philippine Islands.
The Act of July 1, 1902, made no substantial changes in the form of government
which the President had erected. Congress adopted the system which was in operation,
and approved the action of the President in organizing the government. Substantially all
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the limitations which had been imposed on the legislative power by the President's
instructions were included in the law, Congress thus extending to the Islands by
legislative act not the Constitution, but all its provisions for the protection of the rights
and privileges of individuals which were appropriate under the conditions. The action of
the President in creating the Commission with designated powers of government, in
creating the of ce of the Governor-General and Vice-Governor-General, and through the
Commission establishing certain executive departments, was expressly approved and
rati ed. Subsequently the action of the President in imposing a tariff before and after
the rati cation of the treaty of peace was also rati ed and approved by Congress. (Act
of March 8, 1902; Act of July 1, 1902; U.S. vs. Heinszen, 206 U.S., 370; Lincoln vs. U.S.,
197 U.S., 419.) Until otherwise provided by law the Islands were to continue to be
governed "as thereby and herein provided." In the future the enacting clause of all
statutes should read "By authority of the United States" instead of "By the authority of
the President." In the course of time the legislative authority of the Commission in all
parts of the Islands not inhabited by Moros or non-Christian tribes was to be
transferred to a legislature consisting of two houses-the Philippine Commission and
the Philippine Assembly. The government of the Islands was thus assumed by
Congress under its power to govern newly acquired territory not incorporated into the
United States.
This Government of the Philippine Islands is not a State or a Territory, although
its form and organization somewhat resembles that of both. It stands outside of the
constitutional relation which unites the States and Territories into the Union. The
authority for its creation and maintenance is derived from the Constitution of the United
States, which, however, operates on the President and Congress, and not directly on the
Philippine Government. It is the creation of the United States, acting through the
President and Congress, both deriving power from the same source, but from different
parts thereof. For its powers and the limitations thereon the Government of the
Philippines looked to the orders of the President before Congress acted and the Acts
of Congress after it assumed control. Its organic laws are derived from the formally
and legally expressed will of the President and Congress, instead of the popular
sovereign constituency which lies back of American constitutions. The power to
legislate upon any subject relating to the Philippines is primarily in Congress, and when
it exercises such power its act is from the viewpoint of the Philippines the legal
equivalent of an amendment of a constitution in the United States.
Within the limits of its authority the Government of the Philippines is a complete
governmental organism with executive, legislative, and judicial departments exercising
the functions commonly assigned to such departments. The separation of powers is as
complete as in most governments. In neither Federal nor State governments is this
separation such as is implied in the abstract statement of the doctrine. For instance, in
the Federal Government the Senate exercises executive powers, and the President to
some extent controls legislation through the veto power. In a State the governor is not
a member of the legislative body, but the veto power enables him to exercise much
control over legislation. The Governor-General, the head of the executive department in
the Philippine Government, is a member of the Philippine Commission, but as executive
he has no veto power. The President and Congress framed the government on the
model with which Americans are familiar, and which has proven best adapted for the
advancement of the public interests and the protection of individual rights and
privileges.
In instituting this form of government the intention must have been to adopt the
general constitutional doctrines which are inherent in the system. Hence, under it the
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Legislature must enact laws subject to the limitations of the organic laws, as Congress
must act under the national Constitution, and the States under the national and state
constitutions. The executive must execute such laws as are constitutionally enacted.
The judiciary, as in all governments operating under written constitutions, must
determine the validity of legislature enactments, as well as the legality of all private and
of cial acts. In performing these functions it acts with the same independence as the
Federal and State judiciaries in the United States. Under no other constitutional theory
could there be that government of laws and not of men which is essential for the
protection of rights under a free and orderly government.
Such being the constitutional theory of the Government of the Philippine Islands,
it is apparent that the courts must consider the question of the validity of an act of the
Philippine Commission or the Philippine Legislature, as a State court considers an act
of the State legislature. The Federal Government exercises such powers only as are
expressly or impliedly granted to it by the Constitution of the United States, while the
States exercise all powers which have not been granted to the central governments.
