Section 4
SEC. 4. Within thirty days after the passage hereof, the board herein constituted shall file its petition in the Supreme Court of the Islands, setting forth the appointment of the board under this Act, its powers and duties hereunder, its claim of right to the possession of the properties and estates of the College of San Jose for the purpose of discharging such duties, the fact that under a claim of right the property is held by the rector of the University of Santo Tomas, representing the ultimate control of the Roman Catholic Church, setting forth succinctly the history of the college and a statement of the facts upon which the right of the United States to provide for the administration of the college is asserted, and praying that the court shall enter a decree ousting the rector of the University of Santo Tomas or any other minister or representative of the Roman Catholic Church from possession of the properties and estates of said college, and placing the petitioners in possession thereof so as to enable them to discharge the duties imposed upon them by this Act. The petition shall make party defendant thereto, not only the rector of the University of Santo Tomas, but also the Archbishop of Manila or the Archbishop of New Orleans, Apostolic Delegate, who, in the absence of the Archbishop of Manila from the Philippine Islands, is the Episcopal Administrator of the archiepiscopal province and of the Bishopric of Manila, and shall require said Archbishop, as the representative of the Roman Catholic Church, to set up its claim of ownership and right to control the properties and estates of the College of San Jose. Upon the filing of the petition a summons shall issue in the usual form against the rector of the University of Santo Tomas and the Archbishop of Manila or the Episcopal Administrator thereof, accompanied by a certified copy of the petition. A return of the service of such summons and copy upon the parties defendants shall be made within fifteen days after the issuing of the summons by an officer duly authorized to make the service. Within thirty days after the day fixed for the return of service, the defendants shall file their several answers or a joint answer as they may elect, stating the facts upon which they deny the right and power of the United States to provide for the administration of said college and its estates and praying a dismissal of the petition at the costs of the petitioners. Within fifteen days after the filing of the answer or answers, the petitioners shall have the right to file a reply to any new facts set up in the answer. New averments of the reply shall be considered as denied by the defendants. The cause shall then he at issue and no further pleadings shall be filed. After the cause shall be at issue the petitioners shall have thirty days in which to take evidence in support of the averments of their petition; the defendants shall have forty-five days in which to take evidence to sustain their answer or answers and the petitioners fifteen days to take any necessary evidence in reply. The evidence shall be taken in a manner to be prescribed by the Supreme Court. Within seven clays after the cause shall be at issue, the parties shall appear before the Supreme Court and stipulate so far as possible what facts may be taken as agreed upon by all the parties in interest, so as to save the necessity for proof of the same by either party, and this stipulation shall be spread upon the records of the court. When the evidence shall have been submitted, the cause shall be given precedence in the Supreme Court and shall be beard at as early a date as possible: Provided, however, That for good cause shown the Supreme Court may, in its discretion, extend any of the periods hereinbefore fixed.