The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 22 of 55 / 1625-29 / Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.

by Unknown

Law XI

In the city of Manila the custom was established that a certain number of fowls be given to the president, auditors, and officials of the Audiencia annually at a price lower than the current rate. The governor of the Chinese was ordered to make the assessment among all the Chinese, obliging them to give weekly so many fowls at a fixed and lower price, and to punish and fine him who did not obey it. That has caused the Chinese considerable injury. The governor of the Chinese got as many others at the same price. We order that no such assessment be made or asked from the Chinese, and that it be left to each person’s own will to buy those fowls that are necessary to him, and to the Chinese to sell them at the price that they can and that is current. [Felipe III—Madrid, May 29, 1619.]