Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera[Endorsed:“Manila. Government matters. 1636.”“June ten, six hundred and thirty-eight.”“Ascertain whether anything has been written about this matter by the previous governors, and take it to the fiscal to be examined, together with what advices there are concerning this.”“It does not appear that the governors have written anything about this.”“The fiscal declares that since there are interested parties in this separation of the communal fund(namely, the Chinese of the Parián and those of Tondo), and since there is a suit pending between the two orders of St. Dominic and the Society, he cannot decide upon this matter until the parties have been heard in court, and the dispute between them settled according to law, especially if the facts are not evident by other authentic papers in this case which justify it, besides only this letter of the governor. Consequently, he opposes the approval that is requested, until he can examine in greater detail the things mentioned here by a more thorough knowledge of the cause, after the parties have been cited in court. Madrid, June 30, 1638.”“July 24, 638. The new governor who shall go [to the islands] shall, together with the Audiencia, investigate the matter.”][In the margin:“He proposes names for protector of the Chinese; and in the meantime, Doctor Luis Arias de Mora is appointed, to whom are assigned two hundred pesos in addition to the eight hundred that he receives as a salary, so that he may exercise his duties as the archbishop’s counselor jointly with this office.”]Sire:Your Majesty has ordered that your fiscal shall not be protector of the Chinese who live near the city, and that six persons be proposed so that your Majesty may choose according to your pleasure. All the time while I have been in this government, the said Chinese have been without a protector. Thus I have had the care and task of administering justice to them; and, although they have an alcalde-mayor, they are satisfied only with what rulings the government makes. This royal Audiencia has only threeadvocates—or four, counting Doctor Ledo, who is at present serving as your Majesty’s fiscal. I have appointed Doctor Luis Arias de Mora, who is the senior, and a person of excellent abilities, to attend to this matter until your Majesty shall order otherwise. Licentiate Nicolas Antonio de Omaña is also a good person, as is Licentiate Manuel Suarez de Olibera, who is serving as auditor-general and my assessor. I have assigned two hundred pesos additional salary to the eight hundred of the protectorship to Don Luis Arias de Mora; for, in addition to exercising this office, he is the archbishop’s counselor. Therefore he despatches and performs what pertains to him in ecclesiastical matters, without meddling with the royal patronage and jurisdiction of your Majesty, as the archbishop has tried to do hitherto. By that means I think that the archbishop will be quiet, and we shall be able to live in peace. Doctor Luis Arias is a person who merits honor from your Majesty by giving him this charge, in which he will be excellently employed. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Sire, your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera[Endorsed:“January 8, 637. Have him notified to observe the ordinance of November 22, 636, so that he may avoid new expenses of the treasury, and that no more salary be given than what is ordered.”]EncomiendasSire:Your Majesty has ordered that when persons who have been given encomiendas, and who have served in the islands, leave them, their encomiendas fallvacant, in order that they may be given to the most deserving who remain. Some persons have been able to negotiate and to obtain from your Majesty the favor and grace of being able to enjoy them for ten years, even though they live in Nueva España. Such are the adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, whose services and those of his father well deserve that honor and reward from your Majesty; also Don Fernando de Silva, of the Order of Santiago, who, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo, governed these islands with general approbation, and has served your Majesty for many years in the States of Flandes with the same approbation. Besides these, there are three others to whom your Majesty has granted the same favor, namely: Don Andres Perez Franco, who, although he has served for many years, and well, in the States of Flandes and in these islands, as he occupied good positions, took away from them one hundred thousand pesos, which is sufficient pay and remuneration for a soldier; besides that, the marquis of Cerralbo has given him a post in Nueva España in the castle and government of Vera Cruz. There are two other encomenderos: Don Fernando Centeno, who also took one hundred and fifty thousand pesos from here, and who also has been occupied and busied in the best posts of Nueva España by the same viceroy; and Esteban de Alcaçar, who took two hundred thousand pesos from here, to whom your Majesty had granted, as a reward, the government of Terrenate, but which he refused. As regards the services of Don Fernando Centeno, the soldiers speak of him with but scant respect. He was condemned to lose his head, for having refused to fight under Don Geronimo de Silva, on an occasionwhen they let the Dutch enemy escape, although the Spaniards could have punished their boldness; and also on other occasions, it is said that they did not proceed as honorable soldiers. I cannot attest to your Majesty what I have not seen, but the above is his reputation here. But granting that, and that one is occupied and the other does not admit of so honorable a post, it renders those who have served well, and are here at present, very disconsolate to see the former rewarded and very rich, and the latter poor and with no reward. And determining to inform your Majesty of all these reasons, and obeying the general decree by which no one may enjoy an encomienda if he leave these islands, and another special decree issued very recently, in which your Majesty is pleased to order some of the largest encomiendas to be assigned to the royal treasury, in order to give the religious the wine and oil which you have been pleased to grant them as a favor, so that it may not be necessary to take it from your royal treasury as has been done hitherto—I gave orders to the royal officials to place the proceeds of the three said encomiendas in the royal treasury, until, after your Majesty