And State Papers 315 



the pursuit of happiness" such as were never before 

 known in all the history of the islands. 



The Congress which has just adjourned has 

 passed legislation of high importance and great wis 

 dom in the interests of the Filipino people. First 

 and foremost, they conferred upon them by law the 

 present admirable civil government ; in addition they 

 gave them an excellent currency ; they passed a meas 

 ure allowing the organization of a native constabu 

 lary; and they provfded, in the interests of the isl 

 ands, for a reduction of twenty-five per cent in the 

 tariff on Filipino articles brought to this country. 

 I asked that a still further reduction should be made. 

 It was not granted by the last Congress, but I think 

 that in some shape it will be granted by the next. 

 And even without it, the record of legislation in the 

 interests of the Filipinos is one with which we have 

 a right to feel great satisfaction. 



Moreover, Congress appropriated three million 

 dollars, following the precedent it set when the peo 

 ple of Porto Rico were afflicted by sudden disaster ; 

 this money to be used by the Philippine government 

 in order to meet the distress occasioned primarily by 

 the terrible cattle disease which almost annihilated 

 the carabao or water-buffalo, the chief and most 

 important domestic animal in the islands. Coming 

 as this disaster did upon the heels of the havoc 

 wrought by the insurrectionary war, great suffering 

 has been caused: and this misery, for which this 

 Government is in no way responsible, will doubtless 

 in turn increase the difficulties of the Philippine 



