In 1734 the college was granted the right to teach canonical and
Roman law, the same as the university of Santo Tomás, although it
seems that no decrees were given in those branches. [45]
Father Francisco Mendez, S.J., in a document of August 15, 1742,
enumerates the fellowships in the college of San José, in addition to
the eight of the foundation, as follows: one given by Captain Gonzalo
Araujo, alguacil-mayor of Manila, to be enjoyed by a Galician or the
descendant of Galicians; one by Benito Lopez, for an European; two by
Captain Diego Gonzales de los Arcos, one of them being for Estremadura
and the other for creoles and virtuous persons--the appointment of
the latter belonging to the Santa Misericordia, which afterward became
the object of a suit between the Jesuits and the Santa Misericordia,
and finally settled by Archbishop Camacho; one by several benefactors
for a pure-blooded and virtuous Spaniard. All the capital or endowment
of these fellowships was incorporated in the property of the college,
except the one appointed by the Santa Misericordia. There were also
two other fellowships founded in 1717 (although only made effective
in 1720), by Domingo de Valencia, bishop-elect of Nueva Cáceres,
who endowed them with some shops which he owned in the Parián; they
were intended for Spanish creoles born in Manila. Besides the above
there were nineteen other fellowships which were known as fellowships
of grace, "because there is no legal obligation to maintain them,
and it was a grace or favor of our Society to institute them, to
facilitate the good education of youth." [46]
In his royal decree of April 2, 1767, Carlos III declared: "I have
resolved to order the expulsion from all my domains of España and the
Indias and the Filipinas Islands, of the regulars of the Society,
both priests and coadjutors, or lay-brethren, who have taken the
first vows, and the novices who desire to follow their example, and
that all the temporal possessions of the Society in my domains be
seized." [47] A decree couched in like terms was received in Manila,
May 21, 1768. Governor José Raon affected to obey the decree and
appointed commissioners to carry it into effect, but he imparted
the mandates of the decree, which was secret, to the Jesuits. [48]
In consequence heavy charges were afterward brought against him.
The college of San José and its estates were seized and confiscated
to the crown. [49] The college buildings were converted into
barracks. Against this confiscation, the archbishop protested, and
petitioned the governor-general that, pending the king's action on
the protest, the college be turned over to him. The petition being
granted, the archbishop took possession of the college, and converted
it into a seminary for the education and instruction of the native
clergy. [50] He ordered the former collegiates to leave, and placed
the new seminary in charge of the Piarist fathers [padres escolapios]
[51] The Audiencia of Manila protested against this action of the
archbishop. [52] The royal answer to their letter is as follows:
"The King. President and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the
Philipinas Islands, which is established in the city of Manila: In
a letter dated July twelve, of the year one thousand seven hundred
and sixty-nine, you informed me, with testimony, that having noted
that the four Piarist religious whom the present right reverend
archbishop of that metropolitan church took in his company, did not
present the licenses which they carried in order that they might go to
those islands, and that they were entering various posts outside the
assistancy in the said archbishop's house; and in consideration of the
fact that they had no other house in those islands, and that there was
no distinction among them which could prove that they had a prelate:
you deemed it advisable to proceed to the observation of the laws
in such cases. You petitioned, by means of political and judicial
measures, that the purpose of those religious be investigated,
and the amphibological replies of the above-mentioned archbishop
could not quiet your anxiety, but the rather increased it, so that
you proceeded to the remonstrances which you made to the governor,
in regard to his having delivered the royal college of San Joséph,
which was under the charge of the expelled regulars of the Society,
to Father Martin de San Antonio, abbot of the Piarist fathers, and
the reported rector of the seminary of the archbishop, so that those
who intended to become ordained might live therein, and be instructed
in ethics, also under the direction of the said Father Martin. You
declared that from your remonstrances to the above-mentioned governor,
could be recognized the wrongs which resulted from that measure,
which was quite contrary to what was ordered in the instructions
for the banishment of the above-mentioned regulars of the Society,
and contrary to the right which those then living in the college had
legally acquired of maintaining themselves therein, as well as those
who should succeed them in the future, without it being possible to
make a pretext of any innovation because of the lack of teachers. For
there would be no lack of seculars to substitute for the present, and
in time, persons worthy to maintain this praiseworthy foundation could
be trained. Finally, not having any information regarding the reasons
that moved the governor to this (apparently) strange resolution, you
were unable to conform to it or pass it by without taking any notice of
it, and alone having observed your first obligation, namely, to report
to me what you were discussing as advisable to my royal service and
the welfare of my vassals, you represented what had occurred, so that
after having examined the matter, I might deign to determine what is
most fitting to my royal pleasure. The abovesaid was examined in my
Council of the Indias, together with what was reported by Don Pedro
Calderon Enriquez, togated lawyer of the said my Council, regarding
it, of the antecedents of the matter, and of what was reported at the
same time in regard to it, with their respective testimonies, by the
former governor and captain-general of those islands, Don Joseph Raon,
and the above-mentioned archbishop, in letters from March twelve to
July twenty-nine of the above-cited year one thousand seven hundred
and sixty-nine, my fiscal made his statement; and consulted with me in
regard to it on September thirteen of last year, with consideration of