were informed of all the reasons which I present from here, you might order what is most advisable and is your pleasure.I petition your Majesty to be pleased to order that these consequences be not allowed; for with them, all those who should have ordinary favor with the viceroys of Nueva España, will take measures to obtain rewards there, seeking to enjoy at the same time those grants which they have here also in encomiendas, and will solicit that favor from your Majesty through third persons. This is to the injury and disappointmentof those who remain here, as I say above; and others will not be encouraged to come here, when they see beforehand the great troubles that they will undergo before they can merit and obtain some [reward] for living in so uncertain a country.Some of the encomiendas here are very large, having incomes of from one to four thousand pesos. If your Majesty be pleased to give me permission, so that they may be reduced to five hundred pesos, by dividing these among those who best deserve them, and are poorest, all will be rewarded and paid; and there will be much to give, and also to place in your Majesty’s royal treasury. The services [rendered] in these regions, Sire, are not so arduous that this should not be a good and sufficient reward, although those who are from Flandes know better how to exaggerate them. I shall await your Majesty’s order, for I have not learned in so many years aught else than to obey. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraAdministrative and financialSire:Your Majesty has conceded to your viceroys of Nueva España authority, in the case of deaths and vacancies in this government, to send commissions to those who are to have charge of military matters; and until the arrival of the regularly-appointed governor you order them to send another governor from Mexico. That has been done twice by the marquis de Cerralbo—once with Don Fernando de Silva, ofthe Habit of Santiago, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo; and [the other time] with Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, because of the death of Don Juan Niño de Tabora. Your Majesty is greatly disserved in all of the things that I shall now mention. First, when the Audiencia was governing the [royal] estate, your Majesty’s royal treasury was pledged to more than eighty or one hundred thousand pesos, which they obtained by a forced loan from the inhabitants, by placing soldiers of the guard in their houses, quartering these on them until they lent this money; and the officials spent the money in paying warrants that were ordered to be issued to please the soldiers and sailors. It has been the custom to order those warrants to be despatched so that they might be paid when there should be any money.As for those poor men, they have not been paid in one, three, ten, or fifteen years. They sell their warrants during such times for the fourth, fifth, or sixth part of their face value; and many have been paid at one hundred pesos for one thousand. The warrants are bought by the servants of the auditors, royal officials, governors, and other ministers, and to them is paid the face value. Thus the poor soldiers are so unjustly dispossessed of [the rewards for] their hardships; and on this account is your Majesty’s royal treasury so pledged. In the term of Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, more than one hundred thousand odd pesos had been paid in this kind of warrants. Your Majesty having issued a decree, in the time of Don Juan Niño de Tabora, ordering such warrants to be paid at the third of their face value, he began to do so one year with twelve thousand pesos, that he set apart for that purpose. Thesaid Don Juan Cerezo did not pursue the custom, as he declared that the said Don Juan Niño had exceeded the bounds in the execution of your Majesty’s decree. Although this charge was brought against him in the residencia, it was not proved that he had actually paid that sum during his term. It is, however, clear to me, outside of judgment, that his own secretary, while he was judge and collector of the licenses of the Sangleys, who should have deposited that money in your Majesty’s royal treasury, deposited a great sum of it in this kind of warrants; and so that it might not be proved judicially, the owners went to receive the money from the royal officials; and while they were there, and almost before their eyes, the said secretary again took it. And perhaps it happened that a soldier, having collected it, would say that he did not wish to return it, whereupon the secretary would give ten pesos for the transaction, and thus obtained his purpose. Although I was so sure and convinced of this truth, nevertheless, as it was not proved entirely in the residencia, I did not wish to render sentence on this point, but instead to send it to your Majesty’s royal Council; for I confess, Sire, that if I had committed that outrage, as I have investigated it, I would be of the opinion that your Majesty would not be fulfilling your duty, as a just king, if you did not order me to be beheaded. After my arrival at these islands, I immediately set about executing your Majesty’s decrees. I ordered, by an act, that all those persons to whom your Majesty owed money should come to ask the third of it, the other two-thirds being commuted, so that they could ask it at no future time. All have done it and up to date wehave paid in warrants of this kind the amount that your Majesty, if so inclined, can have examined from the enclosed certification, as well as what we have saved from the two-thirds that have been commuted.Returning, Sire, to the trouble that arises from having the persons whom the viceroy sends from Mexico in your Majesty’s name to governad interim, there is no one who does not take back one or two hundred thousand pesos, as agents for the said inhabitants of Mexico. That is very much to the damage and prejudice of this city, for how can the goods of the inhabitants here go, and how can they make any profit on them, if the goods of those Mexicans, which are carried under charge of the commander and almirante and the other officials (the creatures of the governor), are to be sold first? And since those governors only come for one or two years, they do not exercise justice, correct disorder, preserve the authority and jurisdiction of your Majesty, or undertake any other thing than living in peace; being the protectors of all, and good merchants, in order to return very rich; complaining