They were never delivered, and it is reasonable to suppose, espeeially as Basa, who was a man of importance and means, was a member of the group who desired annexation to the United States, that Aguinaldo took the letters along in order to avoid a rupture with him and then quietly suppressed them.

Obviously, however, he sent or gave a copy of the first one to Pratt, presumably without the written words: "Viva, for America with the Philippines!" And now comes a bit of evidence as to what occurred at Singapore which I consider incontrovertible.
Aguinaldo returned promptly to Hongkong and on May 4, 1898, a meeting of the junta was held.

The minutes of this meeting, [32] signed by each of the several Filipinos present, form a part of the Insurgent records which have come into the possession of the United States Government.

They state among other things that:-- "The temporary Secretary read the minutes of the preceding meeting, which were approved.

The temporary President reported that D.Emilio Aguinaldo had just arrived from Singapore and it became necessary for him to take possession of the office to which he has been elected." After the transaction of some further business Aguinaldo was summoned, appeared at the meeting, and was duly installed as President.