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 Roosevelt signed an act establishing the civil government of the Philippines and providing for a new legislative body. A census was authorized and was taken in 1903. The act of 1902 also authorized the purchase of land belonging to the friars. Although among such an ignorant and diversified body as that of the Filipinos public opinion can hardly be said to exist, there is no doubt that the hatred of the friars was practically universal. When the revolution came the members of the four orders had to flee for their lives, although the people who killed or imprisoned those they could catch were generally good Catholics. As the insular government could not safely allow the friars to return to their parishes the friars' lands were bought for $7,000,000. Mr Taft managed the delicate task of conducting negotiations with the Vatican without arousing the hostility of either Catholics or Protestants. On the 1st of February 1904 General L. E. Wright became governor. He was succeeded in 1905 by Mr H. C. Ide, who was succeeded by General James T. Smith in 1906. The elections for the first Philippine Assembly were held on the 30th of July 1907, and 31 Nationalists, 16 Progressists, 33 Independents and others were elected. The total vote cast was about 100,000. In many districts the Nationalists' candidates promised that if they were returned immediate independence would follow. When the Assembly met it became apparent that the great majority were more anxious to act as a dignified branch of the legislature than to maintain consistency with their pre-election declarations. The legislature convened for its second session on the 1st of February 1909. During this session 72 laws were passed, of which 23 had been introduced by the Commission and 49 by the Assembly. Among the acts was one providing for the continuance of Spanish as the official language of the courts until 1913; an act providing for bankruptcy; and an act fixing the age of majority at 21 years.

Governor Smith left the islands in May 1909 and was succeeded by W. Cameron Forbes. On the 6th of August 1909 the Payne and Colton bills became law, greatly promoting trade between the Islands and the United States (see Communications and Commerce). On the 2nd of November 1909 delegates were elected for the second Philippine Assembly.

 PHILIPPOPOLIS (Bulgarian, Plovdiv; Turkish, Felibe), the capital of Eastern Rumelia, and of the department of Philippopolis, Bulgaria; situated in the midst of picturesque granite eminences on the right bank of the river Maritza, 96 m. E.S E. of Sofia and 97 m. W.N.W. of Adrianople. Pop. (1906) 45,572, of whom a large majority are Bulgarians, and the remainder chiefly Turks, Greeks, Jews, Armenians or gipsies. Philippopolis is on the main railway from Vienna to Constantinople, via Belgrade and Sofia. The Maritza is navigable up to this point, and as the city has communication by rail both with the port of Dédéagatch on the Mediterranean and that of Burgas on the Black Sea, and is situated in a remarkably fertile country, it has become the chief commercial centre of southern Bulgaria, and is the seat of both Greek and Bulgarian archbishops. The residences of the richer Greeks and Bulgarians occupy the slopes of the largest eminence, the Jambaz-tépé, in the centre of the city; between it and the Nobtet-tépé, from the summit of which there is a magnificent view of the city, is the Armenian quarter; near the bridge over the Maritza is the poorer Turkish quarter; and south-west of the Jambaz-tépé there is a suburb of villas. On the Bunari-tépé a monument has been erected by the Russians in commemoration of the war of 1877, and near this is the new palace of the king of Bulgaria. The Sahub-tépe is crowned by a clock-tower. Not far from it are the beautiful Exhibition Park laid out in 1892 and the fine Journaia-Jami Mosque. Near the Maritza are the remains of the ancient konak (palace) of the Turkish pashas, the public park formed by the Russians in 1877, the gymnasium, and the new Greek cathedral. The city has a large commerce in rice, attar of roses, and cocoons; other exports being wheat, wine, tobacco, alcohol and hides.

Eumolpia, a Thracian town, was captured by Philip of Macedon and made one of his frontier posts, hence its name of Philippopolis, or “Philip's City.” Under the Romans Philoppopolis or Trimontium became the capital of Thracia; and, even aftei its capture by the Goths, when 100,000 persons are said to have been slain, it continued to be a flourishing city till it was again sacked by the Bulgarians in 1205. It passed under Turkish rule in 1363; in 1818 it was destroyed by an earthquake; and in 1846 it suffered from a severe conflagration. During the war of 1877-78 the city was occupied by the Russians (see also : History).

 PHILIPPSBURG, a town of Germany, in the grand duchy of Baden, situated on a sluggish arm of the Rhine, 15 m. N. of Karlsruhe, on the railway Bruchsal-Germersheim. Pop. (1905) 2625. It has manufactures of tobacco and cigars, and some trade in cattle and hops. Philippsburg, formerly an important fortress, originally belonged to the ecclesiastical principality of Spires, and was named Udenheim. In 1338 it was surrounded with walls by bishop Gerhard. A later bishop of Spires, Philipp Christoph von Sotern, made the place his residence early in the 17th century, strengthened the fortifications, and renamed it Philippsburg after himself. At the peace of Westphalia in 1648 the French remained in possession of the town, but in 1679 it was restored to Germany, and though again captured by the French in 1688 it was once more restored in 1697. In 1734 the dilapidated fortress fell an easy prey to the French under Marshal Berwick, who, however, lost his life beneath its walls. It was restored to Germany in 1735, and was again besieged by the French in 1799. The town was assigned to Baden in 1803.

