nd equipment will be
necessary in the Philippine Islands. The President would be glad to have
suggestions from these commanders as to the government of the islands,
which of necessity must be by the Army and the Navy for some time to
come. When these islands shall be ceded to us, it is his desire that
peace and tranquillity shall be restored and as kind and beneficent a
government as possible given to the people, that they may be encouraged
in their industries and made secure in life and property. The fullest
suggestions are invited.

WILLIAM McKINLEY.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 9, 1898_.

By virtue of the authority vested in me as Commander in Chief of the
Army and Navy of the United States, I hereby order and direct that
during the occupancy by the military authorities of the United States
of the island of Cuba and all islands in the West Indies west of the
seventy-fourth degree, west longitude, evacuated by Spain, said islands
shall constitute a collection district for customs purposes. Havana
shall be the chief port of entry. An officer of the Army shall be
assigned to such port, who shall be the collector of customs of the
islands and of the chief port and shall have general jurisdiction over
the collection of customs in the islands.

The ports of Matanzas, Cardenas, Cienfuegos, Sagua, Caibarien, Santiago,
Manzanillo, Nuevitas, Guantanamo, Gibara, and Baracoa, in said islands,
are hereby declared to be subports of entry, and an officer of the Army
will be assigned to each of the subports, who will be the collector
of customs of a subport and shall have general jurisdiction of the
collection of customs at such port. He shall make weekly reports to
the collector of customs of the islands at the chief port of all
transactions at the subport over which he has jurisdiction, with copies
of all entries of merchandise, duly certified.

The Secretary of War shall appoint such civilian deputy collectors,
inspectors, and other employees as may be found necessary.

The collectors of the subports shall deposit all moneys collected by
them with the collector of the islands, and a receipt from the collector
of the islands must be taken in duplicate for all such deposits.

There shall be appointed an auditor, who shall be stationed at the chief
port, whose duty it shall be to examine all entries of merchandise and
if found correct to certify to them. Such auditor shall on the first
of each month make a full and comp