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 XII

The Sangley Chinese of Filipinas have a box with three keys, in which each Sangley deposits twelve reals per year in order to meet their obligations to our royal service with that fund. We order that if there be any balance in any year, it be not withdrawn; and that the Sangleys be assessed so much less the following year.[5] [Felipe IV—Madrid, September 10, 1627.]

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[1] This law, dated Ventosilla, April 15, is as follows: “Notwithstanding the claims of the alcaldes-in-ordinary of Manila, as to trying jointly the suits and causes of the Parián, on the ground that it is within the five leguas of their jurisdiction, it is our will that the governor of the Parián alone try in the first instance it suits and causes, with appeals to the Audiencia; while in respect to the government of the Parián, ley iv, título xv, libro ii, shall be observed.”

This latter law, dated November 4, 1606, is as follows: “Inasmuch as the auditors of the royal Audiencia of Manila, under pretext of a decree from us dated December eighteen, one thousand six hundred and three, meddle in affairs touching the Parián or the Sangley Chinese, and in giving orders and licenses so that they may reside in the Filipinas Islands; and inasmuch as the cognizance and ruling in these matters should concern our governor and captain-general, in whom the defense of that land is vested: therefore we order that matters concerning the Parián of the Sangleys be alone in the charge and care of our governors and captains-general, and that our royal Audiencia abstain from discussing or taking cognizance of anything touching this matter, unless it be that the governor and captain-general commit something that concerns him to them. And in order that the advisable good relations should be held among all of them, and the Parián be governed with more unanimity and satisfaction, the governors and captains-general shall be very careful always to communicate to the royal Audiencia what shall be deemed advisable for them [to know].”

Law v of the book and titulo, from which the above laws of the regular text are taken, and which was promulgated by Cárlos II and the queen mother, provides that “in the government of the Parián, and the jurisdiction, communication, and all the other things contained in ley lv, título xy, libro ii, what was enacted shall be observed.”

[2] See this law, ante, note 34.

[3] This same law, with slightly different wording, is found in libro viii, título xxix, ley xi, under the same date as the first one above. The only material difference is in the additional words at the end: “concealment of any quantity; and very exact account shall be taken of everything, and the balances struck.”

[4] This is but one clause in the royal decree of November 19, 1627 (which see, post); and it would seem that the date here given, June 14, must be an error for that just cited. This and the following matter from the Recopilación show clearly the slipshod manner in which that work was compiled.

[5] See this decree in full, pp. 164–166, post; it contains important matter which is here omitted.