MANILA, ma-rll'a or ma-ne'la, the tal of the Philippine Islands, the principal City of Luzon as well as of the archipelago. situated in lat. 14° 35' 31" N. by long. 120° 58' 8" E, lies on both sides of the Pasig River, and has a frontage of four miles on the bay of Manila. The corporate jurisdiction for police pur poses extends three miles from the shore over Manila Bay, making the total area un der the police futisdietion of the city 32 square miles or 20 square miles on land, and 12 on the bay. The name of the city is a corrupt form of a Tagalog word, originally written "Maynila,° and means a species of shrub or brush which formerly grew on the site of the city. It is now applied not merely to ,he town within the walls, but to the whole region and the inhabitants included within the corporate limits. The most important divisions of the city are the walled town, particularly known as Manila, on the left bank of the river and Binondo on the right bank. Other districts, formerly more independ ent than at present, have retained their names and some degree of individuality. Immediately south of the walled town lies Ermita; farther on along the shore is Malate; and inland directly east of these lie Paco, Pandacan and Santa Ana. The most northern district on the shore of the bay is Tondo, and between this district and the lower part and mouth of the river lies San Nicolas. The other districts north of the Pasig are Quiapo, San Miguel, Sampaloc, Santa Cruz and Trozo.
The walled town was occupied chiefly by the members of the Spanish colony. Its streets are straight and run at right angles with one another, dividing the area within the wall into 54 blocks. The buildings have usually two stories, and are built like the houses of Spanish cities. It contains the cathedral, the principal religious houses and churches of the ecclesiasti cal orders, various schools, the University of Saint Thomas, the hospital of San Juan de Dios, the mint and the new city hall. This building was started by the Cosmopolitan Hospital As sociation in 1901 but owing to lack of funds re mained uncompleted and was purchased and completed by the city authorities. The cathe dral is an imposing building.
The north wall of tl_e town extends along the bank of the Pasig. Around the outside of the rest of the wall runs a moat receiving water from the river just east of the town and empty ing into the river just west of it. Until 1852 the drawbridges across the moat at the several gates were raised every evening at 11 o'clock, and lowered in the morning at 4. Since then it has not been customary to close the gates.
Only a few of the streets of Manila, of which there are about 80 miles, are paved. The rest are macadamized. European and American re tail shops occupy the Escolta, in Binondo. The street called Rosario is almost entirely given up to Chinese shops. The wholesale houses and the banks occupy the district north of the Pasig and west of the Bridge of Spain.
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi established Spanish authority at Manila in 1571, by a treaty with Lacandola, Rajah of Mavnila, which was con firmed by the compact of blood made between the contracting parties. On 3 Tune 1571, he conferred upon Manila the title of "distin guished and ever loyal city.° This title was subsequently confirmed by royal decree. He also gave the city a municipal organization, by appointing two alcaldes, one oguacil mayor and 12 regidores. He also appointed one notary for the cabildo, or corporation, and two notaries public for the court of the alcalcles. Later there were only eight regidores, but in addition a registrar and a constable. The alcaldes were justices, and were elected annually from the householders by the corporation. The regidores were aldermen and with the registrar and con stable held office permanently as a proprietary right. The permanent positions in the cabildo could' be bought and sold or inherited. This form of organization was maintained through out the Spanish period.
In 1578 the church and all the inhabitants of Manila were separated from the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Mexico, and the church was erected into a cathedral, but the new bishop was subject to the archbishop of Mexico. On account of the long time needed to communicate between Spain and the Philippines the king ordered the governor of the islands to fill va cancies in the cathedral whenever they might