The former operates under grants, the latter subject to restrictions. The validity of an
Act of Congress depends upon whether the Constitution of the United States contains
a grant of express or implied authority to enact it. An act of a State legislature is valid
unless the Federal or State constitution expressly or impliedly prohibits its inaction. An
act of the legislative authority of the Philippine Government which has not been
expressly disapproved by Congress is valid unless its subject-matter has been covered
by congressional legislation, or its enactment forbidden by some provision of the
organic laws.
The legislative power of the Government of the Philippines is granted in general
terms subject to speci c limitations. The general grant is not alone of power to
legislate on certain subjects, but to exercise the legislative power subject to the
restrictions stated. It is true that speci c authority is conferred upon the Philippine
Government relative to certain subjects of legislation, and that Congress has itself
legislated upon certain other subjects. These, however, should be viewed simply as
enactments on matters wherein Congress was fully informed and ready to act, and not
as implying any restriction upon the local legislative authority in other matters. (See
Opinion of Atty. Gen. of U.S., April 16, 1908.)
The fact that Congress reserved the power to annul specific acts of legislation by
the Government of the Philippines tends strongly to con rm the view that for purposes
of construction the Government of the Philippines should be regarded as one of
general instead of enumerated legislative powers. The situation was unusual. The new
government was to operate far from the source of its authority. To relieve Congress
from the necessity of legislating with reference to details, it was thought better to grant
general legislative power to the new government, subject to broad and easily
understood prohibitions, and reserve to Congress the power to annul its acts if they
met with disapproval. It was therefore provided "that all laws passed by the
Government of the Philippine Islands shall be reported to Congress, which hereby
reserves the power and authority to annul the same." (Act of Congress, July 1, 1902,
sec. 86.) This provision does not suspend the acts of the Legislature of the Philippines
until approved by Congress, or when approved, expressly or by acquiescence, make
them the laws of Congress. They are valid acts of the Government of the Philippine
Islands until annulled. (Miners Bank vs. Iowa, 12 How. (U.S.), 1.)
In order to determine the validity of Act No. 55 we must then ascertain whether
the Legislature has been expressly or by implication forbidden to enact it. Section 3,
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Article IV, of the Constitution of the United States operates only upon the States of the
Union. It has no application to the Government of the Philippine Islands. The power to
regulate foreign commerce is vested in Congress, and by virtue of its power to govern
the territory belonging to the United States, it may regulate foreign commerce with
such territory. It may do this directly, or indirectly through a legislative body created by
it, to which its power in this respect is delegated. Congress has by direct legislation
determined the duties which shall be paid upon goods imported into the Philippines,
and it has expressly authorized the Government of the Philippines to provide for the
needs of commerce by improving harbors and navigable waters. A few other speci c
provisions relating to foreign commerce may be found in the Acts of Congress, but its
general regulation is left to the Government of the Philippines, subject to the reserved
power of Congress to annul such legislation as does not meet with its approval. The
express limitations upon the power of the Commission and Legislature to legislate do
not affect the authority with respect to the regulation of commerce with foreign
countries. Act No. 55 was enacted before Congress took over the control of the
Islands, and this act was amended by Act No. 275 after the Spooner amendment of
March 2, 1901, was passed. The military government, and the civil government
instituted by the President, had the power, whether it be called legislative or
administrative, to regulate commerce between foreign nations and the ports of the
territory. (Cross vs. Harrison, 16 How. (U.S.), 164, 190; Hamilton vs. Dillin, 21 Wall. (U.S.),
73, 87.) This Act has remained in force since its enactment without annulment or other
action by Congress, and must be presumed to have met with its approval. We are
therefore satis ed that the Commission had, and the Legislature now has, full
constitutional power to enact laws for the regulation of commerce between foreign
countries and the ports of the Philippine Islands, and that Act No. 55, as amended by
Act No. 275, is valid.