The King: To Don Pedro de Acuña, my governor and captain-general of
the Filipinas Islands, and president of my royal Audiencia there. Your
letter of the fifteenth of July of 604, which is in reply to and in
satisfaction of some points in another of mine dated the sixteenth of
February of 602, has been received and considered in my royal Council
of the Indias. I am glad to see the care with which you say that you
are trying to avoid all the expenses that are possible to my royal
exchequer; and, since all your care is necessary on account of the
present and future occasions for necessary expense in those islands,
I charge you to keep before you what I entrust to you.
I was also pleased to hear of the importance of the voyage of Francisco
Rodriguez de Avila and his men to the island of Camar, in order to
pacify the natives for the harm which they received from the people of
Mindanao, and to defend them if they should come again; and the care
which you took in this matter and in all the rest which you advised
concerning this uprising in Mindanao. I thank you, and charge you that,
on occasions which may arise in the future, you do the same.
You say that you have consulted with the Audiencia there, and with
the archbishop and the religious, to see if it is proper that the
Indians pay their tributes, or part of them, in kind; and that you
would try to have them reach a decision, in order that you may inform
me of it on the earliest occasion. I charge you to do so, fulfilling
what I have commanded you in regard to this matter.
You have done well, during your administration, in not paying false
musters, as you informed me; and in not allowing gratuities or salaries
to be paid to the captains, ensigns and other war officers who were
appointed by Don Francisco Tello, your predecessor, for the people
of the villages.
I have seen what you say concerning the lading and despatching of
vessels for Nueva España and the care which you take that in this
matter, and in the allotment of the amount allowed [by law] there
should be the equity, accurate account, and method which is proper;
and although I am satisfied with this, nevertheless I have thought
it well to charge you, as I do charge you now, that you should use
the greatest care in this matter, informing me of all that occurs;
and I am grateful for the matters which are in your care.
You have done well in ordering my royal officials not to give wine
at the expense of my royal exchequer for celebrating mass in the
encomiendas of private persons, but rather to oblige the encomenderos
themselves to provide it; and you will try to have them do so, since
it is just that this should be at their expense and to their account.
You say that you did not find sufficient evidence that there were
illegal methods in the election of the twelve regidors that are in
that city, and that you feared that, if you investigated the matter,
there would have arisen uneasiness which might have been followed by
trouble, and so you resolved to let it be; and also because, as they
are being vacated, the four offices can be done away with which are
in excess of the number which I have ordered that there should be. As
it has appeared that this was a good decision, I have chosen to refer
to you what concerns this particular case, in order that you may do
what seems best to you--provided, as I have said, that you observe
and fulfil what I have commanded, whenever occasion arises.
Regarding what you said, that it did not seem best to you that an
auditor should go to visit the country, for the reasons and causes
which you mentioned, you will try to see that what has been provided
for in regard to this be followed and executed.
I have seen the trouble which has been caused you in carrying out
the order that no more money should be taken to those islands than
that which is allowed, although you promptly executed the order;
and all that you say in regard to its being better not to press this
matter very much for the present, not only for the population of this
land, which is of so much importance, but also for the increase of
trade. Nevertheless it has seemed best to me to command you to follow
what I have ordered, without deviating from it in any way.
I have seen what you say regarding the business of the three royal
officials of those islands, and that the office of treasurer cannot
be dispensed with because it is so necessary on this account; all
that you have told me in this regard is satisfactory to me, and I
am informed in regard to it. You will inform me (if, as you say,
you have not done so), of anything that you may observe in regard to
the persons whom my aforesaid royal officials are stationing in the
warehouses, according to what I have commanded you.
I have been pleased to hear of the improvement in the orders regarding
the good treatment of the natives, and the very great care which you
exercise in looking after them, and in seeing that they be relieved
from all hardships which can be avoided; and I command you to continue
to do so. I charge you also not to relax in the efforts which you say
that you are making that the work on the great church may be urged on;
and that you gather materials and begin to rebuild the hospital for
the Spaniards, which was burned in the fire in the year 1603--although
difficulties will not fail to arise therein, in accordance with the
poverty which you say exists in that country.
I thank you for the care which you have taken of the seminary of
Santa Potenciana, and that its inmates should live in due seclusion;
and I have been pleased to hear that you should make efforts to have
me send orders to the viceroy of Nueva España to send some religious
women thither for the improvement of the seminary.
It will be well if you have my royal arms placed on the houses of
the cabildo of that city, as you say that you will do. Ventosilla,
November 4, 1606.
_I The King_
By order of the king our sovereign:
_Juan de Ziviza_