29 [sic]. Item: Inasmuch as some religious commit great excesses in making repartimientos among the Indians for works that they invent for the natives; and also take from them their fowls, swine, and other food at a less price and inflict on the Indians great injuries and vexations, not only in regard to food, but also to increase their own profits:
He petitions your Majesty to order your governor, as protector [of the Indians], to check those excesses—and the archbishop as well, since he may have in this respect a better opportunity to check them; for some of the religious cause more injury to the natives than could be told here. It is extremely important that this evil be stopped, and that the religious be not served by the Indians, unless they pay the latter their just wage; and that, unless they have permission from your governor, they shall not make repartimientos on the Indians, nor make them serve on their works.[4]
30. Item: That there are four orders of religious in those islands—those of St. Dominic, St Francis, and St. Augustine, and the Society of Jesus—and they are well known there. On account of the trouble caused by other orders going there, and the necessity of having to make new allotments for mission work, he petitions your Majesty that no other orders may go there—even though they be the same orders in name, under pretext that they are of another mode of living; for Fray Luis Sotelo endeavored to introduce there the calced friars in the Order of St. Francis, while the people are well contented with the discalced friars. And the other orders should be made to understand that the land is very new, and does not need so many different kinds of religious.[5]
31. Item: Many Chinese marry native Indian women, and become Christians and live near the city of Manila. Their only occupation is as retailers of goods. If they were to be gathered into one place, in a location that should be given them where they could build a town, in order to cultivate the land and sow it (for they are excellent farmers, and there is so much fallow land that might be given them), not only would they be very useful to the community, but numerous troubles that follow, because they are hucksters and retail the food, would be avoided. This is especially desirable because in this manner they will become more domestic and peaceable; and, since the number of those born is thus increasing, the city will not have so much security as if they were collected together, nor can this be done hereafter so easily as now. He petitions your Majesty to charge your governor to do this, by the best plan that offers.
32. Great difficulty arises from the governors placing in the city magistracy relatives or dependents of his household, or those of the auditors. Because a certain ex-governor did that, nothing was enacted in the cabildo that he did not know, and of which he was not informed. Consequently the cabildo does not proceed with any liberty, nor does any one dare talk with Christian freedom, or defend the community in grave cases. He petitions your Majesty to order that such persons be disqualified to act as regidors, or as alcaldes or scriveners of cabildo (which has resulted in the same difficulty).
Item: Your Majesty granted favor to those islands and their inhabitants, so that they might be encouraged to work gold mines of which only the tenth part of the product should be paid for twenty years, which time is about at an end. He petitions your Majesty to grant that country favor for another twenty years, so that the operation of the mines may be better established.
33. In regard to the inspection of the Chinese vessels, when they come with their merchandise, your governor appoints an inspector. The ex-governor was wont to appoint a member of his household. On that account notable wrongs have been committed; but no one has dared to demand justice against the inspectors, because they are such persons. He petitions your Majesty to order that this post be filled by one of the alcaldis-in-ordinary—who, inasmuch as they understand the great importance of conserving that trade, and as it is a matter that grieves them, will show the Chinese good treatment, since it is incumbent upon those officials to consider the interests of their community.
34. Item: That the trading-ships that navigate to Nueva España have sometimes not been despatched, for personal purposes of the former governors, which is to the great injury of your royal treasury and of the citizens, since those ships are the sinews of that community. He petitions your Majesty to order your governor to prevent such a thing, so that, unless compelled by a very great necessity, the annual despatch be not neglected.
35. Item: He petitions your Majesty to order your governor not to exclude the regidors of the city from appointments in accordance with their merits, since they derive no profit from the city magistracy, and are serving the community.
36. Item: He petitions that your Majesty be pleased to order that religious be provided, belonging to the orders there, for there is great need of them