Before me:
Pedro Hurtado Desquibel
An act relating to the importation to this city, from the neighboring provinces, of fowls, swine, and eggs, for the ordinary allotment.
In the city of Manila, on the seventh day of the Page 293month of December, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia and Chancillería residing in the said city, examined the petition of the protector of the natives of these islands, presented in the name of the inhabitants of Tondo and its district, in regard to their ordering that this city of Manila should be provided with the fowls and swine necessary for its sustenance, from all the provinces and villages of this neighborhood, allotting among them equitably what each one is obliged to furnish, so that no one be overburdened; but, since all this has been thus done until now, the said village and tributes of his Majesty are being depopulated and growing smaller. The said Audiencia having likewise seen the want and necessity which has existed, and exists at present, of the said fowls, swine, and eggs, for the sustenance of this city—although, to remedy the difficulty, the said president and auditors have enacted other ordinances and acts—they declared that, in order that the provisions of the said act may be better fulfilled, and with greater ease and convenience, and less vexation to the natives, since the inhabitants of each one of the villages of these environs know what assistance they owe, they [the Audiencia] ought to order, and they did so order, that, now and henceforth, the alcaldes-mayor of these environs of Manila—namely, those of Tondo, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Mindoro, Balayan—shall be under the obligation of providing this city from their said districts with the fowls, swine, and eggs necessary for its sustenance, at the time and in the quantity and order following.
First, the year shall be apportioned and divided as follows for each alcalde-mayor: That of Tondo, the Page 294first three months of the year—January, February, and March. That of Pampanga, the next three months—April, May, and June. That of Bulacan, the next two months—for the inhabitants of Bulacan, July and August. That of Laguna, the next two months—for the inhabitants of Laguna, September and October. That of Mindoro and Balayan, the next two months—November and December.
They are charged and ordered to take particular care to be punctual in entering upon their months without awaiting any other orders, and to send to this city each week, until their term is finished, to the person who shall be nominated and appointed, three hundred laying hens—the fourth or third part of them pullets, at the rate of four small ones or two large ones for one laying fowl—and likewise two thousand eggs, and the number of swine that he may consider proper, and that can be produced. And the said person, as soon as he shall receive them, shall distribute them all in due order and form, to those persons and in the manner ordained and ordered, paying immediately those who brought them, according to the scale imposed by this royal Audiencia—advising the natives that during Lent, in place of fowls, they must send eggs.
In order that this act may be better enforced, and that nothing may arise to obstruct or hinder its fulfilment (inasmuch as it has been ordered, by other acts, that all the natives shall raise the said fowls and swine, under certain penalties), the said alcaldes-mayor are again charged to exert all care in this matter, so that the natives may easily furnish what is assigned to and ordered from them. Furthermore, there shall be no Sangleys (whether infidels or Christians), Page 295or native chiefs or timaguas, excused from undertaking the said breeding, and furnishing the said allotment, since it is important for their own welfare, utility, and profit. The said reservation shall be observed in regard to everything else therein contained; and they ordered all the said alcaldes-mayor to issue letters and royal decrees, with this act inserted therein, in order that the provisions herein contained may begin to be observed from the first of January of the coming year, one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, beginning with Tondo and continuing with the other places in the said order. And the said alcaldes-mayor shall be notified that, just as care will be taken to reward them for the care and diligence that they shall exert in its fulfilment, in like manner those who do not observe it will be punished; and orders will be given to take especial account in their residencias of the carelessness or neglect observed by them in this. Thus they decreed and ordered, and affixed their signatures.
Don Francisco Tello
Doctor Antonio de Morga
The licentiate Tellez Almaçan
The licentiate Albaro Çambrano
Before me:
Pedro Hurtado Desquibel