PERIOD VII

Of what was done in Manila on receiving the decree of October 27, 1720. Recourse to the Council by their deputies. Reply from the commerce of Andalucia, and what was decided in regard to this matter in the year 1724.

71. On August 2, 1722, the governor, Marqués de Torre-Campo, received at Manila the ordinance despatched on October 27, 1720, of which the preceding “Period” speaks. Having caused this decree to be published by a proclamation in that city, record of it was made in the offices, and it was communicated to the municipal council in open session. The cabildo protested against it, promising to obey, but resolving to set forth to the governor in the first place, and afterward to his Majesty, the damages and troubles which would result from its execution to religion, to the royal treasury, and to the greater welfare of those islands, from their not continuing to enjoy the permission to trade in fabrics of silk, which they had possessed for more than one hundred and forty years. They would therefore be obliged to entreat that his Majesty give them permission to retire, with their families, to the lands and domains of his Majesty which they should consider most suitable.

72. In a long memorial presented to the governor was set forth in detail the motives on which they based this action; and when orders had been given that the fiscal of that Audiencia should examine it, although he recognized that their statements were correct, and that the islands could not maintain themselves on the system of commerce which had been laid down, he demanded that orders should be given to fulfil the cited royal decree, and that the city and merchants should appeal to his Majesty who, there was reason to expect, would take care of his vassals there, and of the interests, both spiritual and temporal, which were concerned in it—and the governor gave orders to that effect. Although the city and the merchants by a second memorial insisted upon a suspension of the above regulation, demanding that, in case there was no room for it and for continuing their trade in silks and stuffs as heretofore, at least he should declare that they were not obliged to invest their funds in the commodities which were prescribed to them, as it would occasion their total ruin (and they demonstrated this): nevertheless, the governor, bearing in mind that the damages to his Majesty would be no less, if the galleon for that year should go empty, commanded that, in accordance with the amount permitted by the cited regulation, they should make the distribution of the [permits to ship] merchandise as his Majesty had commanded. The city and the merchants, with the hope that his Majesty would give attention to the urgent representations that would be made by the commissaries whom it had been agreed to despatch to the court, agreed to continue the commerce meanwhile conformably to the despatch of 1720—sacrificing out of respect to his Majesty, and in order to maintain the religion established in those islands, their own wealth, which necessarily must be ruined and lost in a commerce so useless and unfortunate as that to which they were reduced; since the bulky commodities, on account of their abundance and poor manufacture, would not allow them to gain ten per cent, since the risks extended to fifty per cent.

73. The city of Manila, in order to render commendable and frame in more formal manner its appeal from the aforesaid decree of October 27, 1720, which it must bring before the royal person—not only for the continuation of the traffic in the silken fabrics, but also for the increase of its permission from the three hundred thousand pesos which it was enjoying to five hundred thousand—came before the Audiencia and presented before it the arguments and reasons in favor of both these requests. After explaining the losses that would arise from the desolation and depopulation to which the islands would come (which the Audiencia took into consideration in its memorial, as will be noted) the city added that when in Manila there were only 230 citizens (which was in the years 1636–37) returns of 500,000 pesos were permitted to them; but since in the year 1722 the city had 882 citizens, and there was an increase in the charitable foundations, which placed 150,000 pesos at risk on each galleon, the necessity was evident of increasing the permission to 500,000 pesos—350,000 pesos for the citizens, and 150,000 for the charitable foundations. This increase in the number of citizens made necessary the expansion of the permission, from the very fact that in the year 1702, in which there were only 400 citizens, his Majesty had permitted 300,000 pesos of investments, and 600,000 pesos in returns.

74. It was also expedient that permission be given to the seamen to transport in their own chests goods up to the amount of 40,000 pesos of investment, on account of the importance of interesting them in the defense,[15] and in order to facilitate that in provinces so remote there should be Spaniards who would serve as artillerists and seamen, since their wages alone, in voyages so arduous and long, could not be sufficient incentive. In order that that commerce might be regulated and infractions regarding the lading be avoided, an arrangement was proposed to his Majesty in which the annual investment was reduced to 3,200 piezas of the regular sizes—half-bundles, bags, sacks, [churlos, balsas (for bolsas)] cakes of wax, and other like packages of bulky commodities, and three hundred half-chests of goods from China, in order to supplement the said 3,200[16] piezas. Consequently, at the despatch of the galleon there would be nothing else to do except to distribute the said piezas and issue the permits for its lading—collecting 10,000 pesos for the royal duties, at the rate of two per cent, for this purpose rating the 3,200 piezas at 128 pesos and 1 tomin, and the half-chests at 300 pesos and pay at Acapulco thirteen per cent, regulating the 3,200 piezas at 256 pesos and 2 tomìns, and the 300 half-chests at 600 pesos each. This would result in the royal duties at both ports amounting to 140,000 pesos, and in return would be brought back, for the account of the permission, a million pesos; and thus would be avoided sworn declarations, and other dubious measures to which the previous regulations were subjected.