loudly of the hardships that they experienced in coming to serve your Majesty; boasting of the many risks to their lives, and the many expenses paid from their own property; and giving the ignorant crowd to understand that your Majesty is under great obligations to them. All this, Sire, will cease, if your Majesty will send six gentlemen of thoroughly good abilities, soldiers of Flandes, to act as substitutes and who shall have commissions for the future succession to the government, through the death or absence [of the governor]. Such men can bring their commissions,sealed, from your Majesty, and should not come from Mexico. They can be employed here as follows: the first in the fort of this city; the second in that of Cavite, and in the government of the said port; the third in Terrenate; the fourth in the island of Hermosa; the fifth in the office of master-of-camp; the sixth as commander of the artillery, in the office of sargento-mayor, and as governor and chief justice of the Parián, or alcalde-mayor of Tondo. Encomiendas could be given to all of them, as these fall vacant, if they prove to render the services and possess the qualities that are requisite; and they could be changed about in these offices, whenever advisable, so that they might become experienced in the [various] departments. Whenever one of these should assume the government because of the death of the regularly-appointed governor, such should receive the same pay as he; and, if during his absence, that which he should be receiving. I bind myself to provide for all of them, so that they may be contented. I entreat your Majesty to make this resolution, for it is expedient for your royal service. All who should come should be knights of the military orders; so that both the vassals who have rendered homage, and the heathen and other inhabitants, may learn respect and veneration for the persons whom your Majesty assigns to succeed in the government. Your Majesty has many vassals who are soldiers, of the above excellences and qualifications, who would come very willingly if they were given such positions and hopes. If that happens in my time, they will be so well established that many who have served your Majesty well would desire it. The extraordinaryexpenses incurred by the royal Audiencia and the greed for the wealth of Mexico will be avoided; and the greed of both must oblige them to be honest and to govern well.When the residencia is taken from the governors they give it as if they had been imitating Moses or Joshua in their government. For as nearly all the citizens of these islands have come from Nueva España to serve for reasons of justice; and as there are others who do not wish that the present governor should note them as men who swear against the past governor, as he would think that they will do the same with him at his residencia; or so that the governor might not complain of them as having evil tongues; to tell the truth here is a great sin. No one is willing that the governor, when his residencia is taken, should impute any fault to him, or obtain any testimony as to the reason why he came here as an exile. Many other disadvantages arise, that cannot be written. In short, Sire, most people swear falsely; and those who do not, hide themselves, or retire in order not to testify. There are theologians who counsel them that they may deny the truth under oath, in order not to do wrong. This condition ought to be closely examined, and would be remedied by those commissions. Such persons should come from Madrid, and the persons who have to govern should live here.I petition your Majesty to be pleased to have this matter examined in your royal Council, for it is very important for your service. I discharge my conscience of what is in my care, by advising your Majesty of it. May our Lord preserve your Catholicperson, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six. Your vassal kisses the feet of your Majesty.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraManila, April 11, 1636. Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results [resultas] of these islands, in whose possession are the pay-checks of the general accounts of the royal treasury, shall certify at the foot of this decree the sum of pesos that have been paid from the royal treasury from the first of July, six hundred and thirty-five, to the last of June, six hundred and thirty-six, to various persons for pay-checks that the royal treasury owes them as pay for serving your Majesty, and for other reasons, by virtue of my decrees regarding the one-third, the owners voluntarily commuting to his Majesty the other two-thirds, in consideration of the needs and debt of the royal estate in these said islands. The certification shall be set forth in detail with the greatest clearness, together with the amount of the two-thirds of which a gift is made to his Majesty.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraFrancisco de OrtegaIn fulfilment of the above decree of Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera y Mendoza, governor and captain-general of these Filipinas Islands, and president of the royal Audiencia herein, I, Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results of the royal treasury in the islands, certify that among the original pay-checks for credits on the general accounts of the royal treasury for the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-five, when the treasury wasin charge of the royal official judges—namely, the accountant, Martin Ruiz de Salazar; the factor, Yñigo de Villarreal; and the treasurer, Don Baltasar Ruiz de Escalona—there appear those which will be stated here below, as having been paid to various persons to whom the royal estate owed them, as pay and daily wages, for services performed for his Majesty in various posts of sea, war, etc. [These were paid] up to one-third of their face value, by virtue of the decrees of the said governor—the other two-thirds having been given voluntarily, as a favor and proof of devotion to his Majesty, because of the obligations that were resting upon his royal treasury in these islands, as appears by the memoranda that each person presented, asking that they be paid in this manner, as is set down as in the said pay-checks. Those paid, their numbers in the files [legajos] of each department, together with the names of each person, the amount of the principal which was owing them, that of the third which was paid them, and that of the two-thirds which was commuted, are as follows:[A