MEETING, SEPTEMBER 28, 1899

Exhibit 1268.

[Original in Spanish. D. S. P. I. R . . 1046.9.]

MINUTE.

In the Headquarters of Santa Barbara, the twenty-eighth day of September, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, at ten a. m., after the citation of the most prominent and influential persons of the province, with the exception of those residing in the towns of Nagaba, Buenavista and Navalas of the Island of Guimaras, who, by reason of being blockaded by the enemy could not attend the act, there met under the presidency of General Martin F. Delgado, the Politico Military Governor, the gentlemen who subscribe this act, for the purpose of proceeding to the election of the Councilors of Justice, Police and Finance, who are to form part of the new provincial council of Iloilo, as prescribed by the decree of the Honorable President Sr. Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy, under date of April last; and the hour fixed in the calls sent to the towns on the 22nd of this month having passed, the President called the meeting to order for the purpose indicated.

With the consent of the President, the gentleman acting as Secretary of this meeting, Sr. Ruperto Montinola y Benedicto, proceeded to read the said decree of April 27th; also the commission as Politico-Military Governor of this province issued in favor of the President of this meeting, Sr. Martin F. Delgado, and of the decree of the General in Chief of this army, dated the 21st instant, by which the Politico-Military Government of this province was declared constituted. Upon the conclusion of the reading, the president stated to the meeting that for the purpose of executing the provisions of the said decree of April 27th, the Politico-Military Government of this province had been and was actually constituted; for which reason the Council of the Federal State of the Visayas, which was acting as the Superior Government of this Region, had been dissolved; the same was done with regard to the provincial council of Iloilo, in order to permit, with regard to the latter, of the formation of the constitution of the new Provincial Council of Iloilo, as prescribed in the aforesaid decree of April 27th last.

The meeting having then resolved that the voting be by ballots, the President called upon the persons present to appoint a teller, Presbyter Praxedes Magalona being unanimously elected; thereupon the election was proceeded with of the said councillors of Justice, Police and Finance, in the manner stated; the voting having taken place and the correctness of the ballots having been verified by the number of voters, the examination was made, and the following gentlemen were elected by a majority of votes:

For councillor of Justice, Sr. Ruperto Montinola y Benedicto.

For councillor of Police, Sr. Posidio Delgado y Merlo.

For Councillor of Finance, Sr. Juan Bautista Confesor.

There being no protest on the part of the gentlemen present at the meeting against the election, the President proclaimed as elected by the meeting of prominent and influential persons of the province, assembled to-day at a general meeting, Sres. Ruperto Montinola y Benedicto, as Councillor of Justice; Posidio Delgado y Merlo, as Councillor of Police; and Juan Bautista y Confesor, as councillor of Finance, the meeting thereupon adjourning. In testimony whereof this Act is drawn the day and year first above written, all the gentlemen present affixing their signature hereto, and ratifying the contents hereof, to which I the acting Secretary certify.

(98 signatures.)