75. The Audiencia of Manila in a letter of November 9, 1722, taking into consideration another which they had written on August 6, 1713, in which they set forth the losses which that commerce had suffered—in [the wreck of] their galleons, the unsuccessful fairs of Acapulco, and the excessive pecuniary extortions that they had suffered in Acapulco on account of the royal duties and in other ways—to the end that new measures might be taken by his Majesty for the rigorous reëstablishment of the commerce of those islands, describe (influenced by the urgent representations made by the city and by previous information obtained by each auditor) the affliction which has been caused by the new decree of October 27, 1720. They declared that they judged necessary for the maintenance of these islands and the propagation of the holy gospel, not only the permission for the silk and the stuffs prohibited by the cited despatch, but also the increase of the permission from 300,000 to 500,000 pesos. The Audiencia affirmed that the Spaniards could not exist without this commerce, because the culture of the fields was in the hands of the natives and the management of the guilds [gremios] in those of the Sangleys and their mestizos; that the salaries and pay with which the military officers, soldiers, and civil officials were recompensed did not reach half the annual expense of their families, in consideration of which it was commanded to include then the distribution of the lading of the galleons; and that, while the permitted amount was 300,000 pesos, and the number of citizens so great, the investment of each one, even if all were alike in wealth and services, did not amount to 400 pesos, the profit on which was not enough for the proper support of a man who was not actually poor, and on this account they could not increase their wealth. When the Europeans see that it is useless to transport goods to those regions where there is not, outside of commerce, any motive which would induce them to remain, or which would bring other new traders, those who consider the matter have reason to fear that in a few years the capitals of those who live there will be consumed, and that others will refuse to enter into the same experience; then Philipinas will be left to the Indians and Sangleys, the gospel ministers without the guards of Spaniards for their protection, the military posts without garrisons, the natives without any control, and everything on the blink of a deplorable ruin.

76. That with the commodities which were allowed by the said royal decree, the lading of the annual galleon could not reach the gross amount of the 300,000 pesos of the commission. From this it resulted that that amount was diminished and the traders exposed to evident loss in Nueva España, on account of the abundance of those very articles of merchandise; and that would result in cutting off the proceeds of the many and large charitable funds, founded on the merchandise risked in those galleons, for the support of clergymen, hospitals, convents, divine worship, dowries to orphan girls, and many other alms—which, even though they were no more than those which were administered by the brotherhood of La Misericordia, and by the tertiary Order of St. Francis, were of the greatest importance, and their failure a most notable affliction to all the islands.

77. That by the exclusion of the stuffs and silks, which were the principal articles of commerce of the islands with China, all that commerce [i.e., with Nueva España] would come to an end, since all the rest was of so little value that it could not, without the substantial aid of the silks, allow any profit. From this would result another great difficulty in the propagation of the holy gospel, that if the Chinese do not come to the trade they will lose the opportunity for conversion which so many have attained, attracted by familiar intercourse with the Spaniards, with the occasion of this commerce, and there would be great difficulty in introducing the gospel ministers into those dominions; and these are motives which have always engaged the chief attention of his Majesty, to judge by the laws. The Audiencia concluded by expressing the opinion that the prohibition of the silks should be removed, and an increase be granted in the permission to 500,000 pesos, with the number of piezas which the city was proposing—this regulation being made in proportion to the number of citizens, in order that the islands might maintain themselves, and thus obviate the serious inconveniences that were experienced; and, as for the duties which the city proposed, this question was referred to the decision of the Council.

78. The fiscal of that Audiencia, Don Pedro Bedoya,[17] in a letter of November 15, in the same year, 1722, in consequence of the duplicate copy which he received of the royal decree of October 27, 1720, states on his part—after repeating his previous opinion regarding its execution, as given to the city of Manila, the action taken by the governor, the recourse by the city to the Audiencia, and the report made by that body—what his opinion is, in fulfilment of his obligation, in regard to the memorial of the city and the merchants; it is brought under four heads, which are: