He shall also perform such other duties not inconsistent herewith as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 15. That the treasurer shall give bond, approved as to form by the attorney general of Porto Rico, in such sum as the legislature may require, not less, however, than the sum of $125,000, with surety or sureties approved by the governor, and he shall collect and be the custodian of public funds, and shall disburse the same in accordance with law, on warrants signed by the auditor and countersigned by the governor, and perform such other duties as may be provided by law. He may designate banking institutions in Porto Rico and the United States as depositaries of the government of Porto Rico, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the governor, after they have filed with him satisfactory evidence of their sound financial condition and have deposited bonds of the United States or of the government of Porto Rico or other security satisfactory to the governor in such amounts as may be indicated by him; and no banking institution shall be designated a depositary of the government of Porto Rico until the foregoing conditions have been complied with. Interest on deposits shall be required and paid into the treasury.

SEC. 16. That the commissioner of the interior shall superintend all works of a public nature. have charge of all public buildings, grounds, and lands, except those belonging to the United States, and shall execute such requirements as may be imposed by law with respect thereto, and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 17. That the commissioner of education shall superintend public instruction throughout Porto Rico; all proposed disbursements on account thereof must be approved by him, and all courses of study shall be prepared by him, subject to disapproval by the governor if he desires to act. He shall prepare rules governing the selection of teachers, and appointments of teachers by local school boards shall be subject to his approval, and he shall perform such other duties, not inconsistent with this Act, as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 18. That the commissioner of agriculture and labor shall have general charge of such bureaus and branches of government as have been or shall be legally constituted for the study, advancement, and benefit of agricultural and other industries. the chief purpose of this department being to foster, promote, and develop the agricultural interests and the welfare of the wage earners of Porto Rico, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 19. That the commissioner of health shall have general charge of all matters relating to public health, sanitation, and charities, except such as relate to the conduct of maritime quarantine, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 20. That there shall be appointed by the President an auditor, at an annual salary of $5,000, for a term of four years and until his successor is appointed and qualified, who shall examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenues and receipts, from whatever source, of the government of Porto Rico and of the municipal governments of Porto Rico, including public trust funds and funds derived from bond issues; and audit, in accordance with law and administrative regulations, all expenditures of funds or property pertaining to or held in trust by the government of Porto Rico or the municipalities or dependencies thereof. He shall perform a like duty with respect to all government branches.

He shall keep the general accounts of the government and preserve the Vouchers pertaining thereto.

It shall be the duty of the auditor to bring to the attention of the proper administrative officer expenditures of funds or property which, in his opinion, are irregular, unnecessary, excessive, or extravagant.

In case of vacancy or of the absence from duty, from any cause, of the auditor, the Governor of Porto Rico may designate an assistant, who shall have charge of the office.

The jurisdiction of the auditor over accounts, whether of funds or property. and all vouchers and records pertaining thereto, shall be exclusive. With the approval of the governor, he shall from time to time make and promulgate general or special rules and regulations not inconsistent with law covering the methods of accounting for public funds and property, and funds and property held in trust by the government or any of its branches: Provided. That any officer accountable for public funds or property may require such additional reports or returns from his subordinates or others as he may deem necessary for his own information and protection.

The decisions of the auditor shall be final, except that appeal therefrom may be taken by the party aggrieved or the head of the department concerned within one year, in the manner hereinafter prescribed. The auditor shall, except as hereinafter provided, have like authority as that conferred by the law upon the several auditors of the United States and the Comptroller of the United States Treasury, and is authorized to communicate directly with any person having claims before him for settlement, or with any department, officer, or person having official relations with his office.

As soon after the close of each fiscal year as the accounts of said year may be examined and adjusted, the auditors shall submit to the governor an annual report of the fiscal concerns of the government, showing the receipts and disbursements of the various departments and bureaus of the government and of the various municipalities, and make such other reports as may be required of him by the governor or the head of the executive department of the Government of the United States, to be designated by the President as herein provided.

In the execution of his duties the auditor is authorized to summon wit nesses, administer oaths, and to take evidence, and, in the pursuance of these provisions, may issue subpoenas and enforce the attendance of witnesses.

The office of the auditor shall be under the general supervision of the governor and shall consist of the auditor and such necessary assistants as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 21. That any person aggrieved by the action or decision of the auditor in the settlement of his account or claim may, within one year, take an appeal in writing to the governor, which appeal shall specifically set forth the particular action of the auditor to which exception is taken, with the reason and authorities relied on for reversing such decision. The decision of the governor in such case shall be final, subject to such right of action as may be otherwise provided by law.

