Sources: The first of these documents is taken from the Recopilación de leyes de Indias, lib. ix, tit. xxxxv; the second, from the “Cedulario Indico” in the Archivo Historico Nacional, Madrid; the third, from a MS. in the Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid; the fourth, sixth, and seventh, from MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla; the fifth, from a MS. in the Academia Real de la Historia, Madrid; and the last two, from Pastells’s edition of Colin’s Labor evangélica.

Translations: All these documents are translated by James A. Robertson.

Laws Regarding Navigation and Commerce

[The first installment of these laws is given in Vol. XVII, pp. 27–50. The laws in the present installment date from 1611 to 1635. The method of treatment is the same as in the laws of the above volume.]

Law XXX

The viceroy of Nueva España shall not allow any married man to pass thence to Filipinas unless he take his wife with him, or unless he have permission to leave the country for a limited time, after giving bonds that he will return within the time set; and provided he leave his wife what is necessary for her support. In no other way [shall he be allowed to go]. [Felipe III—Guadarrama, November 12. 1611.]

Law XXXIII

Many religious and laymen come to these kingdoms from the Filipinas Islands by way of Eastern India, abandoning their ministries and employments. We order the governor and captain-general to be very careful about applying the remedy, and that he give notice of this to the bishops and to the superiors of the orders in what pertains to them; and the said governor shall maintain especial watch over the laymen so that they may not go by that route. [Felipe III—Valladolid, November 4, 1612.]