Description of the Philippines [Part 1] (Part 2 of 2)

207 the several departments of government and is required when so requested to render his opinion in writing to the legislative body of the Islands, the Chief Executive, tlw Auditor of public accounts, the Insular Treasurer, the General Superintendent of Public Instruction, the trustee of any Government institution, and any provincial fiscal. The Supreme Court has a clerk who is its recording officer and interpreter and translator. He is a salaried officer and the fees collected by him are turned into the general Treasury. He is allowed such assistants as the needs of his office from time to time require. The sessions of the Supreme Court are held at Manila, but provision is also made, in the discretion of the court, for sessions at Iloilo and CeM. "While sitting in the city of Manila the sheriff of that city is the officer upon whom devolves the duty of serving its process, and he has the power to appoint as many deputies as he may deem expedient. In Manila the sheriff and his deputies are salaried officers, all fees collected being turned into the Treasury. In the provinces the officer acting as sheriff and his deputies are paid by fees only. When the c-ourt is sitting elsewhere than in Manila the governor of the province in which the court is for the time being in session becomes the officer who serves its process, and a governor when so acting is entitled to designate his necessary deputies. To each Court of First Instance is assigned a provincial fiscal who is charged with the duty of representing the provincial and insular governments in the court of his province in all actions of prosecutions to which such governments may become a party. Each court is allowed a clerk with such assistants as may be fixed by the Supreme Court. The governors of the respective provinces, and for Manila the sheriff thereof, are the officers required to serve the process of the Courts of First Instance. Justices of the peace receive no fixed compensation. They may act as their own clerks, but if the volume of their business and their fees justify they are allowed to engage a clerk or amanuensis. Their process may be served by the officers or their deputies, who are required to serve the process of the Supreme Court and Courts of First Instance, or by any bailiff appointed by the justice for that purpose or by any policeman of the municipality. Chapter II of an act of the Philippine Commission entitled "An act providing a code of procedure in civil actions and special proceedings in the Philippine Islands," regulates the admission 路of applicants to the bar and defines the duties of attorneys. Any resident of the Philippine Islands, not a subject or citizen of any foreign Government, of the age of 23, of good moral character, and who possesses the necessary qualifications of learning and ability, is entitled to admission as a member of the bar and as such eligible to practice in all the courts of the Islands. Examinations are held subject to the supervision of the Supreme Court. Persons W)lO have been admitted to practice before