Sire:
If my so great obligations to your Majesty--not only since you
are my king and natural sovereign, but since you have honored me
so generously in these islands by employing my person in the post
of official judge-treasurer of your royal estate--necessarily and
strictly did not oblige me to inform your Majesty of the manner in
which the said royal estate is administered here, its condition,
and the so great ruin that it has suffered and is suffering since it
was your Majesty's pleasure to have Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera
come to govern these islands in the year thirty-five, I should have
to arouse myself and take courage to place before the pious eyes of
your Majesty this memoir of disasters; for no other title or name can
be given to the calamities that have rushed pellmell both on the said
royal estate, and on us afflicted ministers who have it in charge,
to the so great peril and discredit of our persons. The matter, Sire,
is a very long drawn out one, and hence it is impossible to compass
it in a few lines; and I in my rashness will weary your Majesty's
ears. But the love and zeal which move me will perhaps avail to remove
from me censure for my boldness.
Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera entered this city in the latter part
of June, 635, to assume this government. He showed apparent signs of
an endeavor to excel, in his honest and careful attitude toward your
royal estate; but we were soon undeceived by his so unexpected and
inconsiderate resolution not to despatch the ships which your Majesty
has ordered, by so many decrees and ordinances, to be sent annually
to Nueva Espana with the property of the inhabitants of this city--so
that the usual situado might be sent back in them to these islands
from the proceeds of your royal duties, and serve as a help to the
great and numerous expenses which your Majesty is incurring annually
in the increase and preservation of so many of the faithful as have in
these regions deserved to receive the holy water of baptism. Yet it
was a fact that Don Juan Cereco de Salamanca (who was concluding his
governorship, to which he had been appointed by the viceroy of Nueva
Espana), had prepared two ships, and their cargoes were aboard--the
lading-space having been allotted, in accordance with the orders
given by your Majesty, among the inhabitants of this city. The losses
and damage that have resulted, both to your royal estate and to the
property of the merchants of these islands, are so considerable and
momentous that I would not dare to name them. Your Majesty's ministers
in Mexico, in whose charge is the management of your royal estate,
will have already reported them to you, for they will be able to do
it with more accurate knowledge and certainty; and, consequently,
I think that they will already have come to your Majesty's ears.
A few days ago the governor introduced in this royal camp of Manila a
cavalry company of twenty-nine men or soldiers, with their captain,
one lieutenant, one alferez, one standard-bearer, and one corporal;
each soldier was to receive 168 pesos' pay per annum, the captain
1,200, the lieutenant, 480, the alferez, 380, the corporal, 216, and
one trumpler, 120--the total amounting to 7,248 pesos. It was for the
sole purpose of being employed nightly in squads to close the gates of
the city and to patrol it; and it was all to spare the infantry from
fatigue, although the latter had until then been employed in that
duty with much more security to the city, and with the correction
of many lawless acts which we have been experiencing here since,
and which have been committed by the very men who are deputed to
obviate them. When the said governor ordered us to inscribe that
new order in the royal books, and to furnish the papers to the said
soldiers with pay so increased, we, seeing of how little importance
and effectiveness the said company was, and that there was no order
from your Majesty for its creation, warned him of that--besides giving
him other reasons which will already have been seen by your Council,
for we enclosed a copy of both of them in the letters that we wrote
in the year 1636. Still, notwithstanding that, the governor ordered
the command to be obeyed. Accordingly we did so, and the command has
been, and is being, observed; and the governor refuses to recede
in so pernicious a decision as is the increase of [expenses with]
pay so large as this, and so unnecessary, and, moreover, when your
royal treasury in these islands has so many and so great necessities.