SEC. 22. That there shall be appointed by the governor. by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of Porto Rico, an executive secretary at an annual salary of $4,000, who shall record and preserve the minutes and proceedings of the public service commission hereinafter provided for and the laws enacted by the legislature and all acts and proceedings of the governor. and promulgate all proclamations and orders of the governor and all laws enacted by the legislature, and until otherwise provided by the legislature of Porto Rico perform all the duties of secretary of Porto Rico as now provided by law, except as otherwise specified in this Act, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Governor of Porto Rico. In the event of a vacancy in the office, or the absence, illness or temporary diqualification of such officer, the governor shall designate some officer or em ployee of the government to discharge the functions of said office during su vacancy, absence, illness, or temporary disqualification.

SEC. 23. That the Governor of Porto Rico, within sixty days after the end of each session of the legislature, shall transmit to the executive depart ment of the Government of the United States, to be designated as bereit provided for, which shall in turn transmit the same to the Congress of the United States, copies of all laws enacted during the session.

SEC. 24. That the President may from time to time designate the ben of an executive department of Porto Rico to act as governor in the case of vacancy, the temporary removal, resignation, or disability of the governor. or his temporary absence, and the head of the department thus designated shai

exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of the governor during such vacancy, disability, or absence.

LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.

SEC. 25. That all local legislative powers in Porto Rico, except as herein otherwise provided, shall be vested in a legislature which shall consist of two houses, one the senate and the other the house of representatives, and the two houses shall be designated "the Legislature of Porto Rico."

SEC. 26. That the Senate of Porto Rico shall consist of nineteen members elected for terms of four years by the qualified electors of Porto Rico. Each of the seven senatorial districts defined as hereinafter provided shall have the right to elect two senators, and in addition thereto there shall be elected tive senators at large. No person shall be a member of the Senate of Porto

Rico who is not over thirty years of age, and who is not able to read and write either the Spanish or English language, and who has not been a resident of Porto Rico for at least two consecutive years, and, except in the case of senators at large, an actual resident of the senatorial district from which chosen for a period of at least one year prior to his election. Except as herein otherwise provided, the Senate of Porto Rico shall exercise all of the purely legislative powers and functions heretofore exercised by the Executive Council, including confirmation of appointments; but appointments made while the senate is not in session shall be effective either until disapproval or until the next adjournment of the senate for the session. In electing the five senators at large each elector shall be permitted to vote for but one candidate, and the five candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected.

SEC. 27. That the House of Representatives of Porto Rico shall consist of thirty-nine members elected quadrennially by the qualified electors of Porto Rico, as hereinafter provided. Each of the representative districts hereinafter provided for shall have the right to elect one representative, and in addition thereto there shall be elected four representatives at large. No person shall be a member of the house of representatives who is not over twenty-five years of age, and who is not able to read and write either the Spanish or English language, except in the case of representative at large, who has not been a bona fide resident of the district from which elected for at least one year prior to his election. In electing the four representatives at large, each elector shall be permitted to vote for but one candidate and the four candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected.

SEC. 28. That for the purpose of elections hereafter to the legislature the island of Porto Rico shall be divided into thirty-five representative districts, composed of contiguous and compact territory and established, so far as practicable, upon the basis of equal population. The division into and the demarcation of such districts shall be made by the Executive Council of Porto Rico. Division of districts shall be made as nearly as practicable to conform to the topographical nature of the land, with regard to roads and other means of communication and to natural barriers. Said Executive Council shall also divide the island of Porto Rico into seven senatorial districts, each composed of five contiguous and compact representative districts. They shall make their report within thirty days after the approval of this act, which report, when approved by the governor, shall be final.

SEC. 29. That the next election of Porto Rico shall be held in the year nineteen hundred and seventeen upon the sixteenth day of July. At such election there shall be chosen senators, representatives, a Resident Commissioner to the United States, and two public-service commissioners, as herein provided. Thereafter the elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, beginning with the year nineteen hundred and twenty, and every four years thereafter, and the terms of office of all municipal officials who have heretofore been elected and whose terms would otherwise expire at the beginning of the year nineteen hundred and nineteen are hereby extended until the officials who may be elected to fill such offices in nineteen hundred and twenty shall have been duly qualified: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall be

construed to limit the right of the Legislature of Porto Rico at any time to revise the boundaries of senatorial and representative districts and of any municipality, or to abolish any municipality and the officers provided therefor. SEC. 30. That the term of office of senators and representatives chosen by the first general election shall be until January first, nineteen hundred and twenty-one, and the terms of office of senators and representatives chosen at subsequent elections shall be four years from the second January following their election. In case of vacancy among the members of the senate or in the house of representatives, special elections may be held in the districts wherein such vacancy occurred, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, but senators or representatives elected in such cases shall hold office only for the unexpired portion of the term wherein the vacancy occurred, and no senator or representative shall, during the time for which he shall have been elected. be appointed to any civil office under the government of Porto Rico, nor be appointed to any office created by act of the legislature during the time for which he shall have been elected until two years after his term of office shall have expired.

