“ Domestic corporation law is equally inapplicable. Its terms are found in the Civil Code, title 2, chap. 1, and have reference solely to business or commercial corporations. No religious, eleemosynary, or charitable corporation can fall within its purview. Stock, stockholders, capital, surplus, officers, directors, the doing of business-are the basic elements of this statute.
The properties of the church in Cuba and the Philippines at the time of the ratification of the treaty were far more considerable than those in Porto Rico. ”

“ The legislative assembly of Porto Rico had the power to confer jurisdiction on the supreme court of the island of this special class of controversies. Such legislation was not contrary to the Constitution, and was in conformity with the power conferred by Congress upon the legislative assembly to regulate the jurisdiction of the courts. ”

“ In 1900, Governor Allen, in the first annual report, said:
'Out of the 953,243 inhabitants of Porto Rico, there are nearly 950,000 Catholics, and there is a Catholic church in every town and village, and, in the larger towns and cities, several; in the city of San Juan there are eight, including the cathedral. Nearly all these are well-built structures, occupying central locations, and are ornaments to the towns where situated. There are many parochial schools and other church institutions, belonging to the Catholics. ”

“ The mayor of any municipality within Porto Rico, wherein may be situated any property over which such questions exist, shall be authorized to accept service for the municipality of any citation, summons, or other process issued by said court in said proceedings. ”

“ And Milman also points out that in the barbarian codes most sweeping provisions are found, recognizing the right of the church to acquire property, and its inalienability when acquired. Church property everywhere remained untouched by the rude hands of invading barbarians. ”

“ Though, in default of territory, he is not a temporal sovereign, he is in many respects treated as such. He has the right of active and passive legation, and his envoys of the first class, his apostolic nuncios, are specially privileged. ”

“ The second is another building situated in the center of the Plaza de la Playa de Ponce; the superficial area whereof measures 42 meters and 20 centimeters long, by 19 meters and 40 centimeters wide; including the walk, the building measuring 18 meters and 30 centimeters long by 16 meters and 20 centimeters wide. ”