Although there was, upon the arrival of the said governor, as much
infantry in this city and these presidios, as in the times of previous
governors, and even more, inasmuch as he had brought in those ships
a very large and fine consignment of men (for they numbered more than
five hundred men)--a considerable reenforcement, and sufficient to have
garrisoned and manned your Majesty's forts--he raised two companies
of ninety-six Pampango Indians apiece, on his own counsel alone,
and unnecessarily, so that they might take part with the Spaniards in
the guard and watch of this city. The following pay [was assigned]:
the captain, 240 pesos per annum; two drummers, each 24 pesos; the
alferez, 120 pesos; his standard-bearer, 24 pesos; the sergeant, 84
pesos; the four corporals, 60 pesos apiece. Hence, both companies have
an annual expense of 10,728 pesos, for those two companies are paid
monthly the amount of their pay. Not only are those companies still
kept up, but they have also been augmented since the past year, 637,
by two other companies--one for this camp, which is here at present;
and the other in the new presidios of Jolo and Camboja--besides 72
other Pampango Indians, who are stationed in the fort at the port of
Cavite. All together mean an expense of 25,092 pesos per year to the
royal treasury. I assure your Majesty that this matter ought to be
looked at with the greatest attention, in order that things might
not be so managed; for it is a useless and needless expense when,
as I have said, your royal treasury suffers so great losses as it
does, by the so terrible and irreparable damage which the province
from which those Indians are drafted has suffered, as they are all
tillers of the soil, and tributaries of your Majesty. Many losses to
your royal estate follow, because they and their wives are exempted
from paying the tribute during the time while they serve in their
posts as soldiers. Besides, as this province [of Pampanga] abounds
so plentifully in rice, and your Majesty needs so much of it for the
rations of so great a number of persons as are employed in the building
and repairing of the vessels in the port of Cavite, and for the sailors
and soldiers, it is obvious that the said province will be diminished;
for it is necessary to allot the vendalas and repartimientos upon the
few who remain, instead of on the many, so that with a few exactions
of this sort the poor Indians will be driven to the wall, and will
find it necessary to desert their huts and take to the woods. That
would mean the total ruin and destruction of that district, which is
the support of this colony.
As the governor immediately undertook to despatch the usual
reenforcement and situado to the forts of Terrenate, he appointed a
chief commander with 3,000 pesos, and an admiral with 2,000--although
until then there had been no such officers as commander-in-chief and
admiral; but only one commandant, who received 60 ducados of eleven
reals per month, while those who were placed in command of the other
pataches received very moderate pay. We remonstrated, as we were bound
to do, warning the governor that there was no order from your Majesty
for the creation of such salaries. He referred the decision of this
matter to the treasury meeting, where we found two auditors and Doctor
Juan Fernandez de Ledo (who was exercising the duties of fiscal), and
the factor and treasurer. All except the said Doctor Juan Fernandez
de Ledo, who was of the governor's opinion, opposed the said pay,
giving very powerful and cogent reasons therefor. Notwithstanding that,
the governor ordered the said salaries to be made good, and said that
he would report the matter to your Majesty. Hence, Sire, he will by
no means listen to any proposition which is made for the benefit and
use of the royal treasury, if it is contrary to his opinion.
The same thing happened in the said meeting when they were assigning
the salaries to the chaplains whom he appointed in the said galleons
of Terrenate, and in all the others that sailed from these islands
for any place. It was an expense as avoidable as the others which he
has introduced, for it is a fact that religious are always ready to
serve those posts because of the accommodations that they receive in
the galleons, especially in those that sail to Nueva Espana. For when
the religious sail in them as passengers they must obtain permission,
and the accommodation of a berth, and, as this costs money and trouble,
it is found to be no little convenience to give them the posts as
chaplains; and they have not claimed or demanded any pay, and they
have been employed in this ministry in all the past. Therefore one
can understand how superfluous is that expense.
There are five convents of religious within the walls of this city of
Manila, and one of nuns; the church of La Misericordia, the seminary
of Santa Potenciana, the cathedral church, and the hospital for
the Spaniards or soldiers. That makes ten churches in all, and they
are so near and close to one another that the divine offices can be
heard from one to another, if one pays moderate attention. So small
and narrow> is the district of the city, and so few the people in the
churches, that if there was no more than one convent of religious and
the cathedral church, they could be sufficiently taken care of and
without too great fatigue [to the priests]. Although this was the fact
of the case, the governor, a very few days after his arrival, began
to build a church for his soldiers, saying at the beginning that the
expense for the building was to be taken from the soldiers' own pay,
and that no expense would be incurred by the royal treasury. But he
did not keep his word, although the said church was fully built,
together with some barracks and quarters for the said soldiers to
live in. In the erection of it, more than eighty thousand pesos have
been already spent, while the amount charged to the infantry is not in
excess of sixteen thousand pesos. Consequently, it has been necessary
that the remaining funds should be supplied from the royal treasury,
although it would be more proper to expend that sum in building
galleons to carry the goods of this city to Nueva Espana. For with
galleons the royal treasury will be increased, and thereby will the
governor obey the many and urgent orders which your Majesty has been
pleased to issue in this regard; and the vassals and inhabitants of
these islands would not be so ruined, and so hopeless of returning to
their former state. It was all occasioned by the governor's resolution
not to despatch any ships during the year of 635 and that of 637; and
even next year, 639, there is little assurance that he will despatch
them, for there is no money with which to prepare them. If that were
done, we could entertain stronger hopes; because, as I write this, the
usual succor from Mexico has not yet arrived, as only one very small
patache was despatched last year, and there is doubt that it was able
to reach port. On that account we are so perplexed and afflicted that
it is even a special providence of God that we are able to breathe.
