[_Endorsed:_ "January 8, 637. Have him notified to observe the
ordinance of November 22, 636, so that he may avoid new expenses of
the treasury, and that no more salary be given than what is ordered."]
_Encomiendas_
Sire:
Your Majesty has ordered that when persons who have been given
encomiendas, and who have served in the islands, leave them, their
encomiendas fall vacant, in order that they may be given to the most
deserving who remain. Some persons have been able to negotiate and to
obtain from your Majesty the favor and grace of being able to enjoy
them for ten years, even though they live in Nueva Espana. Such are
the adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, whose services and those
of his father well deserve that honor and reward from your Majesty;
also Don Fernando de Silva, of the Order of Santiago, who, because of
the death of Don Alonso Faxardo, governed these islands with general
approbation, and has served your Majesty for many years in the States
of Flandes with the same approbation. Besides these, there are three
others to whom your Majesty has granted the same favor, namely: Don
Andres Perez Franco, who, although he has served for many years, and
well, in the States of Flandes and in these islands, as he occupied
good positions, took away from them one hundred thousand pesos,
which is sufficient pay and remuneration for a soldier; besides that,
the marquis of Cerralbo has given him a post in Nueva Espana in the
castle and government of Vera Cruz. There are two other encomenderos:
Don Fernando Centeno, who also took one hundred and fifty thousand
pesos from here, and who also has been occupied and busied in the best
posts of Nueva Espana by the same viceroy; and Esteban de Alcacar,
who took two hundred thousand pesos from here, to whom your Majesty
had granted, as a reward, the government of Terrenate, but which he
refused. As regards the services of Don Fernando Centeno, the soldiers
speak of him with but scant respect. He was condemned to lose his head,
for having refused to fight under Don Geronimo de Silva, on an occasion
when they let the Dutch enemy escape, although the Spaniards could have
punished their boldness; and also on other occasions, it is said that
they did not proceed as honorable soldiers. I cannot attest to your
Majesty what I have not seen, but the above is his reputation here. But
granting that, and that one is occupied and the other does not admit
of so honorable a post, it renders those who have served well, and are
here at present, very disconsolate to see the former rewarded and very
rich, and the latter poor and with no reward. And determining to inform
your Majesty of all these reasons, and obeying the general decree by
which no one may enjoy an encomienda if he leave these islands, and
another special decree issued very recently, in which your Majesty
is pleased to order some of the largest encomiendas to be assigned
to the royal treasury, in order to give the religious the wine and
oil which you have been pleased to grant them as a favor, so that
it may not be necessary to take it from your royal treasury as has
been done hitherto--I gave orders to the royal officials to place the
proceeds of the three said encomiendas in the royal treasury, until,
after your Majesty were informed of all the reasons which I present
from here, you might order what is most advisable and is your pleasure.
I petition your Majesty to be pleased to order that these consequences
be not allowed; for with them, all those who should have ordinary
favor with the viceroys of Nueva Espana, will take measures to obtain
rewards there, seeking to enjoy at the same time those grants which
they have here also in encomiendas, and will solicit that favor
from your Majesty through third persons. This is to the injury and
disappointment of those who remain here, as I say above; and others
will not be encouraged to come here, when they see beforehand the great
troubles that they will undergo before they can merit and obtain some
[reward] for living in so uncertain a country.
Some of the encomiendas here are very large, having incomes of from
one to four thousand pesos. If your Majesty be pleased to give me
permission, so that they may be reduced to five hundred pesos, by
dividing these among those who best deserve them, and are poorest, all
will be rewarded and paid; and there will be much to give, and also
to place in your Majesty's royal treasury. The services [rendered]
in these regions, Sire, are not so arduous that this should not be a
good and sufficient reward, although those who are from Flandes know
better how to exaggerate them. I shall await your Majesty's order,
for I have not learned in so many years aught else than to obey. May
our Lord preserve your Majesty's Catholic person, as is necessary to
Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Your vassal kisses your
Majesty's feet.