Affairs in Mindanao had progressed so satisfactorily that Pollok,
Kotabato, and Davao were occupied by permanent garrisons, and peace
and tranquillity reigned over the Celebes Sea. A politico-military gov-
ernment was then established for all the pacified territory of Mindanao
and Basilan, and was designated as the Government of Mindanao. It
comprised six districts, the first five of which belonged entirely to tlie
Island of Mindanao. The sixth was called the district of Basilan and was
defined as "comprising Basilan and the Spanish possessions in the
Archipelago of Sulu." Sulu was not brought under this organization
until 1878, when an additional district was created for this purpose.
The form of this government and its chief characteristics are best
described in the words of the royal order creating it, which is herein given
in full because of many points of interest which are contained in the
text and form of the decree, and which can not be well illustrated
otherwise :
Superior Civil GovfrniNMENT
Office of the Deputy Huperintendent of the Philippine Treasury
CIRCULAR
The Minister of War and Colonies communicated to this Superior Civil
Government, on the Slst of July of last year, the following Royal order:
Your Excellency: The Queen (whom Grod protect) has been pleased to issue
the following Royal decree: Pursuant to the reasons laid before me by the
Minister of War and Colonies, and in accordance with the opinion of the Council
of Ministers, I hereby decree the following:
Article I. A politico-military Government is hereby established for the island
of Mindanao and adjacent islands.
Article II. The Government of Mindanao shall be divided into six districts:
1. the Zamboanga District, formed of that part of the province of the same name
which includes all of Sibugay Bay, and the west coast of the island as far
as Murci^lagos Point; 2. the District of the North, including, in the northern
part of the island, all the territory between the boundary* line of the 1st
District and Dapitan Point, on Tutwan Bay; 3. the Eastern District, between
Dapitan Point, and Karaga Bay; 4. the Davao District, beginning on the
boundary line of the 3d District and including the Bay of Davao and all the
southern extremity of the island ; 5. the Central District, including Illana Bay,
situate<l between the Ist and 4th districts; 6. the District of Basilan, comprising
the Spanish possessions in .the Archipelagoes of Sulu and Baj^jlan. The capital
of the Government shall be in the Central District, the most advantageous
place at the mouth of the Mindanao River being chosen. These districts shall
be divided into two classes; to the first class shall belong the Northern, Central
and Eastern districts, and to the second those of Zamboanga, Davao and Basilan.
Article III. The Governor of Mindanao shall receive 6,000 pesos as salary,
and 2,000 pesos as entertainment fund. The latter shall be supplied from the
revenues from Government real estate and licenses. The Governor's residence
shall also be supplied by the State.
Article IV. This Governorship shall correspond to the class of brigadier gen-
erals; but the first Governor appointed may be a colonel, who will be entitled,
as a reward, to an appointment as brigadier general after three years.
Article V. The Governor of Mindanao shall be succeeded in his command by
the officer of the highest rank in the island, pending the appointment of another
Governor, or such action as the Cai)lain General may dwm advisable. In the
districts, the Governor shall be succeeded by the officer next in rank, until the
Governor of Mindanao appoints an Acting Governor and requests the Captain
General to take such action as may be called for by the regulations in force.
Article VI. The duties and powers of the Captain General in regard to the
Government of Mindanao, and those of the Governor of the island, shall be the
same as those provided for the Bisayas in my Royal decree of this date. As
military authorities, they shall observe the usual relations between Captains
General and Commanders General of Provinces. The Governor of Mindanao shall
forward each month to the Captain General of the Philippines a tabulated
record of the resolutions taken by him in the exercise of his authority, so that
the latter may be able to exercise with efficiency the general supervision to
which he is entitled. The Captain General shall forward to the Supreme Govern-
ment, through the proper channels, both this tabulated record, and a statement
of the action he has taken in the premises.
Abticle VIT. The districts of the first class shall be governed by lieutenant-
colonels and those of the second class by senior majors.
Article VIII. The duties of these district governors shall be those specified,
up to the present time, for the politico-military Governors of the island.
Article IX. The Governor of Mindanao shall have a Secretariate with the fol-
lowing personnel: a Secretary at 2,500 pesos per year; one clerk, class one, at
1,200; one clerk, class two, at 1,000, and one clerk, class three, at 800. 1,000
pesos are furthermore provided for the salaries of copyists, and 600 for office
supplies.
