An Act Prescribing and Adopting the Arms and a Great Seal of the Government of the Philippine Islands, and Providing for the Use and Custody of the Great Seal

July 3, 1905

ACT NO. 1365

AN ACT PRESCRIBING AND ADOPTING THE ARMS AND A GREAT SEAL OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, AND PROVIDING FOR THE USE AND CUSTODY OF THE GREAT SEAL

SECTION 1. There is hereby prescribed and adopted the arms and a Great Seal of the Government of the Philippine Islands, of the designs hereinafter described:

Arms: Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief azure; over all the arms of Manila, per fess gules and azure, in chief the castle of Spain or, doors and windows azure, in base a sea-lion, argent langued and armed gules, in dexter paw a sword hilted or, Crest: The American eagle displayed proper. Beneath, a scroll with the words "Philippine Islands" inscribed thereon.

SECTION 2. The Great Seal shall be circular in form, with the arms as described in section one, but without the scroll and the inscription thereon, and surrounding the whole a double marginal circle within which shall appear the words "Government of the Philippine Islands," "United States of America," the two phrases being divided by two small five-pointed stars.

SECTION 3. The Great Seal shall be and remain in the custody of the Executive Secretary, and shall be affixed to or placed upon all commissions signed by the Governor-General, and upon such other official documents and papers of the Government of the Philippine Islands as may by law be provided, and as may be required by custom in the discretion of the Governor-General.

SECTION 4. For the purpose of affixing or placing the Great Seal, as provided in section three of this Act, the colors of the arms shall not be considered an essential part thereof, and an impression from the engraved seal, according to the design hereinbefore described, on any commission or other official document or paper, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, whether such colors or a representation of such colors be employed or not.

SECTION 5. 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.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

ENACTED, July 3, 1905.