The king. [42] To our governor of the Filipinas islands. When we
heard that there were not sufficient tithes for the support of four
prebendaries in the cathedral church which is to be erected in those
islands, we ordered you in our decree of the thirteenth day of July
of the past year 1579, to give them from our treasury a competent
stipend, which was to be in proportion to the amount yielded by the
said tithes. Now the said bishop has reported that, in case the said
prebends or other benefices which were to be established in the said
church become vacant, it would be necessary to defer the appointment of
other persons thereto until orders could be despatched from here; and
thus the said church would remain without the divine service. In view
of this inconvenience, he petitions us to give orders that, whenever
dignities, canonries, and other benefices of the said church become
vacant, they shall immediately be filled by other worthy persons,
with the same stipends as those received by their predecessors;
or to order what else is our pleasure. With the approval of our
Council of the Indies, we favor this; and therefore order you that,
whenever the said dignities, canonries, and other benefices of the
cathedral church in those islands shall become vacant, you fill them
with competent persons of the required rank, who shall serve in the
place of those through whom the vacancy occurs, at the same stipend
as that received by their predecessors, until we make our appointments.
_I, The King_
By order of his Majesty:
_Antonio de Eraso_