I charge and command you to examine the copy of a letter which I send you with the present, and which was written to me from those islands on matters concerning the Sangleys of the Parian, and on what ought to be provided and remedied in the islands. You will inform me of all matters and advices contained in the said letter. Meanwhile you will provide and ordain whatever may seem necessary for the spread of the Christian faith, and for the cessation of the troubles already mentioned and others which may be expected, anticipating everything as is most convenient.
I send you, besides, a copy of what has been written to me from those islands concerning the precautions which should be taken in matters of war and defense of the land. That letter also gives information that the governors without any other reason but their own private aims and interests, are wont to abolish the companies of infantry and other offices of war, on account of which complaints arise. It also states that they have been accustomed to appoint captains of the number in the city of Manila, who are entirely useless, and that we could dispense with the appointing those captains and granting their commissions, as well as those of captains-general and masters-of-camp which the governors have hitherto granted. You will examine all the references made to the above-mentioned matters, and what pertains to the garrisons and defense of the forts and fortified towns. You will take the necessary precautions in these things, in order that no loss or trouble may result from them; and will not fill the said offices of captains-general and masters-of-camp—except that, when they shall become vacant, you will appoint men to serve in these offices until the appointments are made by me; and in the appointments of the captains you shall consider very carefully the persons, and the need that there is of them.
I am writing to the provincials of the religious orders the letters which go with this, regarding the kind treatment of the Indians; and, that the Indians must not be molested by the religious who give them instruction. You will give them these letters and will take special care to see how my commands are fulfilled, and that those natives shall not receive injury from anyone. You will have great care taken in teaching and instructing them in our holy Catholic faith.
The said Don Francisco Tello writes me that the work on the cathedral of Manila has been stopped for lack of means to carry it on; but that it would not take much money to build a tower and a sacristy, which would complete the church. Although he said that he would aid the work by various grants and imposts, and that, if any balances should result from the auditing of accounts which he had ordered to be made in the funds which he had set aside for that work, he would have them collected for that purpose, I charge and order you to take special care in helping and furthering the work on the said church as much as you can, so that it may be promptly completed. You will notify me in what manner this shall be done.
The said Don Francisco Tello writes to me that the two hospitals of the city of Manila, for Spaniards and Indians respectively, are in good and prosperous condition, and that he has taken possession in my name of that for the Indians. He adds that the accounts of the latter have been audited by his order, and that those of the Spanish hospital were audited every year. This meets my approval; and I charge you always to be attentive to the preservation and prosperity of the said hospitals, and to notify me of the result when the accounts are audited.
Don Francisco Tello also informed me of the good condition in which remained the Seminary of Santa Potenciana in the city of Manila, where some young girls and other women were sheltered; and that all were living in great retirement and offering a good example. He added that many of them desired to remain in that seclusion, and that the viceroy of Nueva España, whom he had asked to send two nuns for the said monastery, had replied that no one of them dared to go. Since I shall write to the viceroy about this matter, you will make the necessary efforts that the said religious may go there; for this will be of great importance in fully establishing the said monastery and in completing the training of the nuns who have been sheltered there. You will aid and heartily favor this work as being so desirable for the service of God.
The said Don Francisco writes me that when the king my lord (may he rest in glory) charged the governors your predecessors to found a seminary where the children of the native chiefs of these islands could be taught and receive instruction in the ways of civilization, Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas, governor of the islands, made a contract with the religious of the Society of Jesus for the foundation of the said seminary, and assigned to it a perpetual income of a thousand pesos yearly. To begin the work, he immediately gave them six hundred pesos and for the income he set aside a fund in the treasury of the fourths; but as the income was uncertain, on account of the needy circumstances of the said treasury, and the amount of money given to commence the work was small, and it was of great importance that the work be begun, the said Don Francisco entreated me to be responsible for this income, and thus make it perpetual. He also asked me to give him permission to assign the said seminary a repartimiento of a thousand Indians, the first one that should be vacant. Since I desire to receive a report from you on the whole matter, I command you to send me one, notifying me, with your opinion, of any other means, besides the Indians, by which aid can be given to the said seminary, and in what condition its endowment is.
Don Francisco Tello informs me that in the Parian of the Sangleys of Manila—which was founded only for some of them to live in, and those to be workmen, in such number as to be sufficient for the service of the commonwealth—houses have been gradually built; and that by this time there are more than three hundred of them, and three thousand Sangleys who do nothing but eat up the provisions and enhance the price of commodities in the land. He adds that this could be remedied only by abolishing the Parian altogether, and letting the Sangleys sell their merchandise in the streets or in their ships as they were accustomed to do when there was no Parian. This would bring the commonwealth a gain of more than one hundred thousand pesos a year, and would give more security to the land; for, having no houses of their own, the Sangleys would frequent that country less, and would endeavor to sell their goods as soon as they reached the islands; they would also sell at a moderate price, and there would be no hucksters. He ends by saying that he was considering the necessary steps to take in this regard. Since this is a matter whose importance and consideration ought not to be overlooked, I charge and order you to examine and discuss the question with the Audiencia and the prelates; and to inform me of your opinions, decisions, and agreements before taking any decisive action or making any changes—taking care in the meantime, as I have already charged you, to see that all be done prudently and for the security of the land.
The said Don Francisco Tello notified me that he had erected buildings for the cabildo, and had placed thereon the coat-of-arms which was granted to the city of Manila. This is well done; and, if my royal coat-of-arms is not placed on the said house of the cabildo, you will cause this to be done, placing it above the coat-of-arms of the city.
The said Don Francisco Tello writes that because he did not carry with him the instructions which were given to him, he did not execute what he was therein ordered to do when passing by the Ladrones Islands—namely, that he was to provide for the religious instruction of those Indians, leaving there such persons as he should select. He said that, with the consent of the Audiencia, he wrote to the viceroy of Nueva España, requesting him to fulfil that command by ordering the officers of the ships which were to sail for those islands last year, sixteen hundred, to leave there two religious, with ten soldiers for their guard. He added that this work would prove of great service to God, as those islands were thickly settled with Indians who were docile, and inclined to receive instruction; and that, if religious should enter that region, there is reason to expect that they would convert many of the natives. And because this means no less than the salvation of so many souls, I charge and order you that, if the viceroy has not fulfilled the above order, you yourself shall do so, in accordance with the orders regarding it which were given to the said Don Francisco in his instructions. You will notify me of what is being done in this matter.