The ships which are being despatched this year are sailing without a
register; for, as yet, the inhabitants have not registered a shred of
cloth with which to lade them, as they do not know the condition of
their property in Nueva Espana. As they are so ruined as regards their
capital, they are, according to my way of thinking excusable. But
I have been unable to find any excuse in any way for the governor,
who has, by his so extraordinary and unadvised resolutions, placed
this city in the last straits; and has paid no attention to those who,
with foresight, have represented to him these great damages, besides
those which have followed and will follow to the royal estate of your
Majesty. For this year alone (and I do not speak of former years),
more than one hundred and fifty thousand pesos have been spent on
these ships, both for the preparation that has been necessary, and
for the pay of the commanders, pilots, and other seamen and other
officials who sail in them, and for the food. Your Majesty will
never be reimbursed for that sum, for, as no cargo goes in the ships,
there can be no duties collected; and it is from these duties that
the funds for these expenses must be obtained, as your Majesty has
ordered and commanded. Hence, Sire, it becomes necessary to say that
it seems as if your Majesty had sent the governor to these islands
to ruin and destroy your royal estate, rather than to increase and
preserve it. This conclusion, if relief does not come speedily, will
be seen to be verified with the great loss of all, and the special
sorrow of us who, as your Majesty's faithful ministers and servants,
are bound to strive for the increase of your royal estate.
In the past year, 637, because these coasts were being infested by
the kings of Mindanao and Jolo, with great loss and damage to the
Christian Indians and your Majesty's vassals, the governor left this
city with two fine large fleets--the first on February two, and the
second on December eight. Both were despatched against the advice of
all the soldiers who were experienced in this country--both because of
the risk to which the governor exposed his person, and because of the
so heavy expenses that it was necessary to incur; and furthermore,
since there are very honorable soldiers in these islands, to whom
these expeditions can be entrusted with the hope that they will give an
excellent account of them. And thus he would have avoided a very large
part of the expense, and even of the loss of very brave soldiers who
died in both expeditions; for more than four hundred Spaniards died,
among whom were many persons of high standing [in this colony]. That
is a loss which ought to be wept with many tears, because of the lack
that they will create when they will be most necessary. In the first
expedition, 9,867 pesos were spent from your royal estate; and in the
second, 47,171 pesos. He has tried and is trying to cover the expense
of both expeditions by the value of the slaves, and other things of
little account, which he took as booty in both expeditions; and by
other communications, which will be seen in your Council, according
to the relations or certifications which he has given to us. Most
of it can have but little foundation, as there is nothing more than
what the governor has been pleased to give. But it will be well to
consider that although the fifth part of any booty taken belongs
to your Majesty (as is a fact), he has ordered all the artillery,
and other war supplies and ammunition to be valued and adjudged as
part compensation for the expense incurred. That is a thing which,
according to my understanding, could not be done; for he is attempting
to persuade your Majesty that he is giving you something. Since that
is clearly yours by law, there is no reason for [thus] adjudging it,
under any of the pretexts of which, [to judge] from appearances like
these, he always avails himself to accredit his own actions.
Beside the building of the church, barracks, and quarters for the
soldiers, he has constructed other buildings of not inconsiderable
extent, and of the same necessity and importance as the aforesaid,
at the royal hospital of this city. He has bought some houses that
are near it for eight thousand pesos, in order that the chaplain,
apothecary, and physician may live in them. Your Majesty has
assigned them a very sufficient remuneration, and they have always
been contented with it, and have not asked for houses in which to
live. The governor has also added a room to the said hospital (where
the religious of St. Francis had their living apartments before his
arrival), without sense or reason. He has spent a great sum of pesos
in its building; and a great sum has also been and is being spent
in the support of the sick of the said hospital--although they were
supported most abundantly in past years with two thousand five hundred
or three thousand pesos at the most. Now seven thousand pesos and
upward are spent, and we cannot see in what this increase consists,
although we are not ignorant that the sick are less carefully attended
and nursed than before.