Article X. There is hereby created for Mindanao a Revenue Office which shall
serve as depositary of the revenues, and shall have charge of collecting all
taxes, and of the administration of the Army. It shall have the following
personnel: an Administrator at 2,500 pesos; a Controller at 2,000; one clerk,
class one, at 1,000; two clerks, class two, at 800, and a cashier at 800. 1,500
pesos are provided for the salaries of copyists and other auxiliary employees,
and 600 for office supplies.
Article XI. The chiefs of districts shall remain in charge of the collection of
taxes in the manner hitherto established, and shall be entitled to the allowances
provided for that purpose. The provisions of this article shall not interfere
with those already made for the departments of the administration which exist
at the present time in Mindanao and their dependencies.
Article XII. For expediting their official business the district governors shall
have a secretary at a salary of 800 pesos in districts of the first class, and 600
in those of the second class. To each secretary's office 75 pesos are assigned
for office supplies, and 150 for a copyist.
Article XI IT. The mission of the Jesuits, which has already been sent to
Mindanao, shall look after the spiritual wants of the island, and Jesuits shall
take the place of the other priests as soon as the mission has a sufficient person-
nel, and in the manner which may be deemed most convenient.
Article XIV. The first and principal object of the mission shall be to secure
the conversion of the races which have not yet been subjecte<l, and even after
the parishes of the island are pro\ided for it shall maintain a sufficient number
of missionaries for that purpose; each missionary shall be aided to the extent
of 800 pesos a year from the Royal Treasury.
Article XV. The War and Na\'y Departments, together with the Colonial Office,
shall decide what forces of the army and navy are required for Mindanao; the
Captain-General shall have authority to make such changes as the circumstances
may require, but he shall always report such changes to the respective Ministers
for approval.
Article XVI. The Governor can use the naval forces whenever he finds it
necessary, with the assent of the commanding officer thereof.
Article XVII. It shall be the constant duty of the army to explore and to
occupy the country; for that purpose, two columns at least shall be detached
each year from each district, and go through said districts in different directions.
The chiefs of these columns shall make out a report about the territory recon-
noitered by them; said reports shall be included in a general report made by
the Governor, which shall be forwarded to the Department of War and Colonies
through the Captain-General of the Philippines; this information will allow
the Governor to give, in the following years his instructions to the columns
sent out to explore the country, without losing sight of the advantage of
establishing friendly relations with the tribes which inhabit the island, and the
necessity of maintaining communication between the different districts. These
columns shall be provided with everything that may be required to overcome
the obstacles they will find on their way; and during the expedition, officers and
soldiers shall receive field rations, issued in kind, according to the advice of
the Military Health Department. For this purpose 10,000 pesos shall be carried
on the budget for the first year, and 100 pesos shall be given for each expedition
to the officer commanding a column, for extraordinary expenses.
Article XVIII. Two special agents shall be appointed by the government for
the purpose of studying means of developing all the natural resources of the island
of Mindanao.
Abticle XIX. In order to encourage colonists to settle in such parts of the
island as may be deemed best, they will be furnished, at their request, the tools and
implements required for their work or trade. The Governor is furthermore
authorized to pay the traveling expenses of colonists who may wish to settle in
the island without exceeding the sum hereinafter provided, the expenditure of
which shall be duly accounted for. The new settlers shall be entitled to the
foregoing privileges for ten years, and 12,000 pesos shall be appropriated for
that purpose during the first year, from the revenues accruing from government
real estate and licenses. The new settlers shall be exempt from tribute; the
same favor shall be granted all tribes that submit peacefully.
Article XX. The laws and regulations in force in the other islands of the Phil-
ippines shall be observed in all the offices of the Treasury Department. The
prohibitions mentioned in the tariff shall apply to the custom house of Zam-
boanga; articles imported into the island in Spanish bottoms, and for local con-
sumption, shall pay, during the next ten years, 2 per cent ad valorem, if of Spanish
origin and 5 per cent if of foreign origin. If brought under a foreign flag said
articles shall pay xlouble the amounts specified above. If, after importing an article
for use in the island, it is reexported to some other Spanish island, it shall pay,
on arrival at the latter the difference between what has been paid in Mindanao
and the regular duty established in the tariff.