marginal note reads as follows: “Certification of the auditor of accounts that the two-thirds commuted by the owners of the pay-checks, amount topesostominsgranos4,295069,9232512,523534,912113,0951634,15019”]Factory Department13Number of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos3556111Juan Talag, an Indian145113130363200Juan Talag, an Indian105421283[7]1254Juan Talag, an Indian419831385600Juan Talag, an Indian185431283913135Juan Talag, an Indian4565915041423287 Indians141111142328[sic]45336009 Indians11200224005141441[sic]Pablo de la Oliva (paid one-half)23120231205734024Don Juan Sarapi11335226611623352Cintay, a Sangley1111122401,33006Pay of the Infantry of ManilaNumber of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos7614973Alférez Andres de Aguiar497999767728059Simon Sanchez9347187127811759Juan de Mendoza39111783107931653Domingo de Herrera105452110108022464Alfonso Rosario74751496118125705Antonio Gonzalez8555171308237000Antonio Gonzalez12328246548437352Antonio Gomez124442490108821909Alferez Luis de Villarreal7303146068912925Bartolome Martin6409128189029264Juan de Orgáz974919517919608Pedro Ponce320264069228030Juan Gomez Flores933818674967731Juan Navarro25645149974330Francisco Rodriguez Caballos156431489870010Manuel Vicente23274663103360010Juan Martin Roldan3207439091087224Juan Galo2409481711548611Fray Francisco Mexias162332481163500José Perez de Nava1154232811826361Jeronimo Enriquez87741756912043508Captain Juan Ruiz Barrientos1450229006124167410Julio Alonso55611111511Said pay of the Infantry of ManilaR[esult?]4,2950612650518Francisco de Leixas168323366613629474Don Juan Dolosit982519641113822142Captain Pedro de la Mata736814756Pay of the Infantry of MalucoNumber of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos11020658Alférez Juan de Montalvo68721376611159338Alférez Juan Palomo Holgado197663955211213642Alférez Juan de Santiago4504910211439620Alférez Diego Nabon, a Pampango132082641411520000Captain Juan de Mora66541332811611200Geronimo de Atiença3728745411751000Alférez Alonso Rosario Tenorio170003400011818403Alférez Pedro Melendez Marques6129122561191,53500Captain Alonso Serrano511401,023401201,66300Captain Don Esteban de Comosa y Losada554281,7085412119333Captain Don Alonso de Dueñas6439128761221,22240Captain Don Juan Garcia407408150012311044Alonso Umali3669735712454611Alférez Pablo Garcia1823364812535429Alférez Baltazar de Reyes11811023611012620900Captain Rodrigo de Cossa69541392812710025Sisto Ruiz3335667012921259Alférez Martin Lasangan70711416813115871Alférez Pablo Lili52781057513221754Alférez Pablo Malanson7245145011133679011Alférez Alonso Rosario22621145260134313410Alonso Maigal10443209071355151Agustín Ansay1718343513618927Lucas Cavasag630101261913732944Francisco Dumagui109682195513855327Alférez Cristobal Jaron184423686513934800Sergeant Nicolas Ciap116022320514030334Alonso Mangohat101112022314139767Alférez Juan Tubil1324102651914238862Miguel Cabalit1295425901014345276Alférez Diego Pilata1507103017814484851Alférez Agustin Lalung2827084851[sic]14521136Andres Naguit703101407814640000Diego Ruiz Galazzo133282665414762253Don Gaspar Dugui2074541501014820300Don Nicolas Manuel67541352814969462Andrés Balu, a Pampango231484631615025031Mateo Bela8338166751511,575011Juan Tambing525131,0500015231826Ygnacio Maudain1060102121815330019Juan de Vergara100072001215510000Francisco de Linares33286654156100011Juan Lauglaug33211666015714107Agustin Niri4702940515844010Pedro Benguit14510293015939044Agustin Tauding130152602111605819Pedro de Mora Salcedo1933386616839321Miguel Suboc13108262151771,00461Captain Juan Campal33474669691781,49445Captain Diego Bosog498159963018978360Francisco Quico261205224018021906Don Nicolas Banguit73021460418111536Don Lucas Lapor3831076781822,06164Don Marcos Puyat687211,3744318415223Captain Lazaro de Torres506110142185254010Nicolas Rosario84510163301864755Don Angel Manalit1571316418754751Alférez Agustin Banal1824436509188384311Juan Pay, a Pampango128102532118915527Francisco de Mendoza516210345190648611Lorenzo Soler216234324819117639Bernabé de Aguiar58671175219264849Matheo de Vila216174323219331901Antonio Viscayno106282125519417104Simon Ronquilo57011140319539938Alférez Damian Dalisay133122662619992046Captain Juan Gonzalez Melon3066106135820041453Domingo Mangonay1381927636
Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera[Endorsed:“Manila. Government matters. 1636.”“June ten, six hundred and thirty-eight.”“Ascertain whether anything has been written about this matter by the previous governors, and take it to the fiscal to be examined, together with what advices there are concerning this.”“It does not appear that the governors have written anything about this.”“The fiscal declares that since there are interested parties in this separation of the communal fund(namely, the Chinese of the Parián and those of Tondo), and since there is a suit pending between the two orders of St. Dominic and the Society, he cannot decide upon this matter until the parties have been heard in court, and the dispute between them settled according to law, especially if the facts are not evident by other authentic papers in this case which justify it, besides only this letter of the governor. Consequently, he opposes the approval that is requested, until he can examine in greater detail the things mentioned here by a more thorough knowledge of the cause, after the parties have been cited in court. Madrid, June 30, 1638.”“July 24, 638. The new governor who shall go [to the islands] shall, together with the Audiencia, investigate the matter.”][In the margin:“He proposes names for protector of the Chinese; and in the meantime, Doctor Luis Arias de Mora is appointed, to whom are assigned two hundred pesos in addition to the eight hundred that he receives as a salary, so that he may exercise his duties as the archbishop’s counselor jointly with this office.”]Sire:Your Majesty has ordered that your fiscal shall not be protector of the Chinese who live near the city, and that six persons be proposed so that your Majesty may choose according to your pleasure. All the time while I have been in this government, the said Chinese have been without a protector. Thus I have had the care and task of administering justice to them; and, although they have an alcalde-mayor, they are satisfied only with what rulings the government makes. This royal Audiencia has only threeadvocates—or four, counting Doctor Ledo, who is at present serving as your Majesty’s fiscal. I have appointed Doctor Luis Arias de Mora, who is the senior, and a person of excellent abilities, to attend to this matter until your Majesty shall order otherwise. Licentiate Nicolas Antonio de Omaña is also a good person, as is Licentiate Manuel Suarez de Olibera, who is serving as auditor-general and my assessor. I have assigned two hundred pesos additional salary to the eight hundred of the protectorship to Don Luis Arias de Mora; for, in addition to exercising this office, he is the archbishop’s counselor. Therefore he despatches and performs what pertains to him in ecclesiastical matters, without meddling with the royal patronage and jurisdiction of your Majesty, as the archbishop has tried to do hitherto. By that means I think that the archbishop will be quiet, and we shall be able to live in peace. Doctor Luis Arias is a person who merits honor from your Majesty by giving him this charge, in which he will be excellently employed. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Sire, your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera[Endorsed:“January 8, 637. Have him notified to observe the ordinance of November 22, 636, so that he may avoid new expenses of the treasury, and that no more salary be given than what is ordered.”]EncomiendasSire:Your Majesty has ordered that when persons who have been given encomiendas, and who have served in the islands, leave them, their encomiendas fallvacant, in order that they may be given to the most deserving who remain. Some persons have been able to negotiate and to obtain from your Majesty the favor and grace of being able to enjoy them for ten years, even though they live in Nueva España. Such are the adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, whose services and those of his father well deserve that honor and reward from your Majesty; also Don Fernando de Silva, of the Order of Santiago, who, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo, governed these islands with general approbation, and has served your Majesty for many years in the States of Flandes with the same approbation. Besides these, there are three others to whom your Majesty has granted the same favor, namely: Don Andres Perez Franco, who, although he has served for many years, and well, in the States of Flandes and in these islands, as he occupied good positions, took away from them one hundred thousand pesos, which is sufficient pay and remuneration for a soldier; besides that, the marquis of Cerralbo has given him a post in Nueva España in the castle and government of Vera Cruz. There are two other encomenderos: Don Fernando Centeno, who also took one hundred and fifty thousand pesos from here, and who also has been occupied and busied in the best posts of Nueva España by the same viceroy; and Esteban de Alcaçar, who took two hundred thousand pesos from here, to whom your Majesty had granted, as a reward, the government of Terrenate, but which he refused. As regards the services of Don Fernando Centeno, the soldiers speak of him with but scant respect. He was condemned to lose his head, for having refused to fight under Don Geronimo de Silva, on an occasionwhen they let the Dutch enemy escape, although the Spaniards could have punished their boldness; and also on other occasions, it is said that they did not proceed as honorable soldiers. I cannot attest to your Majesty what I have not seen, but the above is his reputation here. But granting that, and that one is occupied and the other does not admit of so honorable a post, it renders those who have served well, and are here at present, very disconsolate to see the former rewarded and very rich, and the latter poor and with no reward. And determining to inform your Majesty of all these reasons, and obeying the general decree by which no one may enjoy an encomienda if he leave these islands, and another special decree issued very recently, in which your Majesty is pleased to order some of the largest encomiendas to be assigned to the royal treasury, in order to give the religious the wine and oil which you have been pleased to grant them as a favor, so that it may not be necessary to take it from your royal treasury as has been done hitherto—I gave orders to the royal officials to place the proceeds of the three said encomiendas in the royal treasury, until, after your Majesty were informed of all the reasons which I present from here, you might order what is most advisable and is your pleasure.I petition your Majesty to be pleased to order that these consequences be not allowed; for with them, all those who should have ordinary favor with the viceroys of Nueva España, will take measures to obtain rewards there, seeking to enjoy at the same time those grants which they have here also in encomiendas, and will solicit that favor from your Majesty through third persons. This is to the injury and disappointmentof those who remain here, as I say above; and others will not be encouraged to come here, when they see beforehand the great troubles that they will undergo before they can merit and obtain some [reward] for living in so uncertain a country.Some of the encomiendas here are very large, having incomes of from one to four thousand pesos. If your Majesty be pleased to give me permission, so that they may be reduced to five hundred pesos, by dividing these among those who best deserve them, and are poorest, all will be rewarded and paid; and there will be much to give, and also to place in your Majesty’s royal treasury. The services [rendered] in these regions, Sire, are not so arduous that this should not be a good and sufficient reward, although those who are from Flandes know better how to exaggerate them. I shall await your Majesty’s order, for I have not learned in so many years aught else than to obey. