_An act decreeing that all the officials, both of this royal Audiencia
and the ordinary courts, shall be present at the review of charges
against prisoners._
In the city of Manila, on the seventh day of the month of January,
one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors
of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, declared that,
whereas by the absence of the alcaldes-in-ordinary of this city, and
of the clerk, reporter, alguazils-mayor, attorneys, commissioners,
notaries-public, and other officials, not only of this royal Audiencia
but of the lower court of this city, from the review of charges against
prisoners, many prisoners are not at liberty--from which it follows
that they are vexed and annoyed by long imprisonments and other great
injuries and inconveniences; besides the fact that, in many suits,
they are unable to administer and provide justice on account of not
being present at the said review: therefore, because it is advisable
to institute a reform in this matter, they ordered, and they did so
order, that now and henceforth, every week on the days set apart for
the review of prison charges, the said alcaldes-in-ordinary, the
alguazils-mayor of the court and the city, the clerk and reporter
of this royal Audiencia, the attorneys and commissioners thereof,
the solicitors of the royal offices, the native interpreters, and
the notaries-public, bailiffs, alguazils, and other officials of
this royal Audiencia and the ordinary court, shall be present at
the said review with all punctuality--except the reporter of this
royal Audiencia, who is not obliged to be present at the said review,
unless he has no suit to attend to--under a penalty of a fine of one
peso for every offense, for each one of the aforesaid officials, as
soon as they declared him convicted and did convict him. They ordered
that the receiver of fines of this royal Audiencia shall observe the
aforesaid most carefully for the proper execution and fulfilment of
this act--which, in order that no one may pretend ignorance of it,
shall be made known to all the persons whom it concerns. By this act
it was so provided, ordered, and affirmed.
_Don Francisco Tello_
_Doctor Antonio de Morga_
The licentiate _Tellez Almaçan_
The licentiate _Albaro Cambrano_
Before me:
_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_
_An act decreeing that the royal official judges in the fulfilment of
their duties shall observe the instructions, decrees, and ordinances
of his Majesty._
In the city of Manila, on the nineteenth of January, one thousand
five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the royal
Audiencia and Chancillería of these Philipinas Islands declared that,
whereas by the ordinances, decrees, and instructions of his Majesty,
orders have been given to the official judges of the royal exchequer
of these islands, regarding their obligations in the exercise
and discharge of their duties, and, because it is fitting that
his Majesty's orders in those decrees be observed and fulfilled,
they ordered, and they did so order, that the said royal officials
should be notified that in the exercise of their offices they should
observe the said royal ordinances, decrees, and instructions of the
king our sovereign, who has given them, as they are held, exercised,
and observed, and as they must be exercised and observed, by the royal
official judges of the City of Mexico in Nueva España, especially
section seventeen of the said royal ordinance. By this act they so
provided, ordered, and decreed.