Sire:
Since I have given to your Majesty an account of the affairs of
the administration of justice and of the royal exchequer of these
Philipinas Islands by two other letters which accompany this, I
will here discuss affairs of government. The thing which seems to me
most necessary to do for the good government of these islands--and
especially for correcting the great excesses which are wont to be
committed by some of the religious who have Indian missions in their
charge; and by the alcaldes-mayor, corregidors, deputies, and other
magistrates, and the encomenderos of Indian repartimientos--is that,
at least every two years, an auditor of the royal Audiencia of these
islands, commencing with the oldest of them, should make a visitation
over all the country in his jurisdiction, as is provided by the
ordinances thereof, and in the form which I wrote to your Majesty in
July of the past year, ninety-eight. Although the auditors oppose this,
it is to avoid the great labor, expense, and danger to health, by sea
and enemies, which they must undergo and pass through. Accordingly,
if your Majesty pleases, a reasonable allowance for their expenses
might be made, and soldiers given them to accompany and guard them,
with good vessels, at the expense of the royal exchequer, if the
cost should not be covered by the penalties inflicted during the
visitation. Your Majesty will be pleased to order in this what is
most expedient.
[_In the margin_: "Write to the governor to have this visitation
carried out in the pacified country, and where there is no obstacle,
conformably to the ordinance. And have him see to it that they do
not send soldiers with the auditor, and that he does not take people
who would be oppressive to the Indians; and let him take care that
this visitation be effectual--for which purpose let him command to
be built, and furnished to the auditor, a vessel of suitable size,
to go outside of the island of Luzon, at his Majesty's expense. As
to the reimbursement which ought to be made beside what is conceded
to them by the ordinance, and the decrees of his Majesty, let him
inform us of his opinion." "Have sent a duplicate of the last decree
despatched in regard to this visitation."]
The main object of your Majesty's royal decrees, provisions, and orders
given to your governors of these islands, is the prosperity of the
citizens thereof; for in that way they become established and settled
and the islands populated. The governors have not always attended
to this as they should, for they have regarded this, which is their
principal obligation, as accessory and dependent upon their private
interests in order that they may become rich with what the citizens
are to gain, as is already well known. And so little is the profit,
and so poor the subsistence, of those who live here, and so much is
their living interfered with by the governors, and the relatives and
dependents whom they bring with them, that, as a result, so little is
left for the citizens that they cannot in twenty years make the profit
and gain which is acquired in a few years by some of those whom the
said governors bring with them. This has often been experienced. For
the remedy of this I suggest the following things.
The lading of the ships which go to Nueva España, the allotment of
space in them, and other matters touching this, should be conducted
according to, and after the manner directed by, clause five of the
letter which accompanies this, regarding matters which concern
the royal exchequer. No cloth should be laded except that which
goes according to the allotment; nor should the governor have any
authority therein, because, as the superintendents of lading are
persons appointed by him and in his confidence, with letters and
orders which he gives, much other cloth is laded after the allotment
is made. For the most part this belongs to persons who are underlings,
kinsmen, or creatures of the governor, and must necessarily occupy
space belonging to the cloth of the citizen, who is thus obliged to
give up his cargo. What I describe is the ordinary way that things go.
[_In the margin_: "This is provided for in the same clause; and let
the governor be charged particularly with the remedy of this."]
In the appointment of offices and means of gain, both of justice
and of war, and other offices in the country, the said governors
should observe what your Majesty has ordered in so many commands and
royal decrees--namely, that "they shall be given only to citizens;
and if he appoints to them his creatures or kinsmen, or those of
the auditors or fiscal, or of their wives, the royal Audiencia shall
check him without any reserve or hesitancy. The fiscal thereof shall
oppose him, and take all possible measures to this end." This should
be charged upon the consciences of all; and the government notary
should be ordered to put upon all commissions of offices of justice
or war, or of encomiendas of Indians, or of any other positions of
profit whatsoever, which are to be received, the reason therefor,
so that the said fiscal may know and understand whether there is any
objection to giving the said commission. If any such objection is made,
let it remain with the commission, and dispose of it by appealing
from the governor to the royal Audiencia, where the question will
be decided on examination and review. In the meantime the said title
shall not be assumed, for there are many people in these islands whom
we are bound to remunerate merely for their own services and those of
their fathers, because they are poor and needy, and what we have to
give is so little that, even if it were divided among the citizens,
many of them would have to remain unprovided for.
