An Act Providing for the Appointment of a Committee of Three to Visit Japan, Formosa, Upper Burmah, and Java, and Such Other Countries as the Civil Governor may Designate, for the Purpose of Investigating the Use of Opium and the Traffic therein, and Rules, Ordinances, and Laws Regulating Such Use and Traffic, and to Make a Report of their Conclusions to the Philippine Commission

July 23, 1903

ACT NO. 800

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A COMMITTEE OF THREE TO VISIT JAPAN, FORMOSA, UPPER BURMAH, AND JAVA, AND SUCH OTHER COUNTRIES AS THE CIVIL GOVERNOR MAY DESIGNATE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATING THE USE OF OPIUM AND THE TRAFFIC THEREIN, AND RULES, ORDINANCES, AND LAWS REGULATING SUCH USE AND TRAFFIC, AND TO MAKE A REPORT OF THEIR CONCLUSIONS TO THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION

SECTION 1. The Civil Governor is hereby authorized and directed to appoint, by and with the consent of the Philippine Commission, a committee of three to visit Japan, Formosa, Upper Burmah, and Java, and other countries as the Civil Governor may designate, for the purpose of investigating the use of opium and the traffic therein, and the rules, ordinances, and laws regulating such use and traffic.

SECTION 2. Within four months after its appointment, or within such further time as may be granted by the Civil Governor, such committee shall make a report of its investigations to the Philippine Commission, setting forth therein the facts as found by it, its conclusions therefrom, and such recommendations as to it may seem advisable under all the circumstances.

SECTION 3. The Civil Governor shall designate a stenographer from a Bureau or Department of the Government who shall accompany the committee and whose actual, reasonable, and necessary traveling expenses shall be paid, to be used by the committee in taking the evidence and in preparing its report. He shall also act as disbursing officer of the committee after having given proper bond, the premium of the bond to the paid out of the fund hereinafter appropriated.

SECTION 4. Each member of such committee shall receive a compensation at the rate of two hundred and fifty dollars, United States currency, per month, together with his actual, reasonable, and necessary traveling expenses while engaged in the performance of the duties prescribed by this Act: Provided, That the compensation prescribed by this section shall not be paid to any member of the committee who is an officer or employee in the public service of the Insular Government, or whose salary or compensation is fixed by law or regulation: Provided, further, That if a provincial official is appointed he may renounce his provincial salary while engaged in this service and receive the salary provided by this Act.

SECTION 5. The sum of seven thousand dollars, United States currency, or its equivalent in Philippines currency, is hereby appropriated, out of any moneys in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. 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 7. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

ENACTED, July 23, 1903.