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraAdministrative and financialSire:Your Majesty has conceded to your viceroys of Nueva España authority, in the case of deaths and vacancies in this government, to send commissions to those who are to have charge of military matters; and until the arrival of the regularly-appointed governor you order them to send another governor from Mexico. That has been done twice by the marquis de Cerralbo—once with Don Fernando de Silva, ofthe Habit of Santiago, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo; and [the other time] with Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, because of the death of Don Juan Niño de Tabora. Your Majesty is greatly disserved in all of the things that I shall now mention. First, when the Audiencia was governing the [royal] estate, your Majesty’s royal treasury was pledged to more than eighty or one hundred thousand pesos, which they obtained by a forced loan from the inhabitants, by placing soldiers of the guard in their houses, quartering these on them until they lent this money; and the officials spent the money in paying warrants that were ordered to be issued to please the soldiers and sailors. It has been the custom to order those warrants to be despatched so that they might be paid when there should be any money.As for those poor men, they have not been paid in one, three, ten, or fifteen years. They sell their warrants during such times for the fourth, fifth, or sixth part of their face value; and many have been paid at one hundred pesos for one thousand. The warrants are bought by the servants of the auditors, royal officials, governors, and other ministers, and to them is paid the face value. Thus the poor soldiers are so unjustly dispossessed of [the rewards for] their hardships; and on this account is your Majesty’s royal treasury so pledged. In the term of Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, more than one hundred thousand odd pesos had been paid in this kind of warrants. Your Majesty having issued a decree, in the time of Don Juan Niño de Tabora, ordering such warrants to be paid at the third of their face value, he began to do so one year with twelve thousand pesos, that he set apart for that purpose. Thesaid Don Juan Cerezo did not pursue the custom, as he declared that the said Don Juan Niño had exceeded the bounds in the execution of your Majesty’s decree. Although this charge was brought against him in the residencia, it was not proved that he had actually paid that sum during his term. It is, however, clear to me, outside of judgment, that his own secretary, while he was judge and collector of the licenses of the Sangleys, who should have deposited that money in your Majesty’s royal treasury, deposited a great sum of it in this kind of warrants; and so that it might not be proved judicially, the owners went to receive the money from the royal officials; and while they were there, and almost before their eyes, the said secretary again took it. And perhaps it happened that a soldier, having collected it, would say that he did not wish to return it, whereupon the secretary would give ten pesos for the transaction, and thus obtained his purpose. Although I was so sure and convinced of this truth, nevertheless, as it was not proved entirely in the residencia, I did not wish to render sentence on this point, but instead to send it to your Majesty’s royal Council; for I confess, Sire, that if I had committed that outrage, as I have investigated it, I would be of the opinion that your Majesty would not be fulfilling your duty, as a just king, if you did not order me to be beheaded. After my arrival at these islands, I immediately set about executing your Majesty’s decrees. I ordered, by an act, that all those persons to whom your Majesty owed money should come to ask the third of it, the other two-thirds being commuted, so that they could ask it at no future time. All have done it and up to date wehave paid in warrants of this kind the amount that your Majesty, if so inclined, can have examined from the enclosed certification, as well as what we have saved from the two-thirds that have been commuted.Returning, Sire, to the trouble that arises from having the persons whom the viceroy sends from Mexico in your Majesty’s name to governad interim, there is no one who does not take back one or two hundred thousand pesos, as agents for the said inhabitants of Mexico. That is very much to the damage and prejudice of this city, for how can the goods of the inhabitants here go, and how can they make any profit on them, if the goods of those Mexicans, which are carried under charge of the commander and almirante and the other officials (the creatures of the governor), are to be sold first? And since those governors only come for one or two years, they do not exercise justice, correct disorder, preserve the authority and jurisdiction of your Majesty, or undertake any other thing than living in peace; being the protectors of all, and good merchants, in order to return very rich; complaining loudly of the hardships that they experienced in coming to serve your Majesty; boasting of the many risks to their lives, and the many expenses paid from their own property; and giving the ignorant crowd to understand that your Majesty is under great obligations to them. All this, Sire, will cease, if your Majesty will send six gentlemen of thoroughly good abilities, soldiers of Flandes, to act as substitutes and who shall have commissions for the future succession to the government, through the death or absence [of the governor]. Such men can bring their commissions,sealed, from your Majesty, and should not come from Mexico. They can be employed here as follows: the first in the fort of this city; the second in that of Cavite, and in the government of the said port; the third in Terrenate; the fourth in the island of Hermosa; the fifth in the office of master-of-camp; the sixth as commander of the artillery, in the office of sargento-mayor, and as governor and chief justice of the Parián, or alcalde-mayor of Tondo. Encomiendas could be given to all of them, as these fall vacant, if they prove to render the services and possess the qualities that are requisite; and they could be changed about in these offices, whenever advisable, so that they might become experienced in the [various] departments. Whenever one of these should assume the government because of the death of the regularly-appointed governor, such should receive the same pay as he; and, if during his absence, that which he should be receiving. I bind myself to provide for all of them, so that they may be contented. I entreat your Majesty to make this resolution, for it is expedient for your royal service. All who should come should be knights of the military orders; so that both the vassals who have rendered homage, and the heathen and other inhabitants, may learn respect and veneration for the persons whom your Majesty assigns to succeed in the government. Your Majesty has many vassals who are soldiers, of the above excellences and qualifications, who would come very willingly if they were given such positions and hopes. If that happens in my time, they will be so well established that many who have served your Majesty well would desire it. The extraordinaryexpenses