JONES LAW

August 29, 1916

[Public, No. 240]

Group 4
Congressman William Atkinson Jones
was a member of the U.S. House of
Representatives from 1891 to 1918 from
the first district of the Commonwealth
of Virginia.
Formally known as the Philippine Autonomy Act

It asserted that Philippine independence would occur “as soon

as a stable government could be established,” but the United
States retained the power to determine whether such a
government existed.

It added a popularly elected Philippine Senate to the legislature

to replace the Philippine Commission, which formerly had been
appointed by the American president.
While the appointed governor general of the Philippines had veto power
over the legislature, the Jones Act made significant progress toward
Philippine self-government and extended the reforms instituted by the
current governor general, Francis Burton Harrison.
Some Filipino critics regarded the Law as defective, Maximo M. Kalaw
pointed out that it was “too elastic: the governor-general could be powerful
or as liberal as he wanted so that he and the Filipino leaders were hound to
clash if they differed in the interpretation of the Jones Law.” The Law
according to him, did not provide for an “undisputed and recognized official
position in the government for the political leaders of the people” and
therefore was conducive to conflict between the Filipino leaders. Moreover,
some skeptics noted the Law failed to provide the criteria for the vague and
ambiguous phrase “stable government”. Whatever its imperfections, it was
admitted that the Jones Law was the best legislation obtainable from the
United States Congress at the time.
Additional Information:
In 1909 Quezon was appointed resident commissioner for the Philippines,
entitled to speak, but not vote, in the U.S. House of Representatives; during
his years in Washington, D.C., he fought vigorously for a speedy grant of
independence by the United States. Quezon played a major role in
obtaining Congress’ passage in 1916 of the Jones Act, which pledged
independence for the Philippines without giving a specific date when it
would take effect. The act gave the Philippines greater autonomy and
provided for the creation of a bicameral national legislature modeled after
the U.S. Congress. Quezon resigned as commissioner and returned to
Manila to be elected to the newly formed Philippine Senate in 1916; he
subsequently served as its president until 1935. In 1922 he gained control of
the Nacionalista Party, which had previously been led by his rival Sergio
Osmeña.
 TITLE
AN ACT TO DECLARE THE PURPOSE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES AS TO THE
FUTURE POLITICAL STATUS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, AND TO
PROVIDE A MORE AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT FOR THOSE ISLANDS.
 PREAMBLE
Whereas it was never the intention of the people of United States in the incipiency of the war
with Spain to make it a war of conquest or for territorial aggrandizement; and
Whereas it is, as it has always been, the purpose of the people of the United States to
withdraw their sovereignty over Philippine Islands and to recognize their independence as
soon as a stable government can be established therein; and
Whereas for the speedy accomplishment of such purpose it is desirable to place in the hands
of the people of the Philippines as large a control of their domestic affairs as can be given
them without, in the meantime, impairing the exercise of the rights of sovereignty by the
people of the United States, in order that, by the use and exercise of popular franchise and
governmental powers, they may be the better prepared to fully assume the responsibilities
and enjoy all the privileges of complete independence: Therefore
 Section 1.―The Philippines
 Section 2.―Philippine Citizenship and Naturalization
 Section 3.―Bill of Rights
 Section 4.―Expenses of Government
 Section 5.―Inapplicability of American Statutes
 Section 6.―Continuance of Philippine Laws
 Section 7.―Legislative Power to Change Laws
 Section 8.―General Legislative Power
 Section 9.―Public Property and Legislation on Public Domain,Timber and Mining
 Section 10.―Laws onTariff, Immigration and Coinage
 Section 11.―Taxes and Public Debts
 Section 12.―The Philippine Legislature
 Section 13.―Election and Qualification of Senators
 Section 14.―Election and Qualifications of Representatives
 Section 15.―Qualifications of Voters
 Section 16.―Senate and Representative Districts, and Appointive Senators and
Representatives
 Section 17.―Tenure of Senators and Representatives
 Section 18.―Organization of the Legislature and Privileges of Members
 Section 19. ― Procedure for Law-Making
 Section 20.―The Resident Commissioners
 Section 21.―The Governor-General
 Section 22.―The Executive Departments and the Legislature
 Section 23.―The Vice-Governor
 Section 24.―The Insular Auditor
 Section 25.―Appeal from Auditor’s Decision
 Section 26.―The Judiciary
 Section 27.―Cases Appealable to the United States Supreme Court
 Section 28.―Franchises
 Section 29.―Salaries
 Section 30.―Salaries of Municipal and Provincial Officers
 Section 31.―Continuance of Laws
 Maximo M. Kalaw
was born at Lipa, Batangas Province, Philippine
Islands, in 1891. He attended the public schools of his
native town, and later came to Manila where he
entered the University of the Philippines.
Author of the book entitled “ Self-government in the
Philippines”
 The Jones Law of 1916 and Tydings-McDuffie Law of
1934
By: Agoncillo and Guerrero

Teodoro A. Agoncillo Milagros C. Guerrer0

• (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was one
of the pre-eminent Filipino historians of the
20th century. He and his contemporary Renato
Constantino were among the first Filipino
historians who earned renown for promoting a
distinctly nationalist point of view of Filipino
history (nationalist historiography). He was
also an essayist and a poet.

• History of the Filipino People (1960)

References:

https://www.worldhistory.biz/modern-history/83020-jones-act-1916.html
http://hanbadilles.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-jones-law-of-1916-and-tydings.html
http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-jones-law-of-1916/