Whereas certain moneys were subscribed and paid into the treasury of the Philippine Islands by the Queen of Spain and a great number of other subscribers throughout the Spanish dominions for the relief of those damaged by the earthquake which took place in the Philippine Islands on June third, eighteen hundred and sixty-three; and

Whereas a central relief board was appointed by royal order dated October sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, to distribute said fund; and

Whereas on the twenty-second day of September, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, said central relief board allotted a large portion of said fund to various sufferers named in a resolution of said board, of said date, and by order of the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands a list of said allotments together with names of those to whom the various amounts were allotted was published in the Gaceta de Manila dated April seventh, eighteen hundred and seventy; and

Whereas the amounts so allotted were not paid to the persons to whom they were allotted by said central relief board; and

Whereas in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-three, the Spanish Government of the Philippine Islands deposited in the Monte de Piedad of Manila and the latter received the sum of eighty thousand pesos gold belonging to said subscription; and

Whereas said central relief board is not in existence and can not carry out the duties for which it was organized; and

Whereas said sum of eighty thousand pesos gold is still in the possession and keeping of said Monte de Piedad and was not paid either to the Spanish Government of the Islands or to its successors, or to the beneficiaries of said funds or any of them; and

Whereas certain of the persons and the heirs of others to whom said allotments were made now petition the Government of the Philippine Islands for the payment of the allotments made by said central relief board, which are still unpaid; therefore

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

SECTION 1. The Treasurer of the Philippine Islands is hereby empowered  and  directed to bring  suit  to  recover,  through  the Attorney-General and in representation of the Government of the  Philippine Islands, all funds, together with interest thereon, derived  from the subscription opened as a result of the earthquake of June third, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, deposited by the Spanish Government in the Monte de Piedad of Manila, or received in any other way relating in any manner to said subscription by said Monte de Piedad and, at the proper time, to receive and receipt for said funds.

SEC. 2. All money which may be recovered or received by the Insular Treasurer in accordance with the provisions of this Act shall be kept by him as a special fund for the benefit of those persons damaged for whose benefit they were allotted or of the heirs of such persons in accordance with the allotment made by the central relief board appointed at the time and published in the Gaceta de Manila on the seventh day of April, eighteen hundred and seventy, who have not yet received the portions allotted them, and said undistributed funds shall be paid by the Insular Treasurer to said persons or their heirs, executors, administrators, or legal representatives pro rata.

Enacted, January 30, 1912.