incurred by the royal Audiencia and the greed for the wealth of Mexico will be avoided; and the greed of both must oblige them to be honest and to govern well.When the residencia is taken from the governors they give it as if they had been imitating Moses or Joshua in their government. For as nearly all the citizens of these islands have come from Nueva España to serve for reasons of justice; and as there are others who do not wish that the present governor should note them as men who swear against the past governor, as he would think that they will do the same with him at his residencia; or so that the governor might not complain of them as having evil tongues; to tell the truth here is a great sin. No one is willing that the governor, when his residencia is taken, should impute any fault to him, or obtain any testimony as to the reason why he came here as an exile. Many other disadvantages arise, that cannot be written. In short, Sire, most people swear falsely; and those who do not, hide themselves, or retire in order not to testify. There are theologians who counsel them that they may deny the truth under oath, in order not to do wrong. This condition ought to be closely examined, and would be remedied by those commissions. Such persons should come from Madrid, and the persons who have to govern should live here.I petition your Majesty to be pleased to have this matter examined in your royal Council, for it is very important for your service. I discharge my conscience of what is in my care, by advising your Majesty of it. May our Lord preserve your Catholicperson, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six. Your vassal kisses the feet of your Majesty.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraManila, April 11, 1636. Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results [resultas] of these islands, in whose possession are the pay-checks of the general accounts of the royal treasury, shall certify at the foot of this decree the sum of pesos that have been paid from the royal treasury from the first of July, six hundred and thirty-five, to the last of June, six hundred and thirty-six, to various persons for pay-checks that the royal treasury owes them as pay for serving your Majesty, and for other reasons, by virtue of my decrees regarding the one-third, the owners voluntarily commuting to his Majesty the other two-thirds, in consideration of the needs and debt of the royal estate in these said islands. The certification shall be set forth in detail with the greatest clearness, together with the amount of the two-thirds of which a gift is made to his Majesty.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraFrancisco de OrtegaIn fulfilment of the above decree of Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera y Mendoza, governor and captain-general of these Filipinas Islands, and president of the royal Audiencia herein, I, Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results of the royal treasury in the islands, certify that among the original pay-checks for credits on the general accounts of the royal treasury for the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-five, when the treasury wasin charge of the royal official judges—namely, the accountant, Martin Ruiz de Salazar; the factor, Yñigo de Villarreal; and the treasurer, Don Baltasar Ruiz de Escalona—there appear those which will be stated here below, as having been paid to various persons to whom the royal estate owed them, as pay and daily wages, for services performed for his Majesty in various posts of sea, war, etc. [These were paid] up to one-third of their face value, by virtue of the decrees of the said governor—the other two-thirds having been given voluntarily, as a favor and proof of devotion to his Majesty, because of the obligations that were resting upon his royal treasury in these islands, as appears by the memoranda that each person presented, asking that they be paid in this manner, as is set down as in the said pay-checks. Those paid, their numbers in the files [legajos] of each department, together with the names of each person, the amount of the principal which was owing them, that of the third which was paid them, and that of the two-thirds which was commuted, are as follows:[A marginal note reads as follows: “Certification of the auditor of accounts that the two-thirds commuted by the owners of the pay-checks, amount topesostominsgranos4,295069,9232512,523534,912113,0951634,15019”]Factory Department13Number of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos3556111Juan Talag, an Indian145113130363200Juan Talag, an Indian105421283[7]1254Juan Talag, an Indian419831385600Juan Talag, an Indian185431283913135Juan Talag, an Indian4565915041423287 Indians141111142328[sic]45336009 Indians11200224005141441[sic]Pablo de la Oliva (paid one-half)23120231205734024Don Juan Sarapi11335226611623352Cintay, a Sangley1111122401,33006Pay of the Infantry of ManilaNumber of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos7614973Alférez Andres de Aguiar497999767728059Simon Sanchez9347187127811759Juan de Mendoza39111783107931653Domingo de Herrera105452110108022464Alfonso Rosario74751496118125705Antonio Gonzalez8555171308237000Antonio Gonzalez12328246548437352Antonio Gomez124442490108821909Alferez Luis de Villarreal7303146068912925Bartolome Martin6409128189029264Juan de Orgáz974919517919608Pedro Ponce320264069228030Juan Gomez Flores933818674967731Juan Navarro25645149974330Francisco Rodriguez Caballos156431489870010Manuel Vicente23274663103360010Juan Martin Roldan3207439091087224Juan Galo2409481711548611Fray Francisco Mexias162332481163500José Perez de Nava1154232811826361Jeronimo Enriquez87741756912043508Captain Juan Ruiz Barrientos1450229006124167410Julio Alonso55611111511Said pay of the Infantry of ManilaR[esult?]4,2950612650518Francisco de Leixas168323366613629474Don Juan Dolosit982519641113822142Captain Pedro de la Mata736814756Pay of the Infantry of MalucoNumber of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos11020658Alférez Juan de Montalvo68721376611159338Alférez Juan Palomo Holgado197663955211213642Alférez Juan de Santiago4504910211439620Alférez Diego Nabon, a Pampango132082641411520000Captain Juan de Mora66541332811611200Geronimo de Atiença3728745411751000Alférez Alonso Rosario Tenorio170003400011818403Alférez Pedro Melendez Marques6129122561191,53500Captain Alonso Serrano511401,023401201,66300Captain Don Esteban de Comosa y Losada554281,7085412119333Captain Don Alonso de