The Philippine Organic Act (c. 1369, ) was a basic law for the

Insular Government The Insular Government of the Philippine IslandsThis form of the name appeared in the titles of U.S. Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See Costas v. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, 221 U.S. 623, 1911. The Admini ...

that was enacted by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

on July 1, 1902. It is also known as the Philippine Bill of 1902 and the Cooper Act, after its author Henry A. Cooper. The approval of the act coincided with the official end of the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

Overview

The Philippine Organic Act provided for the creation of an elected

Philippine Assembly The Philippine Assembly (sometimes called the Philippine National Assembly) was the lower house of the Philippine Legislature from 1907 to 1916, when it was renamed the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The Philippine Assembly wa ...

after the following conditions were met: # the cessation of the existing insurrection in the Philippine Islands; # completion and publication of a census; and # two years of continued peace and recognition of the authority of the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

after the publication of the census. After the convening of the Assembly,

legislative power A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

shall then be vested in a bicameral legislature composed of the

Philippine Commission The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines. The first Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Preside ...

as the upper house and the Philippine Assembly as the lower house. Supervision of the islands was assigned to the War Department's

Bureau of Insular Affairs The Bureau of Insular Affairs was a division of the United States Department of War that oversaw civil aspects of the administration of several territories from 1898 until 1939. History The bureau was created 13 December 1898 as the Division of ...

. Other key provisions included: * a bill of rights for the Filipinos, * the appointment of two Filipino nonvoting

Resident Commissioner Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such a ...

s to represent the Philippines in the United States Congress, and * the disestablishment of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. * conservation of natural resources for the Filipinos * exercise of executive power by the civil governor who would have several executive departments * establishment of the Philippine Assembly to be elected by the Filipinos two years after the publication of a census and only after peace had been restored completely in the country This act was superseded by the Philippine Autonomy Act, or the ''Jones Law'', enacted on August 29, 1916.

Background

The act was preceded by the Spooner Amendment to the Army Appropriations Act of 1901 (, 910, enacted 2 March 1901) which had 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.

This was complemented by a cable from the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of th ...

Elihu Root Elihu Root (; February 15, 1845February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and statesman who served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War in the early twentieth century. He also served as United States Senator from ...

to the

on 5 March 1901:

Until further orders government will continue under existing instructions and orders.

The comprehensive Spooner Amendment, and these instructions and orders, virtually constituted for many months the charter of government for the Philippine Islands.Cincinnati Soap Co. v. U.S., 301 U.S. 308 (1937) Between September 1900 and August 1902, the

Second Philippine Commission The Taft Commission, also known as the Second Philippine Commission ( Filipino: ''Ikalawang Komisyon ng Pilipinas''), was established by United States President William McKinley on March 16, 1900, following the recommendations of the First Phili ...

(the Taft Commission) issued 499 laws.

Implementation

The act was enacted into law on July 1, 1902, and the Philippine Commission executed its provisions. A census was conducted in 1903, and published on March 25, 1905. The Philippine Assembly elections of 1907 were held on July 30, 1907, for 80 seats, and on October 16, 1907, the

1st Philippine Legislature The First Philippine Legislature was the first session of the Philippine Legislature, the first representative legislature of the Philippines. Then known as the Philippine Islands, the Philippines under the sovereign control of the United States ...

was inaugurated at the Manila Grand Opera House. As a result of the act, the Catholic Church agreed to gradually substitute Spanish

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

s with Filipinos and to sell its land. It refused however to send the

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...

s immediately back to Spain. In 1904, the American administration bought 166,000 hectares, a major part of the friars' holding, over half of which was in the Manila area, and the land was resold to Filipinos—some of them tenants but the majority of them estate owners.

References

External links

Philippine Organic Act of 1902
* — A 1926 interview with Congressman Henry A. Cooper. {{Philippine legislatures 1902 in American law 1902 in the Philippines Constitutions of the Philippines Filipino-American history Government of the Philippines United States federal territory and statehood legislation

Overview

Background

Implementation

See also

References

External links