A PHILIPPINE PETITION. BY W. F. NORRIS. AT the taking of the city of Iloilo by the Americans about one-half of the place was destroyed by fire set by the insurgents as they withdrew from the city. Numerous claims for indemnification have been filed with the Board of Officers convened to pass upon claims arising from the insurrection in the Philippines, and among them is the following petition, submitted by a Spanish lawyer, who labored under the impression that he had mastered the English language: To Secretary of the Government from United States in Philippines Islands: Sir: Mr. Jose Joaquín Fernandez, a lawyer re siding in Iloilo, Concordia Street, with suf ficient power of D. .Miguel Gomez, author ized in Manila at 18th October last year, before the Notary of the same D. Luis M. Blanco. To Secretary of the Government from United States in Philippine Islands, respect fully I say: i —That D. Miguel Gomez of 49 years old, native of Spain, merchand, citizen and domiciliated in Iloilo until month Octover of the last year that her was going away to Spain where he resides at present in Ali cante without actually acquaintance occupa tion he was in the former date to 11 Feburary of last year, the owner of one fabric of bricks named "La Castellana" situated to access of village La Paz, contiguous to Iloilo to which industry and commerce he was con secrated libing of the products of his own work until his march to Spain. 2—In the morning of eleven of said Feb ruary my represented had to abandon said fabric as all inhabitants of Iloilo abandoned their own houses when they were surprised by frequent explosions of battering pieces that the American ships, made anchor in bay,
which fabric left in perfect state worcking when it was abandoned by his owner as it designs in anexed inventary, in which day when the army of the United States occu pied military the town of Iloilo they occu pied also the contiguous village of Paz and the fabric of bricks which warehouses had been transformed in 'places of bulls by the same soldiers. In first dais of November of last year, ab sent already from this city, D. Miguel Gomez, and occupying yet the American army the said village of the Paz burned the fabric, warehouses and the house in what libed his owner the said Miguel Gomez, hav ing not been able to inquire publicly the motive of the fire. The losings can it computes according the anexed inventary formed by the damaged owner own in the sum of twelve thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven pesos (12787 pesos) to which sum it concretes this reclamation. These are the facts and circumstances in what took place the Isong or damage origen of the reclamation that I direct to the Gov ernment of the United States as singular liable by the reasons that I am going to exposse. Without to go in legal appreciations re lating to if it proceed or not legally the bom bardment to place of Iloilo, by to be opened and by to have not finished the period of the ultimatum that are not of this opportunity, by to be another the cause of the reclamation what there is to determine into of the rules of the international right, if the damages caused in a population occupied military by forces of the army they are imputable to the same by to have caused them directly or for to have permitted them, being able to avoid them that to the cause is it the same and if by consequence of such imputation the Gov
