Letter from the Audiencia of Manila to Felipe II

Sacred Royal Catholic Majesty:

In the past year of eighty-five, we gave your Majesty a report on the condition of this land, and some other matters concerning your service, which are contained in the duplicate accompanying this present letter. If it has not been examined, we beg your Majesty to have this done, and to make suitable provision for these matters.

That the tributes shall be increased by one real for married men, and a half-real for single men, in order to pay the soldiers. [49] Section 1. By your Majesty's order, the soldiers usually come from Nueva Spaña with one hundred and fifteen pesos as pay, out of which they clothe themselves and purchase their weapons. They continue to spend their money until they embark at Acapulco, so that, when they arrive at these islands, they have nothing more to spend and find no one to give them food. Unable to find a way to earn their sustenance, they are forced to seek it among the natives, whom they annoy and maltreat. They live in extreme distress, and so fall sick. The greater number even die soon, without the possibility of assistance from their neighbors, because they also are poor. The royal exchequer is also always in difficulties, and embarrassed by many debts. Your governor has been unable to give them any assistance from the royal treasury. Considering that the natives of this land commonly have treasure and means of gain, and furnish less in tribute than do the natives of Nueva Spaña (who are in fact poorer), and that without oppression they might pay more, it has seemed right to us, if it be your Majesty's pleasure, that the rate of tribute shall in general be increased by one real for married men, one-half real for single men, and for young men who possess means of gain, but who do not pay tribute, the sum of one real. It will be easy for them all to pay this every year. By this increase twenty-five thousand pesos, or even more, would be realized, with which many of the soldiers living here could be paid; meanwhile, as the others enter paid employment, they would be on like footing with those just mentioned, and could support themselves; and they would willingly do their duty in war, to which they must at present be forced. Soldiers would willingly come here to serve your Majesty, if they could know that they would be supported and paid; and thus your royal conscience would be relieved. It certainly seems cruelty to compel these men to serve without pay, and to die of hunger. We beseech your Majesty that, if this remedy be expedient, you will have the kindness to order its application, and will have money sent from the royal exchequer of Mexico, so that these wretched people can at least be fed and clothed.

Expenses which have been incurred in war. Section 2. By your Majesty's decree, the offices of clerk of the exchequer and of the governor's office were sold, for some five thousand odd pesos; and, although this sum was to have been sent on a separate account to the officials in Nueva España, and thence to the House of Trade at Sevilla, it was absolutely necessary to spend it on a fleet to operate against the Japanese pirates, who are in the habit of plundering the coasts of these islands; and also on a ship, which is being built for this navigation [between New Spain and the Philippines], in order that traffic should not be stopped; for the despatch of your Majesty's fleet to Nueva Spaña; and for various other matters. This could not be avoided, because there is no more money in the royal exchequer with which to relieve these distresses, as your Majesty will see by the accounts which the royal officials are sending.

Concerning the twenty-two thousand pesos in salaries for the Audiencia. Section 3. Your Majesty has ordered that from the repartimientos of Indians that are now or shall become vacant, twelve thousand pesos de minas shall be assigned to the royal crown, to pay the salaries of the Audiencia. We have informed your Majesty, in our letters, of the great difficulties that would arise from the execution of this order. For the soldiers, expecting to receive encomiendas, and that some day good fortune would come to them, have for many years served your Majesty, and are now serving, in war at their own cost. Now the fruit of their labors is taken away from the men who have conquered and maintained this land, while they are without the hope that they may be rewarded in any other manner; and, seeing themselves thus deprived, they become disheartened, desert service, and abandon the land, thus depopulating it beyond all remedy. It seems to us that, if such should be your Majesty's pleasure, it would be best that you command money to be sent from Mexico for the salaries of the Audiencia; and to assign the Indians who are or shall be without owners as repartimientos and encomiendas to those who have served, and have merited such reward, as has been the custom hitherto. Since the conservation and increase of this land is so important for your Majesty's service, may you be pleased to order for its succor, and for the aid of the ecclesiastical and secular estates, the sum of twenty-five thousand or thirty thousand pesos, to be provided annually from the royal exchequer in Mexico. This sum is quite necessary for the expenses incurred in armed expeditions, in aid for this land and its defense, and in what is done almost every year for Maluco.

