Section 1. Collectors of
Customs at ports in the Philippine Archipelago are hereby authorized to
receive in payment of customs duties either United States money or such
coins now in circulation in the Philippine Islands as are prescribed by
section eight of the Tariff Revision Law of nineteen hundred and one,
enacted by the Congress of the United States March eighth, nineteen
hundred and two, in the form of accepted or certified checks drawn on
the banking institutions or corporations in this section named and
accepted or certified by the corresponding banking institution or
corporation in each case, or in the form of regular bank notes issued
by El Banco Español-Filipino in the city of Manila, or both. The
banking institutions or corporations to which this section shall apply
shall be as follows:
(1) Any banking institution or corporation doing
business in the Philippine Islands which is a depository of the United
States Government or of the Government of the Philippine Islands.
(2) El Banco Español-Filipino.
Sec. 2. Such accepted or certified checks or bank
notes as the case may be, of the above banking institutions or
corporations shall be received at the ports of entry in the Philippine
Archipelago for the payment of customs duties, and shall likewise be
received by the Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago in the deposits
of customs duties made with him by the collectors of customs in the
Philippine Archipelago; and the Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago
is hereby authorized and directed to give regular receipts for customs
duties deposited with him in the form of such accepted or certified
checks or bank notes in the same way as for customs duties deposited in
coin or currency, and such receipts shall relieve the depositing
officers above mentioned from any responsibility so far as the payment
of said checks or bank notes by the corresponding banking institutions
or corporations is concerned. And in case the corresponding banking
institution or corporation refuses to pay any one of its accepted or
certified checks or bank notes presented to it for collection or
deposit by the Government of the Philippine Islands through the
Treasurer of the Philippine Archipelago, or any other lawful agent,
said Treasurer or lawful agent shall be relieved of any responsibility
so far as the payment of said check or checks, or bank notes, by the
corresponding banking institution or corporation is concerned, and the
Government of the Philippine Islands shall have the right to proceed to
the recovery of the amount of said unpaid check or checks, bank note or
bank notes, from said defaulting banking institution or corporation
either from the bonds, guaranties, or deposit given as such Government
depositories, or by any other lawful means within its power, and the
person who made payment in such check or checks, bank note or notes,
shall be liable for the duties for which the same were received, and to
make immediate payment thereof. In case of payment by the original
person against whom the duties were assessed, he shall be entitled to
the return of the note or check as received.
Sec. 3. The Collector of Customs for the
Philippine Archipelago is further authorized and directed to
discontinue the receipt of payment of customs duties by collectors of
customs at other ports of accepted or certified checks or bank notes
drawn on or issued by the banking institutions or corporations
mentioned in section one of this Act, unless each of said banking
institutions or corporations hereinbefore mentioned shall cash or
receive for deposit, on presentation and demand by the Government of
the Philippine Islands, through its lawful agents, any check accepted
or certified by said banking institution or corporation at any place in
the Philippine Islands where it is at present established or has a
branch bank, or make good any bank note described in section one of
this Act without loss, discount, payment of commission or exchange of
any kind, or unnecessary delay.
Sec. 4. All existing decrees, laws, regulations,
or orders of the United States Philippine Commission or of the former
Military Government of the Philippine Archipelago, or parts thereof,
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed.
Sec. 5. 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 Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September
twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.
Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect on its passage.
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