The King. To the council, magistracy, and municipal body of the
city of Manila in the Philipinas Islands: Don Juan Grau y Monfalcon
has reported to me that in the past year, one thousand six hundred
and thirty, you appointed him as your procurator-general; and that
during all that time he has attended to your business affairs,
with the utmost intelligence, personal attention, friendly interest,
and promptness (as is generally known). He states that you assigned
him a salary of a thousand pesos a year, paid in that city, which
was to come here, invested, at his account and risk; but that, even
when it arrives in safety, he can realize very little from it that
remains free from the costs. He regards a thousand pesos as a very
small salary for his continual occupation [in your affairs], and on
this account claims that it be increased. Moreover, besides the many
negotiations that he has despatched, he has been occupied nearly
two years in preparing and composing the printed memorials which
he has presented, and which have been examined in my royal Council
of the Indias; and has given them much labor and solicitude, since
they embrace so many, so diverse, and so important considerations
for the conservation of those islands and their commerce, in order
that they may be presented clearly and distinctly. He has furnished
from his own funds all the money that has been spent for these books,
and has never received one real on account of that expense. This sum
amounts to much more in times so straitened as these, and should be
highly esteemed. It would be a great disappointment to him if, after
he had proceeded in all matters with the greatest tact and discretion
possible (as is proved by the many negotiations which he has concluded
for the benefit of that city), the powers which he has held from the
city should be revoked--as usually happens, and as has been done with
others, his predecessors, solely through interested motives and for the
personal ends of some of the governors who go to that country. They,
being well-affectioned to the correspondents whom they leave here,
urge that city to entrust its affairs to those persons--for which
no opportunity should be given, since that advice is influenced by
various motives and considerations. To obviate this, and because it
is not right that some other person should secure that for which he
has toiled and incurred expense with so much zeal and solicitude, he
has entreated me that I would be pleased to command you not to revoke,
without legitimate cause, the powers that you have given him; and that
you shall, before enforcing such revocation, state what reasons you
have for doing so. The matter has been examined in the said my Council,
where have been and are very evident the personal care, interest, and
solicitude with which he has been and is attending to your affairs
aforesaid--as also you will have understood by my decrees of the
ninth of October in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-six,
and the twenty-first of October in six hundred and thirty-seven,
to which I refer you for all this; together with what you wrote me
in regard to this in a letter of the fourteenth of June, six hundred
and thirty-six. In that letter you express your satisfaction with the
promptness and care with which he furthers your affairs, and ask me to
confirm the salary which you assign him of the said thousand pesos a
year, from the funds belonging to that city. I have thought it best to
issue the present, by which I approve and confirm the salary which you
have assigned to the said Don Juan Grau as your procurator-general,
in order that it may be paid to him from the day when it was voted
to him. And it is my will that this salary be not revoked, either
now or at any time, while he shall attend to your affairs at this
my court, unless there be legitimate and sufficient cause for doing
so; also that the said my Council be first notified of such cause,
so that, having considered it in their sessions, they may declare
whether or not it is legitimate; and the said salary shall always be
paid to him, until some other decision be made. I also command my
governor and captain-general of those Philipinas Islands, both him
who now is and those who shall hereafter be in that office, and the
president and auditors of my royal Audiencia which resides there,
and yourselves, that you all observe and execute, and cause to be
observed and executed, exactly and inviolably, the commands contained
in this my decree, without contravening or exceeding its tenor and
form in any manner; for such is my will. [Madrid, March 29, 1639.]