In 1734 the college was granted the right to teach canonical and Roman law, the same as the university of Santo Tomás, although it seems that no decrees were given in those branches.[27]
Father Francisco Mendez, S.J., in a document of August 15, 1742, enumerates the fellowships in the college of San José, in addition to the eight of the foundation, as follows: one given by Captain Gonzalo Araujo, alguacil-mayor of Manila, to be enjoyed by a Galician or the descendant of Galicians; one by Benito Lopez, for an European; two by Captain Diego Gonzales de los Arcos, one of them being for Estremadura and the other for creoles and virtuous persons—the appointment of the latter belonging to the Santa Misericordia, which afterward became the object of a suit between the Jesuits and the Santa Misericordia, and finally settled by Archbishop Camacho; one by several benefactors for a pure-blooded and virtuous Spaniard. All the capital or endowment of these fellowships was incorporated in the property of the college, except the one appointed by the Santa Misericordia. There were also two other fellowships founded in 1717 (although only made effective in 1720), by Domingo de Valencia, bishop-elect of Nueva Cáceres, who endowed them with some shops which he owned in the Parián; they were intended for Spanish creoles born in Manila. Besides the above there were nineteen other fellowships which were known as fellowships of grace, “because there is no legal obligation to maintain them, and it was a grace or favor of our Society to institute them, to facilitate the good education of youth.”[28]
In his royal decree of April 2, 1767, Carlos III declared: “I have resolved to order the expulsion from all my domains of España and the Indias and the Filipinas Islands, of the regulars of the Society, both priests and coadjutors, or lay-brethren, who have taken the first vows, and the novices who desire to follow their example, and that all the temporal possessions of the Society in my domains be seized.”[29] A decree couched in like terms was received in Manila, May 21, 1768. Governor José Raon affected to obey the decree and appointed commissioners to carry it into effect, but he imparted the mandates of the decree, which was secret, to the Jesuits.[30] In consequence heavy charges were afterward brought against him.
The college of San José and its estates were seized and confiscated to the crown.[31] The college buildings were converted into barracks. Against this confiscation, the archbishop protested, and petitioned the governor-general that, pending the king’s action on the protest, the college be turned over to him. The petition being granted, the archbishop took possession of the college, and converted it into a seminary for the education and instruction of the native clergy.[32] He ordered the former collegiates to leave, and placed the new seminary in charge of the Piarist fathers [padres escolapios][33] The Audiencia of Manila protested against this action of the archbishop.[34] The royal answer to their letter is as follows:
“The King. President and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, which is established in the city of Manila: In a letter dated July twelve, of the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, you informed me, with testimony, that having noted that the four Piarist religious whom the present right reverend archbishop of that metropolitan church took in his company, did not present the licenses which they carried in order that they might go to those islands, and that they were entering various posts outside the assistancy in the said archbishop’s house; and in consideration of the fact that they had no other house in those islands, and that there was no distinction among them which could prove that they had a prelate: you deemed it advisable to proceed to the observation of the laws in such cases. You petitioned, by means of political and judicial measures, that the purpose of those religious be investigated, and the amphibological replies of the above-mentioned archbishop could not quiet your anxiety, but the rather increased it, so that you proceeded to the remonstrances which you made to the governor, in regard to his having delivered the royal college of San Joséph, which was under the charge of the expelled regulars of the Society, to Father Martin de San Antonio, abbot of the Piarist fathers, and the reported rector of the seminary of the archbishop, so that those who intended to become ordained might live therein, and be instructed in ethics, also under the direction of the said Father Martin. You declared that from your remonstrances to the above-mentioned governor, could be recognized the wrongs which resulted from that measure, which was quite contrary to what was ordered in the instructions for the banishment of the above-mentioned regulars of the Society, and contrary to the right which those then living in the college had legally acquired of maintaining themselves therein, as well as those who should succeed them in the future, without it being possible to make a pretext of any innovation because of the lack of teachers. For there would be no lack of seculars to substitute for the present, and in time, persons worthy to maintain this praiseworthy foundation could be trained. Finally, not having any information regarding the reasons that moved the governor to this (apparently) strange resolution, you were unable to conform to it or pass it by without taking any notice of it, and alone having observed your first obligation, namely, to report to me what you were discussing as advisable to my royal service and the welfare of my vassals, you represented what had occurred, so that after having examined the matter, I might deign to determine what is most fitting to my royal pleasure. The abovesaid was examined in my Council of the Indias, together with what was reported by Don Pedro Calderon Enriquez, togated lawyer of the said my Council, regarding it, of the antecedents of the matter, and of what was reported at the same time in regard to it, with their respective testimonies, by the former governor and captain-general of those islands, Don Joseph Raon, and the above-mentioned archbishop, in letters from March twelve to July twenty-nine of the above-cited year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, my fiscal made his statement; and consulted with me in regard to it on September thirteen of last year, with consideration of the indiscretion with which the above-mentioned governor, Don Joseph Raon, transgressed by placing the royal college of San Joséph of that city under the direction of Father Martín de San Antonio, the abbot of the Piarists, thus rendering it necessary for those who obtained their becas to leave the college, and abandon