By authority of the President of the United States, be it enacted by the United States Philippine Commission, that:

SECTION 1. Section five of Act Numbered One hundred and forty, entitled "An Act defining the judicial districts of the Philippine Islands, prescribing the salaries of the judges thereof, and the times when and the places where terms of Court of First Instance shall be held in the several districts," is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following words:

"Any action, civil or criminal, now or hereafter pending in any province where two or more places are fixed by law for holding sessions of the Court of First Instance within the province may be heard and tried at either place provided by law for holding regular terms of court: within the province, whenever the judge of the district within which the province is situated shall, because the public good, in his judgment, so requires, so order; but this provision shall not authorize a judge to discontinue the regular terms at places provided by law, nor to make such transfer of the place of trial of any particular action or proceeding except in special instances when the public good in his judgment so requires."

SEC. 2. 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 Commision in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted. May 16, 1902.