Claims Arising from the American Occupation. balance of the track as well as nearly all the rolling stock being within the lines of the enemy. The United States never acquired possession of the road or its property till wrested by force from the enemy. When captured the cars were greatly injured, being in a large degree burned by the insurgents, the locomotives were disabled as far as the unskillful Tagallos were able to do so. Sta tion houses were burned, portions of the track torn up, bridges partially destroyed. Some property was injured by the United States forces as a necessary military measure; but for all damages the Government is called upon to make compensation. After captur ing it from the enemy and turning over to the owner the United States is expected to make good all losses sustained while in the enemy's possession, and while made use of by the enemy in its military operations against the United States army. By the terms of the concession with the Spanish Government an annual sum equal to eight per cent, of the amount invested in the construction of the road was guaranteed the Company, the gross receipts in excess of such sum to be equally divided between the Company and Government. During several months immediately following the American occupation of Manila the receipts fell much below the per cent, guaranteed, for which deficiency the Company submitted a claim against the Government of $451,217.59. The above mentioned, with other claims, includ ing those claimed for a tramway about a mile and a half long leading from the Tondo to Manila station to the Pasig River, swell the entire amount to very nearly four million dollars, Mexican currency. The claims arising from the capture of Iloilo amount to about $1,500,000, Mexican currency, most of them submitted by foreign ers, the business of the city being in the hands largely of the foreign and Spanish residents. At the attack by the Americans the city was set on fire in several places by the insurgents, who had made previous preparations to burn the city in case the war
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vessels in the harbor opened fire. By this act of incendiarism the city was partially de stroyed. Among the individual claims is one of $50,000, presented by a Spanish resident for the loss of his daughter, who was killed by a shell from one of the American gun boats. With the exception of the public market, which the evidence shows was de stroyed by a shell, all the property seems to have been destroyed by the fire set by the insurgents, the legal aspect of the case being whether the United States can be legally held liable for the property of alien residents destroyed by insurgents under the circum stances of the case. The Island of Negros is perhaps the most fertile of any of the Filipino Archipelago, es pecially the Western part. At the present time it is impossible, I suppose, to pronounce authoritatively of any particular section that it is the most fertile, as our acquaintance with the islands is not sufficient to authorize such statement. Wrestern Negros is particularly rich in sugar plantations which have suffered devastation at the hands of parties who may have been insurgents, and were probably so in part, but the damage was I think chiefly, and perhaps altogether, caused by lawless bands of ladrones or thieves who have from time immemorial infested different sections of the Archipelago. Among the late despoilers of the land is a band composed of the followers of Papa Isio. who seem to be religious fanatics, a peculiar class under the leadership of one Papa, or Pope, Isio, whom they deem possessed of supernatural powers. This belief in the possession of superhuman qualities by conspicuous persons seems char acteristic of the Filipinos, as in the popular apprehension, Aguinaldo wears a charm which renders him invulnerable to shot or shell. Whether his recent capture has shaken the popular faith in the power of his charm I am ignorant. From the owners of sugar plantations in Negros have been submitted some claims, large in amount, but up to date very few in number. Among the claimants are the Friars who
