Yesterday I received a letter from your Lordship in which you request
me to inform you what resolutions and plans I have adopted in the
matter of collecting the tributes. I reply that besides the former
statements and conclusions which your Lordship has written on this
subject in such learned fashion, I have read also the last decision and
statement thereon which your Lordship sent me in reply to my letter
to you on this subject. I answer that all this comes as from your
most reverend hand, and is most holy and excellent. But on account of
those very obstacles which I represented to you, which every day are
constraining me more and more, I dare not undertake any innovation,
or put into execution a doctrine which will expose all our affairs
to such risk.
The point on which your Lordship and I most differ is concerning the
pacified encomiendas which possess justice and religious instruction;
and in those also pacified which enjoy justice, but are without
religious instruction. The king grants to neither your Lordship
nor myself authority to deal with these encomiendas, nor in his
instructions does his Majesty mention or raise any doubt in regard to
them; he discusses only those which are disaffected, or were never
pacified. Consequently, the other encomiendas must remain in their
present condition, without making any changes, until such time as
his Majesty shall make other provisions. I therefore state that my
opinion and final decision is that which your Lordship may see in this
document. I trust that your Lordship will strive to conform thereto;
if you cannot, please give an account of your opinion of it to his
Majesty, so that he may declare what action we are to take. In the
meantime, I shall order the encomenderos and the collectors to act in
accordance with my decision; and I have no more to say on this matter,
and shall make no changes. As far as I am concerned, this discussion
is closed for the present, and settled until I shall receive further
orders from my king; for this decision is what I consider best for
his royal service. From the office, February 8, 1591.
[Salazar writes a short letter (dated Feb. 14) to Dasmariñas, urging
him to adopt the measures proposed by the clergy; but, as it contains
no new information, we do not present it here.]