DU 714 A 1 45 To the PRESIDENT: UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C., January 6, 1931. I have the honor to inclose herewith, for transmission to the Congress of the United States, the official report of the American Samoan Commission, appointed in pursuance of the joint resolution of Congress approved February 20, 1929, being Public Resolution No. 89 of the Seventieth Congress, and of the joint resolution of Congress approved May 22, 1929, being Public Resolution No. 3 of the Seventieth Congress, together with an appendix containing a copy of a bill, the passage of which is respectfully recommended, and a copy of the Civil and Penal Laws of American Samoa annotated in conformity with the recommendations of the commission, the testimony of persons appearing before the commission, and letters, reports, and other pertinent papers gathered by the commission in its study. Respectfully submitted. HIRAM BINGHAM, Chairman. III THE AMERICAN SAMOAN COMMISSION REPORT The commissioners appointed and commissioned by the President in pursuance of Public Resolution No. 89 of the Seventieth Congress entitled "Joint resolution to provide for accepting, ratifying, and confirming the cessions of certain islands of the Samoan group to the United States, and for other purposes," approved February 20, 1929, as follows: [PUBLIC RESOLUTION-NO. 89-70TH CONGRESS] [S. J. Res. 110] JOINT RESOLUTION To provide for accepting, ratifying, and confirming the cessions of certain islands of the Samoan group to the United States, and for other purposes Whereas certain chiefs of the islands of Tutuila and Manua and certain other islands of the Samoan group lying between the thirteenth and fifteenth degrees of latitude south of the Equator and between the one hundred and sixty-seventh and one hundred and seventy-first degrees of longitude west of Greenwich, herein referred to as the islands of eastern Samoa, having in due form agreed to cede absolutely and without reserve to the United States of America all rights of sovereignty of whatsoever kind in and over these islands of the Samoan group by their acts dated April 10, 1900, and July 16, 1904: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) said cessions are accepted, ratified, and confirmed, as of April 10, 1900, and July 16, 1904, respectively. (b) The existing laws of the United States relative to public lands shall not apply to such lands in the said islands of eastern Samoa; but the Congress of the United States shall enact special laws for their management and disposition: Provided, That all revenue from or proceeds of the same, except as regards such part thereof as may be used or occupied for the civil, military, or naval purposes of the United States or may be assigned for the use of the local government, shall be used solely for the benefit of the inhabitants of said islands of eastern Samoa for educational and other public purposes. (c) Until Congress shall provide for the government of such islands, all civil, judicial, and military powers shall be vested in such person or persons and shall be exercised in such manner as the President of the United States shall direct; and the President shall have power to remove said officers and fill the vacancies so occasioned. (d) The President shall appoint six commissioners, two of whom shall be members of the Senate, two of whom shall be members of the House of Representatives, and two of whom shall be chiefs of the said islands of eastern Samoa, who shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, recommend to Congress such legislation concerning the islands of eastern Samoa as they shall deem necessary or proper. (e) The sum of $25,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended at the discretion of the President of the United States of America, for the purpose of carrying this joint resolution into effect. Approved, February 20, 1929. 1 |