_An act ordering the commissioners to be present at all sessions of
the Audiencia._
In the city of Manila, on the twenty-first of January, one thousand
five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the
royal Audiencia of the Filipinas Islands declared that, whereas,
although by the royal ordinances the commissioners of this royal
Audiencia are obliged to be present at the assemblies, they are not
there; and thus many cases that come up, both civil and criminal,
are delayed in settlement, so that considerable harm and annoyance
result to the parties concerned; and furthermore, that official
and fiscal cases are delayed, because the said commissioners to all
appearances do not employ therein the necessary diligence: therefore,
to remedy this condition of affairs, they decreed and ordered that,
now and henceforth, all the said commissioners, unless they have
legitimate occupation or obstacle, shall be present without fail
in the hall at all the sessions of the Audiencia with the greatest
punctuality, so that in all matters there may be the prompt action
which is desirable, under penalty of a fine of one peso from him who
shall disobey this decree, the fine to be applied immediately upon
condemnation, in this manner--six reals to the poor in the prisons,
and two for the bailiff who has to execute the decree. By this act
they so provided, ordered, and decreed.