The King. To my viceroy, president, and auditors of my royal Audiencia
resident in the City of Mexico, of Nueva Espana: Don Juan Grau
Monfalcon, procurator-general of the Filipinas Islands, has reported
to me that the permission possessed by those islands of two hundred
and fifty thousand pesos of merchandise, and five hundred thousand for
the returns thereon, is very small, as that was conceded thirty-four
years ago, when the citizens and inhabitants were fewer, the duties
and expenses not so great, and the islands less infested by their
foes. Because of this latter, their needs have increased so greatly
that, if the said permission be not increased, it will be impossible
to maintain them, or for their citizens to support themselves. He
tells me that some illegal acts may have resulted from the present
narrow limit of the permission, both in the lading of the merchandise,
and in the returns of the silver. In order that those violations may
be avoided, and those islands and their inhabitants maintained in a
less straitened manner, he has petitioned me to have the goodness to
concede an increase of the two hundred and fifty thousand pesos of the
merchandise to four hundred thousand, and also of the five hundred
thousand pesos of silver to eight hundred thousand. For, besides
the above-mentioned advantages, my royal duties will thus increase,
to supply the expenses of the said islands; illegalities and frauds
will cease; and the inhabitants will increase in wealth. The matter
having been examined in my royal Council of the Indias, inasmuch as
I wish to know what permission the said islands enjoy, and that of
the count and duke of San Lucar, and whether it will be advisable to
enlarge the permission of the said islands; and considering their
needs and expenses, and other advantages: I order you to inform me
very minutely in regard to it all, so that, after examination, the
advisable measures may be taken. Given in Madrid, December eight,
one thousand six hundred and thirty-eight.