Three times in their history have the Philippines had representation in
the Spanish national Cortes, [153] namely, for the years 1810-1813,
1820-1823, and 1834-1837. In the first two periods is emphasized
the backwardness of the Philippines politically as compared with the
Spanish-American colonies. In all three periods, one cannot point to
any single great measure that was enacted solely at the initiative of
the Philippine representatives (unless with the possible exception
of the suppression of the Acapulco galleon), and indeed, not to a
great many in which they took part. [154]
With Fernando virtually a prisoner in France (where he remained
for five years), the nationalists in Spain being without a ruler,
since they refused to consider Joseph Bonaparte as king, organized
a provisional government known as the central governing assembly
(Junta central), with headquarters in the south. This Junta, taking
the necessary steps for the reorganization of government, and the
calling of a Cortes, proceeded, on June 25, 1809, to rehabilitate the
old Consejo de España, and on January 29, 1810, to constitute the
supreme Consejo de Regencia. The delegates to the first session of
the Cortes, for which final orders were issued by decree of June 18,
1810, and in which, by a decree of January 22, 1829, all the Spanish
domain was to have equality of representation, assembled on the island
of León during the month of August, 1810. On account of the distance
of the American countries and the Philippines and the impossibility of
regularly-appointed delegates reaching Spain in time for the opening of
the session, substitutes were chosen from residents of those countries
then in the Peninsula. Consequently, at the opening of the Cortes,
September 24, 1810, the Philippines were represented by Pedro Pérez
de Tagle, an officer in the corps of the Spanish Royal Guards, and
Dr. José Manuel Couto, prebend of La Puebla. The election at Manila
(held by order of the Regency, February 14, 1810), resulted in the
choice of Ventura de los Reyes, a wealthy merchant of Manila, and on
the whole an active representative, who, despite his seventy years,
set out immediately for Cádiz. The two substitutes above mentioned
took but little part in affairs. [155]
Several general measures enacted by the Cortes touch the Philippines
incidentally. [156] The first matter, however, specifically connected
with the Philippines was the receipt by the Cortes (March 16, 1811)
of the report of the governor of the Philippines (dated August 8, 1809)
in regard to the French vessel "Mosca," which had been captured by the
parish priest of Batangas (Fray Melchor Fernandez), and the despatches
carried on that vessel. The reading on April 26, 1812, of the proposed
decree prescribing the manner of holding elections in the regular
Cortes to be convened in 1813, aroused lengthy discussion. [157]
On May 6, Reyes moved that a special form of election be granted for
the Philippines because of their distance and the character of their
inhabitants. The islands had neither the funds nor the men to send by
which equality of representation would be justified, and he requested
that it only be declared that they must not send less than two. An
amendment offered by the committee on the Constitution proposed that
to the instructions regarding the elections in Ultramar be added a
clause to meet Reyes's wishes, but the matter was hotly contested
by the American representatives who feared that such a clause might
sometime lead to the cutting down of their own representation, and
as a consequence the proposal of the committee was not voted on. [158]
In January, 1813, after recommendation by the committee on Ultramar,
it was resolved to grant the petition of the board (mesa) of
the Misericordia of Manila (which had been hanging fire in the
Cortes since September 25, 1812), asking for certain reforms,
among them that the number of persons voting for the electors of
the board itself be reduced. [159] On January 6, 1813, the proposed
ordinances for the hospice for the poor at Manila (the establishment
of which was provided for by royal order of December 27, 1806),
were declared unconstitutional by the committee on Ultramar, [160]
and that committee's report was adopted. A minute in the records of
March 11, 1813, shows that the suppression of the brandy monopoly had
been decreed by the governor of the Philippines and that it could
be manufactured freely in the provinces of Tondo, Cavite, Bulacan,
and Pampanga.
By far the most important measure affecting the Philippines, however,
was the suppression of the Acapulco galleon. [161] The discussion
on the matter was lengthy and bitter, and arose over one of twelve
propositions submitted by Reyes on February 11, 1813, to the effect
that the determined suppression of the Acapulco galleon be published,
and in its place those engaged in that commerce be allowed to fit up
private vessels at their own cost to continue the trade with Nueva
España, through the ports of Acapulco, San Blas, or any other, under
the old terms of 500,000 pesos for the outgoing voyage and 1,000,000
for the return, and a lowering of the duties by one-half. The matter
was debated in the presence of the secretaries of the Peninsula and
Ultramar, and after full discussion, in which many of the delegates
took part, and in which the American delegates generally favored
a liberal policy for the Philippines, the decree suppressing the
galleon was finally issued on September 14, 1813. [162]
The special session of the Cortes closed on the date of the decree
above, and the regular session opened at Cádiz, either in the latter
part of September or the first part of October. On October 4, the
last meeting was held in Cádiz and opened again in the island of León
because of yellow fever in the former place. On the eighth of that
month, Reyes presented three plans for the benefit of the agriculture,
industry, commerce, and navigation of the Philippines. On the
twenty-ninth of October meetings at the island of León were suspended,
and resumed again in Madrid, on January 15, 1814. Fernando VII,
released by order of Napoleon, after the disastrous campaign conducted
by Joseph in Spain, abolished the Cortes by his decree of May 4, 1814,
and on the publication of this decree in Madrid, on the thirteenth
many of the members of the Cortes were arrested, all the acts of the
constitutional government were declared null and void, the Inquisition
reëstablished, and absolutism was again proclaimed in Spain. On the
publication of the decree in the Philippines, the Ilocans, deeming it
only a ruse of the governor, revolted, sacked churches and convents,
and destroyed public records. Their insurrection was directed chiefly
against their own principales and their wives. [163]