Section 4. As affairs in this island are constantly falling into so great neglect and danger of loss; and so many occasions that might be advantageous to your Majesty, for the reduction of this new world to your service, slip by; and since all the many thousands of souls, oppressed and deceived by the devil, in great China and other kingdoms in the neighborhood of these islands, may be saved through the door which your Majesty has commenced to open—understanding that your Majesty has not been suitably informed since these neighbors were discovered, nor has had any clear account of their affairs, we have agreed to send your Majesty a person who can do this and give your Majesty a true relation of everything. Considering that Father Alonso Sanchez, of the Society of Jesus (a man of the highest prudence and learning, and most excellent in Christian faith and practice), has a wide knowledge and great experience in this land and the realms of China, Yndia, Xapon, and other surrounding nations (acquired by having seen most of them several times and having visited and closely observed them), and inasmuch as there is no one else able to do it—considering also his detachment from outside considerations and interests, which, intermingling, distort all one's views: therefore this Audiencia, the city, the orders, the military captains, and all the other citizens, unanimously elected him for this purpose. As he made excuses for not going, and his superior declined to give him permission, we ordered the latter to give the father leave and to order him, by his obligation to obedience, to make this voyage, and the father to accept the charge. Accordingly, the said father is going to inform your Majesty and supplicate your favor for these islands, asking for redress of their grievances and improvement of their condition, and to discuss with your Majesty other matters of greater importance, of which he will inform you. We beg your Majesty to grant him audience, and to place entire confidence in a man who acts here with prudence, circumspection, religious principle, and wise methods—as your Majesty will understand when you see him in person; we refer your Majesty to the relation he will give you.
Section 5. Your Majesty did a great favor to this Audiencia and to the citizens of these islands, by appointing the licentiate Don Antonio Rivera y Maldonado, who arrived in good health, and has assumed his office.
Section 6. In this Audiencia, as is usual among all those that are newly founded, a certain rivalry as to jurisdiction has existed between the president and auditors, and some differences and discords have arisen over it; therefore we decided among ourselves to lay the matter before your Majesty, in order that you may declare and enforce your pleasure; meanwhile the Audiencia will exercise the duties contested between them. The trouble is ended, and there is quiet and agreement among us. We beseech your Majesty to examine the record of proceedings and acts in this matter, and to declare whether the conferring of the said offices belongs to the Audiencia, or to the president alone, in order that our concord may be permanent, and that there shall be no further occasion for disturbing it; for this condition of peace is so important for your Majesty's service and the good of the land.
Section 7. As we have before related to your Majesty, ships resort to these islands from China with merchandise and many supplies, with which this land is but ill furnished. The fear of customs duties on such things as provisions and supplies, which are of great bulk, the great expense in lading, and their small profits here, induce those merchants to discontinue bringing the above-named articles, substituting others in their place. Thus there has been a great scarcity of supplies, and considerable distress in the land. We have seen your Majesty's decree in which you order us to make a report of the duties imposed upon the merchants by Don Gonzalo Ronquillo, governor of these islands; and whether it is expedient to impose heavier duties, or to drop them altogether. In the meantime, we shall take such measures here as we consider most necessary for your service. We are ordering that the collection of one and one-half per cent imposed on money coming to this land be discontinued; and, in order that the Chinese might bring us an abundance of supplies, with horses and cattle, as they had begun to do, it is decreed that no duties be imposed on the grain, biscuit, flour, and all other provisions brought by them, in order to encourage them to provide this land abundantly with these supplies. Moreover, besides the above reason, the amount collected from this source for your Majesty is very small. Your Majesty will order what you shall be pleased to have done in this matter.