Ordinances enacted by the Audiencia of Manila
(concluded.) Francisco Tello, and others; January-July, 1599.
The hospital for Indians at Manila. Domingo de Santiago and
Antonio Valerio; July 3.
Letters from the royal fiscal to the king. Hieronimo de
Salazar y Salcedo; July 21.
Letter from the king of Borneo to Governor Tello. Soltan Adil
Sula; [June?] translated July 27.
Letters to the king. Francisco Tello; July 14 and August 7.
Letters to Tello. Felipe III; August 16.
Sources: All these documents save one are obtained from MSS. in the
Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla; the second of the king's letters
(August 16) is from the "Cedulario Indico" in the Archivo Histórico
Nacional, Madrid.
Translations: The first of these documents is translated by Arthur B. Myrick, of Harvard University; the second, by Emma Helen Blair; the third, and part of the sixth, by Robert W. Haight; the fourth, by James A. Robertson; the fifth, by Norman F. Hall, of Harvard University, and José M. and Clara M. Asensio; the first letter in the sixth, by Alfonso de Salvio, of Harvard University.
Ordinances Enacted by the Audiencia of Manila (concluded)
An act ordering the alcaldes-mayor and their officials to observe the royal tariff.
In the city of Manila, on the seventh of January, one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas, in the collection of taxes by the alcaldes-mayor of the provinces of these islands, and by their notaries and officials, there is great excess and disorder, from failing to observe his Majesty's royal tariffs, whence arise many difficulties and obstacles to the service of God our Lord, and of his Majesty: therefore, to remedy these evils, they ordered, and they did so order, that all the alcaldes-mayor, both now and henceforth, in all of the provinces of these said islands, shall observe and cause to be observed the royal tariff of his Majesty and his royal Audiencia; and, in conformity with it, shall levy and cause to be levied the taxes to them appertaining, as also shall their notaries and officials—levying on the natives a third less than on the Spaniards, according to the declaration thereof in the said tariff; and that each one of them shall have a copy of this tariff. They shall neither use nor levy the said taxes by any other tariffs, under penalty of a fine of one hundred pesos for the treasury of his Majesty and the expenses of justice. By this act they so provided, ordered, and decreed.
Don Francisco Tello Doctor Antonio de Morga The licentiate Tellez de Almazan The licentiate Zambrano
Before me:
Pedro Hurtado Desquibel
Proclamation: In the city of Manila, on the twenty-second of January, one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, who signed their names to the above act, declared and proclaimed it in public session.