Act No. 1748

Whereas the construction of railways and the establishment of commercial steamship routes and other conditions render it necessary, in consideration of the public convenience and interest, that provincial and municipal boundary lines and seats of governments be changed, in order that unnecessary expenditures of time and private funds by taxpayers and other persons having business to transact with the Government may be avoided; and

Whereas some few of the provinces have very little revenue to support a provincial government and secure for the people necessary betterments and as to such provinces it may become necessary to use thorn with other provinces; and

Whereas the Legislature will not, in all probability, be in session more than ninety days per annum; and

Whereas if is desirable that there be provided by law an expeditious method by which such changes may be made: Now, therefore,

By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that:

SECTION 1.
Whenever in the judgment of the Governor-General the public welfare requires, he may, by executive order, enlarge, contract, or otherwise change the boundary of any province, sub-province, municipality, or township or other political subdivision, or separate any such subdivision into such portions as may be required as aforesaid, merge any of such subdivisions or portions with another, divide any province into one or more sub-provinces as may be required as aforesaid, name any new subdivision so created, change the seat of government within any subdivision, existing or created hereunder, to such place therein as the public interests require, and shall fix in such executive order the date when the change, merger, separation, or other action shall take effect. Whenever such action as aforesaid creates a new political subdivision the Governor-General shall appoint such officers for the new subdivision with such powers and duties as may be required by the existing provisions of law applicable to the case and fix their salaries; such appointees shall hold office until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified. Successors to the elective offices shall be elected at the next general election following such appointment. Such equitable distribution of the funds of changed subdivisions between the subdivisions affected shall be made as is recommended by the Insular Auditor and approved.

SEC. 2.
In case any action by the Governor-General in accordance with this Act shall, make necessary a change of the territory under the jurisdiction of any administrative district officer or any judicial officer the Governor-General, with the recommendation and advice of the head of the Department having executive control of such officer, shall redistrict the territory of the several officers affected and assign such officers to the new districts so formed.

SEC. 3.
The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of “An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws,” passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

SEC. 4.
This Act shall lake effect on its passage.

Enacted, October 7, 1907.