them, and the manner in which you opposed the previously-noted spoliation, as a matter contrary to my royal intentions and the product of most grave wrongs and pernicious consequences, as is shown in the fact that the above-mentioned college was founded for the purpose of teaching therein grammar, philosophy, and theology to the children of the principal Spanish persons and subjects of that city. Twenty becas were created therein for a like number of collegiates, and the teaching of the same and their direction was given to the expelled regulars of the Society. The king, my father deigned to receive it under his sovereign protection, May three, of the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty-two, and decorate it with the title of ‘Royal ad honorem,’ provided that it should have no other patrons, and under the express condition that it never should have such, or be able to cause any burden or embarrassment to my royal exchequer. The above-mentioned order of the Society did not have therein other right than the above-mentioned direction and government. Consequently, since the royal decree of July nine, one thousand six hundred and sixty-nine, which was inserted in the decree of April five of the above-mentioned year one thousand seven hundred and seventy, by which the collection of the measures in regard to the seizure of the temporalities of the said expelled regulars was sent to those my dominions of America, ordered that there be no innovation in the colleges or secular houses whose direction and instruction were entrusted to them, as is proved by section thirty of the first decree, the collegiates of the college of San Joséph could not be despoiled of their becas in order to expel them from the college, nor could the Trent seminary be removed to the above-mentioned house, without directly violating the orders of the above-mentioned decrees. To the abovesaid is added that the above-mentioned four Piarist religious went to those islands with no other purpose than to act as attendants of the above-mentioned archbishop, whence is inferred the just motive which you had in advising the said prelate to keep them in his company; in expressing wonder that one of them should be entrusted with the direction of the above-mentioned royal college of San Joseph; in advising Governor Don Joseph Raon of the illegality of the abovesaid act, and of the fatal results which were accessory to that of the expulsion of those who had obtained their becas; and in resolving that my royal mind be instructed in regard to the abovesaid measures so that I might deign to take those measures which should appear most desirable to me for their remedy. Consequently, not only is there not found in your operations the slightest motive that justifies the complaint which the above-mentioned archbishop has brought forward in his said letter, but, on the contrary, it is to be noted that you did no other thing in whatever you performed, than to comply with the mandates of the laws. The said governor and the above-mentioned prelate, not being able to ignore the fact of the existence of the above-mentioned college, and of the solemnity with which it had been founded, it became very worthy of attention that in their reports they were silent in regard to this foundation, both commendable and made by the above-mentioned king, my father, and with his royal name, and transgressed in founding a new college seminary with Indian collegiates, without authority or obligation to do so. That is still more aggravated by the fact of the spoliation of the Spanish collegiates of their possession of the said college of San Joseph by erecting in it what they call a seminary for Indians, since for these and the Sangley mestizos there is the above-mentioned college of San Juan de Letran, and the conciliar seminary was already founded. By such violent spoliation, not only were the collegiates outraged, but also the inhabitants of that city exasperated, so that with such acts of despotism they hate to live there, and the islands are being depopulated of Spaniards, as is happening. Under these circumstances and inasmuch as the above-mentioned college of San Joseph has nothing in common with the expelled regulars, as the latter had only the administration and direction of the college, and this having ceased with their expulsion, the above-mentioned governor ought to appoint a secular of good morals from those who shall have been collegiates in the said college, as such will be already instructed as to its government, as rector and administrator, with obligation of rendering a yearly report. He must not allow the archbishop to meddle with anything pertaining to the said college, as it is under my royal protection, and, consequently, wholly independent of the ecclesiastical ordinary, as are the other pious foundations mentioned by the Council of Trent. The governor ought not to permit the archbishop to meddle in anything concerning the seminary, as there is also a royal foundation, namely, that of San Phelipe, which appears to have been incorporated after the above-mentioned San Joseph; and the good relations that the governor claims to have with the archbishop can not serve to relieve the former of blame, for he ought to have good relations with him within suitable limits, and not with total abandonment of the rights which are entrusted to him. I have resolved, by virtue of what is contrary to my royal intentions, as is the above-mentioned spoliation and expulsion, not to pay any heed to the complaint of the said prelate; to approve whatever you have done in the particular under discussion; to order and command the present governor and captain-general of those islands, and to charge the said archbishop (as is done by despatches of this date) that they shall in the future leave things in the condition and state in which they existed before the above-mentioned innovations were made, and that the collegiates must go to take their studies to the university of Santo Tomás of that city; and to inform you thereof (as I do) for your intelligence. Thus is my will. Given in El Pardo, March twenty-one, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one.
I the King
“By order of our king:
Pedro Garcia Mayoral”[35]
The royal decree sent to the archbishop on the same date,[36] is couched in similar terms to the above decree, and disapproves the action of the archbishop in regard to making an ecclesiastical seminary out of the college of San José. The decree in its opening clauses, notes that the archbishop had sent various documents and reports to the king with his letter of March 12, 1769, which state what had been done in regard to the college of San José, and the occupations of the four Piarists who had accompanied the archbishop to the Philippines.