Article XXI. Lands now imder cultivation, and those placed under cultivation
during the next ten years, shall pay no other impost than that required by
the regulations now in force, per quifion of land, as an acknowledgment of
ownership.*
Article XXII. The Government shall always have on hand a reserve fund of
10,000 pesos to meet any urgent and imexpected need that may arise; in such
cases only, the Governor shall assume the responsibility of using this sum, or
part of the same, and shall account for the expenditure, in the usual manner.
Article XXIII. A sum of 3,000 pesos per year is placed *at the disposal of the
Governor for presents to the independent tribes, for the purpose of gaining
their friendship; the same amount is assigned to the mission of the Jesuits.
These funds shall be expended and accoimted for in the best possible form.
Article XXIV. For the expenses of installation a special estimate shall be
drawn up, and action shall be taken thereon as provided by the laws for urgent
cases.
Ahticle XXV. Xo extra pay or allowances of any kind shall be given except
such as are provided in the present decree, and the per diems usually granted
military' engineers when they are sent out on official business.
Abticle XXVI. The War, ^&y\\ and ('olonies Departments shall execute the
present Decree in the parts which resjiectively concern them, and shall work in
common for the execution of such parts thereof as may belong to two or more
Departments.
Article XXVII. So many of the laws and orders in force as are inconsistent
with the provisions of the present decree are hereby repealed.
Owen at Han Ildcfonso on the SOth of July, 1860.
Rubric of Her Majesty.- -The Minister of War and Colonies. Leopoldo
O'Donnell. — Communicated to you by Royal order for your information and
action.
Sultan Pulalun was regarded bv the Sulus as an able administrator
and a just ruler. His influence and fame and that of his father endeared
the house r)f Jamalul Kiram to the people to such an extent as to restrict
the successicm of the sultanate to their direct line of descent for a
considerable period of time. Following the steps of his father, he
published a revised code of Sulu laws and conducted the affairs of his
government with care. Pulalun died September 24, 1862, and was
followed by his son, Jamalul A'lam.
The succession of Jamalul A*lam was contested by Datu Jamalul
Kiram, the grandson of Sultan Shakinil Lah. The wife of Datu Ja-
malul Kiram was the daughter of Datu Daniel Amil Bahar, and the
latter was inclined to support his son-in-law. Jamalul A^lam, however,
had the majority of the council of the datus on his side, and a Spanish
commission sent to Jolo in November, confirmed his sultanate. Espina
states that at that time the sultan was living with Datu Asibi, and that
the portrait of Queen Isalx*! 1 1 was placed before the sultan when he made
his declaration before the commission to recognize the authority and
sovereignty of Spain over all the dominions of Sulu, including her
dependencies in Borneo.
It is noted in the Sulu Annals, under date of Febmary 1, 1867, that
a Spanish war vessel arrived at Jolo and demanded the punishment and
delivery of three men, one of whom was called Imam Mindang. The
sultan arrested all these men and had them executed on February 9
in the presence of the officer in command of the vessel. It appears that
in spite of the vigilance of the Spanish navy, piratical expeditions were
kept up by discontented Mor6& not €ully submissive to the sultan. This
led to further activity on the part of Sj)anish gunboats, and war was
consequently carried into Sulu waters and territory.
Another note in the Sulu Annals, under date of March o, 1872, states
that 13 Spanish vessels attacked Jolo, killed 3 men and 1 woman and
lost 2 officers and 100 soldiers. That same year the famous warrior
Datu Daniel Amil Bahar died ; and Puerta Princesa, capital of Palawan,
was garrisoned by native troops. A naval blockade of Jolo was estab-
lished and hostilities between Sulu and Spain were resumed. In 1873-
1875 considerable damage was done by the fleet throughout the Archi-
pelago, and two German vessels were seized while carrying contraband
of war to the Sulus.
In the estimation of the Sulus, Jamalul A'lam was one of their best
rulers. He carried out many public improvements, built roads and
bridges and mosques, enforced public attendance at the Friday church
services, and executed the laws with justice and force. He was as able
a i-uler as any sultan Sulu had since the days of Abu Bakr, but the
vicissitudes of fortune were certainly against him. Before his reign
ended, Spain's hand fell upon him strong and heavy, his capital was
wrested from him, and liis power waned.