SEC. 31. That members of the Senate and House of Representatives of Porto Rico shall receive compensation at the rate of $7 per day for the firs ninety days of each regular session and $1 per day for each additional day of such session while in session, and mileage for each session at the rate of 1o cents per kilometer for each kilometer actually and necessarily traveled in going from their legislative districts to the capital and therefrom to their place of residence in their districts by the usual routes of travel.

SEC. 32. That the senate and house of representatives, respectively, shal be the sole judges of the elections, returns, and qualifications of their members and they shall have and exercise all the powers with respect to the conduct of their proceedings that usually pertain to parliamentary legislative bodies. Both houses shall convene at the capital on the second Monday in February following the next election, and organize by the election of a speaker or a presiding officer. a clerk, and a sergeant at arms for each house, and such other officers and assist ants as may be required.

SEC. 33. That the first regular session of the Legislature of Porto Rico, provided for by this act, shall convene on the twenty-eighth day after the first elec tion provided for herein, and regular sessions of the legislature shall be held biennially thereafter, convening on the second Monday in February of the year nine teen hundred and nineteen, and on the second Monday in February of each second year thereafter. The governor may call special sessions of the legislature or of the senate at any time when in his opinion the public interest may require it, but no special session shall continue longer than ten days, not including Sundays and holidays, and no legislation shall be considered at such session other than that specified in the call, and he shall call the senate în specia: session at least once each year on the second Monday in February of these years in which a regular session of the legislature is not provided for.

SEC. 34. That the enacting clause of the laws shall be as to acts, "Be it enacted by the Legislature of Porto Rico," and as to joint resolutions, "Be it resolved by the Legislature of Porto Rico." Except as hereinafter provided. bills and joint resolutions may originate in either house. The governor shal submit at the opening of each regular session of the legislature a budget of receipts and expenditures, which shall be the basis of the ensuing biennia appropriation bill. No bill shall become a law until it be passed in each hous by a majority yea and nay vote of all of the members belonging to such hous and entered upon the journal and be approved by the governor within te days thereafter. If when a bill that has been passed is presented to the gov ernor for his signature he approves the same, he shall sign it; or if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which house shall enter his objections at large on its journal and proceed to reconsider it. If. after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the members of that house shall agree to pass the same it shall be sent, together with the objections to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the members of that house it shall be sent to the gor

ernor, who, in case he shall then not approve, shall transmit the same to the President of the United States. The vote of each house shall be by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against shall be entered on the journal. If the President of the United States approve the same he shall sign it, and it shall become a law. If he shall not approve same he shall return it to the governor so stating, and it shall not become a law: Provided. That the President of the United States shall approve or disapprove an act submitted to him under the provisions of this section within ninety days from and after its submission for his approval; and if not approved within such time it shall become a law the same as if it had been specifically approved. If any bill presented to the governor contains several items of appropriation of money, he may object to one or more of such items, or any part or parts, portion or portions thereof, while approving of the other portion of the bill. In such case he shall append to the bill, at the time of signing it, a statement of the items, parts or portions thereof to which he objects, and the appropriation so objected to shall not take effect. If any bill shall not be returned by the governor within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, it shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the legislature by adjournment prevents its return, in which case it shall be a law if signed by the governor within thirty days after receipt by him; otherwise it shall not be a law. All laws enacted by the Legislature of Porto Rico shall be reported to the Congress of the United States, as provided in section twentythree of this act, which hereby reserves the power and authority to annul the same. If at the termination of any fiscal year the appropriations necessary for the support of the government for the ensuing fiscal year shall not have been made. the several sums appropriated in the last appropriation bills for the objects and purposes therein specified, so far as the same may be applicable, shall be deemed to be reappropriated item by item; and until the legislature shall act in such behalf the treasurer may, with the advice of the governor, make the payments necessary for the purposes aforesaid.

Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and may, in its discretion, from time to time publish the same, and the yeas and nays on any question shall, on the demand of one-fifth of the members present, be entered on the journal.

The sessions of each house and of the committees of the whole shall be open.

Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting.

No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so altered or amended on its passage through either house as to change its original purpose.

No act of the legislature except the general appropriation bills for the expenses of the government shall take effect until ninety days after its passage, unless in case of emergency (which shall be expressed in the preamble or body of the act) the legislature shall by vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house otherwise direct. No bill, except the general appropriation bill for the expenses of the government only, introduced in either house of the legislature after the first forty days of the session, shall become a law.

No bill shall be considered or become a law unless referred to a committee, returned therefrom, and printed for the use of the members: Provided, That either house may by a majority vote discharge a committee from the consideration of a measure and bring it before the body for consideration.

No bill, except general appropriation bills, shall be passed containing more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title; but if any subject shall be embraced in any act which shall not be expressed in the title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be so expressed.

No law shall be revived, or amended, or the provisions thereof extended