_Administrative and financial_
Sire:
Your Majesty has conceded to your viceroys of Nueva Espana authority,
in the case of deaths and vacancies in this government, to send
commissions to those who are to have charge of military matters;
and until the arrival of the regularly-appointed governor you order
them to send another governor from Mexico. That has been done twice
by the marquis de Cerralbo--once with Don Fernando de Silva, of the
Habit of Santiago, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo; and
[the other time] with Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, because of the
death of Don Juan Nino de Tabora. Your Majesty is greatly disserved in
all of the things that I shall now mention. First, when the Audiencia
was governing the [royal] estate, your Majesty's royal treasury was
pledged to more than eighty or one hundred thousand pesos, which they
obtained by a forced loan from the inhabitants, by placing soldiers
of the guard in their houses, quartering these on them until they lent
this money; and the officials spent the money in paying warrants that
were ordered to be issued to please the soldiers and sailors. It has
been the custom to order those warrants to be despatched so that they
might be paid when there should be any money.
As for those poor men, they have not been paid in one, three, ten,
or fifteen years. They sell their warrants during such times for
the fourth, fifth, or sixth part of their face value; and many have
been paid at one hundred pesos for one thousand. The warrants are
bought by the servants of the auditors, royal officials, governors,
and other ministers, and to them is paid the face value. Thus the
poor soldiers are so unjustly dispossessed of [the rewards for] their
hardships; and on this account is your Majesty's royal treasury so
pledged. In the term of Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, more than one
hundred thousand odd pesos had been paid in this kind of warrants. Your
Majesty having issued a decree, in the time of Don Juan Nino de Tabora,
ordering such warrants to be paid at the third of their face value,
he began to do so one year with twelve thousand pesos, that he set
apart for that purpose. The said Don Juan Cerezo did not pursue the
custom, as he declared that the said Don Juan Nino had exceeded
the bounds in the execution of your Majesty's decree. Although
this charge was brought against him in the residencia, it was not
proved that he had actually paid that sum during his term. It is,
however, clear to me, outside of judgment, that his own secretary,
while he was judge and collector of the licenses of the Sangleys, who
should have deposited that money in your Majesty's royal treasury,
deposited a great sum of it in this kind of warrants; and so that
it might not be proved judicially, the owners went to receive the
money from the royal officials; and while they were there, and almost
before their eyes, the said secretary again took it. And perhaps it
happened that a soldier, having collected it, would say that he did
not wish to return it, whereupon the secretary would give ten pesos
for the transaction, and thus obtained his purpose. Although I was so
sure and convinced of this truth, nevertheless, as it was not proved
entirely in the residencia, I did not wish to render sentence on
this point, but instead to send it to your Majesty's royal Council;
for I confess, Sire, that if I had committed that outrage, as I have
investigated it, I would be of the opinion that your Majesty would
not be fulfilling your duty, as a just king, if you did not order
me to be beheaded. After my arrival at these islands, I immediately
set about executing your Majesty's decrees. I ordered, by an act,
that all those persons to whom your Majesty owed money should come
to ask the third of it, the other two-thirds being commuted, so that
they could ask it at no future time. All have done it and up to date
we have paid in warrants of this kind the amount that your Majesty,
if so inclined, can have examined from the enclosed certification, as
well as what we have saved from the two-thirds that have been commuted.
Returning, Sire, to the trouble that arises from having the persons
whom the viceroy sends from Mexico in your Majesty's name to govern _ad
interim_, there is no one who does not take back one or two hundred
thousand pesos, as agents for the said inhabitants of Mexico. That
is very much to the damage and prejudice of this city, for how can
the goods of the inhabitants here go, and how can they make any
profit on them, if the goods of those Mexicans, which are carried
under charge of the commander and almirante and the other officials
(the creatures of the governor), are to be sold first? And since
those governors only come for one or two years, they do not exercise
justice, correct disorder, preserve the authority and jurisdiction
of your Majesty, or undertake any other thing than living in peace;
being the protectors of all, and good merchants, in order to return
very rich; complaining loudly of the hardships that they experienced
in coming to serve your Majesty; boasting of the many risks to their
lives, and the many expenses paid from their own property; and giving
the ignorant crowd to understand that your Majesty is under great
obligations to them. All this, Sire, will cease, if your Majesty
will send six gentlemen of thoroughly good abilities, soldiers of
Flandes, to act as substitutes and who shall have commissions for
the future succession to the government, through the death or absence
[of the governor]. Such men can bring their commissions, sealed, from
your Majesty, and should not come from Mexico. They can be employed
here as follows: the first in the fort of this city; the second in
that of Cavite, and in the government of the said port; the third
in Terrenate; the fourth in the island of Hermosa; the fifth in the
office of master-of-camp; the sixth as commander of the artillery,
in the office of sargento-mayor, and as governor and chief justice
of the Parian, or alcalde-mayor of Tondo. Encomiendas could be given
to all of them, as these fall vacant, if they prove to render the
services and possess the qualities that are requisite; and they could
be changed about in these offices, whenever advisable, so that they
might become experienced in the [various] departments. Whenever one
of these should assume the government because of the death of the
regularly-appointed governor, such should receive the same pay as he;
and, if during his absence, that which he should be receiving. I bind
myself to provide for all of them, so that they may be contented. I
entreat your Majesty to make this resolution, for it is expedient
for your royal service. All who should come should be knights of
the military orders; so that both the vassals who have rendered
homage, and the heathen and other inhabitants, may learn respect and
veneration for the persons whom your Majesty assigns to succeed in
the government. Your Majesty has many vassals who are soldiers, of the
above excellences and qualifications, who would come very willingly if
they were given such positions and hopes. If that happens in my time,
they will be so well established that many who have served your Majesty
well would desire it. The extraordinary expenses incurred by the royal
Audiencia and the greed for the wealth of Mexico will be avoided;
and the greed of both must oblige them to be honest and to govern well.
When the residencia is taken from the governors they give it as if
they had been imitating Moses or Joshua in their government. For as
nearly all the citizens of these islands have come from Nueva Espana to
serve for reasons of justice; and as there are others who do not wish
that the present governor should note them as men who swear against
the past governor, as he would think that they will do the same with
him at his residencia; or so that the governor might not complain of
them as having evil tongues; to tell the truth here is a great sin. No
one is willing that the governor, when his residencia is taken, should
impute any fault to him, or obtain any testimony as to the reason why
he came here as an exile. Many other disadvantages arise, that cannot
be written. In short, Sire, most people swear falsely; and those who
do not, hide themselves, or retire in order not to testify. There are
theologians who counsel them that they may deny the truth under oath,
in order not to do wrong. This condition ought to be closely examined,
and would be remedied by those commissions. Such persons should come
from Madrid, and the persons who have to govern should live here.
I petition your Majesty to be pleased to have this matter examined
in your royal Council, for it is very important for your service. I
discharge my conscience of what is in my care, by advising your Majesty
of it. May our Lord preserve your Catholic person, as is necessary
to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, one thousand six hundred
and thirty-six. Your vassal kisses the feet of your Majesty.