the indiscretion with which the above-mentioned governor, Don Joseph
Raon, transgressed by placing the royal college of San Joséph of that
city under the direction of Father Martín de San Antonio, the abbot of
the Piarists, thus rendering it necessary for those who obtained their
becas to leave the college, and abandon them, and the manner in which
you opposed the previously-noted spoliation, as a matter contrary to
my royal intentions and the product of most grave wrongs and pernicious
consequences, as is shown in the fact that the above-mentioned college
was founded for the purpose of teaching therein grammar, philosophy,
and theology to the children of the principal Spanish persons and
subjects of that city. Twenty becas were created therein for a like
number of collegiates, and the teaching of the same and their direction
was given to the expelled regulars of the Society. The king, my father
deigned to receive it under his sovereign protection, May three, of
the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty-two, and decorate it
with the title of 'Royal ad honorem,' provided that it should have
no other patrons, and under the express condition that it never
should have such, or be able to cause any burden or embarrassment
to my royal exchequer. The above-mentioned order of the Society did
not have therein other right than the above-mentioned direction and
government. Consequently, since the royal decree of July nine, one
thousand six hundred and sixty-nine, which was inserted in the decree
of April five of the above-mentioned year one thousand seven hundred
and seventy, by which the collection of the measures in regard to the
seizure of the temporalities of the said expelled regulars was sent
to those my dominions of America, ordered that there be no innovation
in the colleges or secular houses whose direction and instruction
were entrusted to them, as is proved by section thirty of the first
decree, the collegiates of the college of San Joséph could not be
despoiled of their becas in order to expel them from the college,
nor could the Trent seminary be removed to the above-mentioned
house, without directly violating the orders of the above-mentioned
decrees. To the abovesaid is added that the above-mentioned four
Piarist religious went to those islands with no other purpose than to
act as attendants of the above-mentioned archbishop, whence is inferred
the just motive which you had in advising the said prelate to keep
them in his company; in expressing wonder that one of them should be
entrusted with the direction of the above-mentioned royal college of
San Joseph; in advising Governor Don Joseph Raon of the illegality
of the abovesaid act, and of the fatal results which were accessory
to that of the expulsion of those who had obtained their becas;
and in resolving that my royal mind be instructed in regard to the
abovesaid measures so that I might deign to take those measures which
should appear most desirable to me for their remedy. Consequently,
not only is there not found in your operations the slightest motive
that justifies the complaint which the above-mentioned archbishop
has brought forward in his said letter, but, on the contrary, it is
to be noted that you did no other thing in whatever you performed,
than to comply with the mandates of the laws. The said governor and
the above-mentioned prelate, not being able to ignore the fact of
the existence of the above-mentioned college, and of the solemnity
with which it had been founded, it became very worthy of attention
that in their reports they were silent in regard to this foundation,
both commendable and made by the above-mentioned king, my father,
and with his royal name, and transgressed in founding a new college
seminary with Indian collegiates, without authority or obligation to
do so. That is still more aggravated by the fact of the spoliation of
the Spanish collegiates of their possession of the said college of
San Joseph by erecting in it what they call a seminary for Indians,
since for these and the Sangley mestizos there is the above-mentioned
college of San Juan de Letran, and the conciliar seminary was already
founded. By such violent spoliation, not only were the collegiates
outraged, but also the inhabitants of that city exasperated, so
that with such acts of despotism they hate to live there, and the
islands are being depopulated of Spaniards, as is happening. Under
these circumstances and inasmuch as the above-mentioned college of
San Joseph has nothing in common with the expelled regulars, as the
latter had only the administration and direction of the college,
and this having ceased with their expulsion, the above-mentioned
governor ought to appoint a secular of good morals from those who
shall have been collegiates in the said college, as such will be
already instructed as to its government, as rector and administrator,
with obligation of rendering a yearly report. He must not allow the
archbishop to meddle with anything pertaining to the said college, as
it is under my royal protection, and, consequently, wholly independent
of the ecclesiastical ordinary, as are the other pious foundations
mentioned by the Council of Trent. The governor ought not to permit
the archbishop to meddle in anything concerning the seminary,
as there is also a royal foundation, namely, that of San Phelipe,
which appears to have been incorporated after the above-mentioned San
Joseph; and the good relations that the governor claims to have with
the archbishop can not serve to relieve the former of blame, for he
ought to have good relations with him within suitable limits, and not
with total abandonment of the rights which are entrusted to him. I
have resolved, by virtue of what is contrary to my royal intentions,
as is the above-mentioned spoliation and expulsion, not to pay any
heed to the complaint of the said prelate; to approve whatever you
have done in the particular under discussion; to order and command
the present governor and captain-general of those islands, and to
charge the said archbishop (as is done by despatches of this date)
that they shall in the future leave things in the condition and state
in which they existed before the above-mentioned innovations were
made, and that the collegiates must go to take their studies to the
university of Santo Tomás of that city; and to inform you thereof
(as I do) for your intelligence. Thus is my will. Given in El Pardo,
March twenty-one, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one.