[_In the margin_: "Tell the governor that in this matter he must
observe exactly what is ordered by decrees and provisions; and,
according to his instructions, shall prefer the most deserving and
those longest in the country."]
By order of your Majesty, the viceroy of Nueva España appoints the
general, admiral, captains, masters, and other officers of the ships
which are despatched from here to that province with merchanise, at the
time when the said ships return thence. The persons so appointed bring
so large a quantity of money unregistered in the ships as, it may be
readily seen, they can do, with the power attached to their offices,
since they are the servants and underlings of the said viceroy;
accordingly, when they have arrived here they invest their money,
and lade the goods in the said ships, although they are prohibited
from doing so. This is another opportunity, almost equal to that of
the governors who come. That this may be used by the said citizens, it
would be fitting that the said general, admiral, masters, and officers
of the ships be appointed here, in the sessions of the Audiencia, by
vote of the president and auditors; and that those appointed should
be citizens of this city of Manila, or of some of the other towns of
these islands. The salaries which hitherto have been given to the said
general and admiral in Nueva España should be diminished. With the
little which is given here to those who are appointed, and from the
profits which they will make, there will result no little benefit;
since every year, in the ships which are to go, there would be five
or six men, and they would return with a profit large enough to
maintain themselves, and face the enemy. The ships would be better
administered and governed, by persons who understand that better,
through the continual practice which they have in these islands in
maritime and military affairs; for at times persons come in the said
offices who have no experience whatever in the one branch or the other,
which is ordinarily the cause of much loss.
[_In the margin_: "Place the decree with the letters of the governor
and Audiencia."]
The troops of war which are raised in Nueva España to be taken to
these islands would best be taken by the captains who levied them to
the port of Acapulco, one of the captains being commissioned for this,
with some moderate addition for expenses. In the said port they should
hand them over to the general of those ships, and the said captain
should not come to these islands. In this way would be obviated the
damage which is done by their bringing cargoes, and the cost of their
coming and returning, which are not necessary for so few troops as
come. When the troops arrive here they should be allotted among the
companies of infantry of this camp.
[_In the margin_: "Conformably to this, let the viceroy be ordered
to do so."]
There is great carelessness in appointing artillerymen for the said
ships, for a ship which carries one piece of artillery has had
six artillerymen appointed, whereas one ordinary gunner would be
sufficient. If your Majesty be pleased, it would be well to command
that for each piece of artillery no more than one artilleryman should
be appointed; because, besides their cost to the royal exchequer, they
are likewise a damage to this community, on account of the quantity
of money which they bring and carry back invested to Nueva España.
[_In the margin_: "Have a letter written to the viceroy together with
this report, that, if this be so, it appears excessive, and he shall
correct it."]
In the ships which come from Nueva España a great deal of money is
brought which is not registered. Beside not paying in Acapulco the
duties of two and a half per cent, which are due to your Majesty,
there results to this commonwealth a great deal of damage; for this
money belongs for the most part to merchants and citizens of Piru
and Mexico. Although in the sale which is made of the said ships,
when they arrive at the port of Cavite, investigation is made--as I
did this year, when I asked permission from the Audiencia to go to the
inspection of the ships which came--and although I went there, only a
very small quantity of this money was found, on account of the great
care which was taken to hide it. At times, it even belongs to the most
powerful people here; consequently those who are bringing it are very
bold, and it is necessary to inspect the vessels before they arrive
at the said port. It would be expedient for your Majesty to command
that the fiscal of the said Audiencia should always be present at
the making of this inspection, so that he can take all measures which
appear to him suitable for that purpose, and can make the inspection
before the ships arrive at the port, wherever he may wish. All the coin
or silver bullion which is seized for registry should be applied for
the royal treasury, some moderate portion being given to the person
who denounces the culprit, so that there may be persons to do this.
[_In the margin_: "Write to the governor that it is understood that
this practice has become established, and let him try to prevent
and correct it. Let the fiscal accompany the royal officials
in the inspection of those ships, at the point which may appear
most convenient to them, and let all which is discovered without
registration, and contrary to the decree, be rigorously confiscated;
and let them give to the informer such part as may seem best to
the Audiencia."]
At present nothing else occurs of which your Majesty should be advised
in matters concerning the government. I shall continually look out for
what is most expedient for it, and will advise you of what should be
done. May God protect your Majesty, according to His power, with a
larger increase of kingdoms and seigniories, according to the needs
of Christendom. Manila, July 21, 1599.