United States vs Juan Pons

on January 4, 2012

Political Law Journal Conclusiveness of the Journals Pons and Gabino Beliso were trading partners. On 5 Apr 1914, t e stea!er "ope# $ "ope# arrived at %anila &ro! Spain and it 'ontained (5 barrels o& wine. ) e said barrels o& wine were delivered to Beliso. Beliso subse*uentl$ delivered 5 barrels to Pons+ ouse. On t e

ot er and, t e 'usto!s aut orities noti'ed t at t e said (5 barrels listed as wine on re'ord were not delivered to an$ listed !er' ant ,Beliso not being one-. And so t e 'usto!s o&&i'ers 'ondu'ted an investigation t ereb$ dis'overing t at t e (5 barrels o& wine a'tuall$ 'ontained tins o& opiu!. Sin'e t e 't o& trading and dealing opiu! is against A't (./1, Pons and Beliso were ' arged &or illegall$ and &raudulentl$ i!porting and introdu'ing su' 'ontraband !aterial to t e P ilippines. Pons appealed t e senten'e arguing t at A't (./1 was not approved w ile t e P ilippine 0o!!ission ,0ongress- was not in session. 1e said t at is witnesses 'lai! t at t e said law was passed2approved on 31 %ar' 1914 w ile t e spe'ial session o& t e 0o!!ission was ad4ourned at 1(%5 on (/ 6eb 1914. Sin'e t is is t e 'ase, A't (./1 s ould be null and void. ISSUE: 7 et er or not t e S0 !ust go be$ond t e re'itals o& t e Journals to deter!ine i& A't (./1 was indeed !ade a as law on (/ 6eb 1914. HELD: ) e S0 loo8ed into t e Journals to as'ertain t e date o& ad4ourn!ent but t e S0 re&used to go be$ond t e re'itals in t e legislative Journals. ) e said Journals are 'on'lusive on t e 0ourt and to in*uire into t e vera'it$ o& t e 4ournals o& t e P ilippine "egislature, w en t e$ are, as t e S0 ave said, 'lear and e9pli'it, would be to violate bot t e letter

and t e spirit o& t e organi' laws b$ w i'

t e P ilippine Govern!ent was broug t into

e9isten'e, to invade a 'oordinate and independent depart!ent o& t e Govern!ent, and to inter&ere wit t e legiti!ate powers and &un'tions o& t e "egislature. Pons+ witnesses 'annot be given due weig t against t e 'on'lusiveness o& t e Journals w i' is an a't o& t e

legislature. ) e 4ournals sa$ t at t e "egislature ad4ourned at 1( !idnig t on 6ebruar$ (/, 1914. ) is settles t e *uestion, and t e 'ourt did not err in de'lining to go be ind t ese 4ournals. ) e S0 passed upon t e 'on'lusiveness o& t e enrolled bill in t is parti'ular 'ase.