A Portuguese nobleman, an inhabitant of Macan, by name Don Diego de
Miranda Enriquez, came from that city to this during the former year of
636, with a quantity of arquebuses, muskets, nails for the ships, and
rough iron. Having sent for us that we might bargain and pay for it,
we did so, availing ourselves for that purpose of the recent example
that we had for it in the previous year, 1635, which was accredited
and approved by the said governor. Nevertheless, after several months
the governor fined the factor and me (for we were the ones who made
the said contract and rendered payment, as the accountant was then
living in the port of Cavite) without our knowing what crime we had
committed, in the sum of two thousand one hundred and thirty-three
pesos, five tomins; for he said that we had not observed his orders
in the said contract. After he had conferred over the matter with
your auditors, and they being of the opposite opinion, nevertheless,
holding his own even to the end, he had us notified of the act imposing
the said fine. We appealed from it to your Audiencia, where we were
freed from the prosecution. The said governor was indeed very angry
at that; and he even gave your auditors to so understand, and that,
in matters of justice, he even was trying to tie their hands.
At the very beginning of his governorship, the said Don Sebastian
Hurtado de Corcuera tried to change the inferior employees of the
tribunal of your royal officials. Among the others whom he appointed
was the weigher of coins, notwithstanding that we opposed that. For
your Majesty has been pleased to honor us with your special decrees,
in which you order that we ourselves choose our employees, so that
they may be to our satisfaction; and that your governors give their
titles to those whom we should thus propose to them. [We also opposed
it] because the said governor ordered us to admit the said weigher
to the enjoyment and exercise of his office without bonds, although
all those who had thus far exercised that office had given bonds
in the sum of four thousand pesos for the security of your royal
estate, as it is an office that requires great faithfulness because
of the many and continually-recurring opportunities that present
themselves for him to make considerable thefts without your royal
officials being able to put a stop to it. That has been proved to us
by experience, for, notwithstanding all our efforts in watching him,
at the end of a year and slightly more (for so long a time did he
hold the said office) we found that he had stolen more than three
thousand five hundred pesos from your royal treasury. We began
a prosecution in your royal Audiencia. The said governor, seeing
that the weigher was proved to be a criminal by what was enacted,
and by his confession and deposition, in order that he might not
be completely exposed, had a memorial presented [to the Audiencia]
through a father of the Society of Jesus--in which it is stated that
a man had declared in confession that he was the thief, and that
the said weigher was not guilty; and had given him a certain number
of pay-warrants with which to satisfy, by way of restitution, the
[claim for] three thousand five hundred pesos. The said governor
ordered that this reparation should be accepted; and although the
pay-warrants had no justification--as their owners had been dead for
many years, and the papers contained no cessions or powers by virtue
of which receipts should be given and signed--we had to receive them,
because, as they had been examined before the auditor of accounts,
and attested by him, they were [technically] entirely sufficient, and
could and ought to be received. Thereupon, the said weigher went scot
free from prison. The said governor immediately sent him to Macan, in
order to remove him from the danger that might meet him at any time
in this city. In this manner, Sire, was so serious a crime as the
aforesaid punished; and in this wise does the governor protect his
henchmen, for there is no human strength which can oppose his. This
is a consideration that causes not a little sorrow to your Majesty's
servants and ministers; for only that name is left us, for we have
been stripped, for the sole purpose of being able to depreciate
and even disaccredit us, of all the power and authority which your
Majesty was pleased to give us in our titles, and in the ordinances
and many other decrees. However, I think and trust, God helping, that
that will not be attained, however vigilant the governor may be; for
we are and shall be always in your Majesty's service, and hope that,
as our pious king and sovereign, you will always examine our causes,
and that you will pity us for the calamities and miseries that we are
suffering for the sole reason of being so far from your royal presence,
and that you will take what corrective measures are most pleasing to
you. With that hope we receive new courage, although in the midst of
so many perils, to fulfil our obligations, as faithful and grateful
vassals and ministers of your Majesty, whose royal person may our Lord
preserve, with the increase of greater and more extensive empires,
as is necessary to us all. Manila, August 31, 1638.