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Show GAVEL WIELDED BY TAFT. The Philippine Assembly Formally Opened and Ready for Business. Manlln. Secretary Taft formally opened tho Ph'ilippltie assembly In tho National theatre at 11:15 Wednesday moinlng, hi tho presence of a large crowd of peoplo. In his opening address ad-dress Mr. Taft declared that his views announced two yenrs ago regarding the Independence of tho Phlllpplno people wero unchanged. Ho did not bollovo thnt they would bq fitted to govern themselves for nt least a generation, gen-eration, but he added that tho matter was entirely In the hands of congress. Tho secretary denied emphatically that tho United Stntes had any Intention Inten-tion of disposing ot tho Islands; said be had absolute confidence In the Filipinos, Fili-pinos, denied thnt ho was disappointed disappoint-ed at their Inability to leglslato conservatively, con-servatively, and nBserted his belief that thoy felt their responsibility and acknowledged tho necessity of supporting sup-porting tho American government. Mr. Taft refrained from suggestions regnrdlng specific legislation by tho assembly, but recommended that attention at-tention bo paid to tho civil service. |