Dueñas6439128761221,22240Captain Don Juan Garcia407408150012311044Alonso Umali3669735712454611Alférez Pablo Garcia1823364812535429Alférez Baltazar de Reyes11811023611012620900Captain Rodrigo de Cossa69541392812710025Sisto Ruiz3335667012921259Alférez Martin Lasangan70711416813115871Alférez Pablo Lili52781057513221754Alférez Pablo Malanson7245145011133679011Alférez Alonso Rosario22621145260134313410Alonso Maigal10443209071355151Agustín Ansay1718343513618927Lucas Cavasag630101261913732944Francisco Dumagui109682195513855327Alférez Cristobal Jaron184423686513934800Sergeant Nicolas Ciap116022320514030334Alonso Mangohat101112022314139767Alférez Juan Tubil1324102651914238862Miguel Cabalit1295425901014345276Alférez Diego Pilata1507103017814484851Alférez Agustin Lalung2827084851[sic]14521136Andres Naguit703101407814640000Diego Ruiz Galazzo133282665414762253Don Gaspar Dugui2074541501014820300Don Nicolas Manuel67541352814969462Andrés Balu, a Pampango231484631615025031Mateo Bela8338166751511,575011Juan Tambing525131,0500015231826Ygnacio Maudain1060102121815330019Juan de Vergara100072001215510000Francisco de Linares33286654156100011Juan Lauglaug33211666015714107Agustin Niri4702940515844010Pedro Benguit14510293015939044Agustin Tauding130152602111605819Pedro de Mora Salcedo1933386616839321Miguel Suboc13108262151771,00461Captain Juan Campal33474669691781,49445Captain Diego Bosog498159963018978360Francisco Quico261205224018021906Don Nicolas Banguit73021460418111536Don Lucas Lapor3831076781822,06164Don Marcos Puyat687211,3744318415223Captain Lazaro de Torres506110142185254010Nicolas Rosario84510163301864755Don Angel Manalit1571316418754751Alférez Agustin Banal1824436509188384311Juan Pay, a Pampango128102532118915527Francisco de Mendoza516210345190648611Lorenzo Soler216234324819117639Bernabé de Aguiar58671175219264849Matheo de Vila216174323219331901Antonio Viscayno106282125519417104Simon Ronquilo57011140319539938Alférez Damian Dalisay133122662619992046Captain Juan Gonzalez Melon3066106135820041453Domingo Mangonay1381927636
Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera[Endorsed:“Manila. Government matters. 1636.”“June ten, six hundred and thirty-eight.”“Ascertain whether anything has been written about this matter by the previous governors, and take it to the fiscal to be examined, together with what advices there are concerning this.”“It does not appear that the governors have written anything about this.”“The fiscal declares that since there are interested parties in this separation of the communal fund(namely, the Chinese of the Parián and those of Tondo), and since there is a suit pending between the two orders of St. Dominic and the Society, he cannot decide upon this matter until the parties have been heard in court, and the dispute between them settled according to law, especially if the facts are not evident by other authentic papers in this case which justify it, besides only this letter of the governor. Consequently, he opposes the approval that is requested, until he can examine in greater detail the things mentioned here by a more thorough knowledge of the cause, after the parties have been cited in court. Madrid, June 30, 1638.”“July 24, 638. The new governor who shall go [to the islands] shall, together with the Audiencia, investigate the matter.”][In the margin:“He proposes names for protector of the Chinese; and in the meantime, Doctor Luis Arias de Mora is appointed, to whom are assigned two hundred pesos in addition to the eight hundred that he receives as a salary, so that he may exercise his duties as the archbishop’s counselor jointly with this office.”]Sire:Your Majesty has ordered that your fiscal shall not be protector of the Chinese who live near the city, and that six persons be proposed so that your Majesty may choose according to your pleasure. All the time while I have been in this government, the said Chinese have been without a protector. Thus I have had the care and task of administering justice to them; and, although they have an alcalde-mayor, they are satisfied only with what rulings the government makes. This royal Audiencia has only threeadvocates—or four, counting Doctor Ledo, who is at present serving as your Majesty’s fiscal. I have appointed Doctor Luis Arias de Mora, who is the senior, and a person of excellent abilities, to attend to this matter until your Majesty shall order otherwise. Licentiate Nicolas Antonio de Omaña is also a good person, as is Licentiate Manuel Suarez de Olibera, who is serving as auditor-general and my assessor. I have assigned two hundred pesos additional salary to the eight hundred of the protectorship to Don Luis Arias de Mora; for, in addition to exercising this office, he is the archbishop’s counselor. Therefore he despatches and performs what pertains to him in ecclesiastical matters, without meddling with the royal patronage and jurisdiction of your Majesty, as the archbishop has tried to do hitherto. By that means I think that the archbishop will be quiet, and we shall be able to live in peace. Doctor Luis Arias is a person who merits honor from your Majesty by giving him this charge, in which he will be excellently employed. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Sire, your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera[Endorsed:“January 8, 637. Have him notified to observe the ordinance of November 22, 636, so that he may avoid new expenses of the treasury, and that no more salary be given than what is ordered.”]EncomiendasSire:Your Majesty has ordered that when persons who have been given encomiendas, and who have served in the islands, leave them, their encomiendas fallvacant, in order that they may be given to the most deserving who remain. Some persons have been able to negotiate and to obtain from your Majesty the favor and grace of being able to enjoy them for ten years, even though they live in Nueva España. Such are the adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, whose services and those of his father well deserve that honor and reward from your Majesty; also Don Fernando de Silva, of the Order of Santiago, who, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo, governed these islands with general approbation, and has served your Majesty for many years in the States of Flandes with the same approbation. Besides these, there are three others to whom your Majesty has granted the same favor, namely: Don Andres Perez Franco, who, although he has served for many years, and well, in the States of Flandes and in these islands, as he occupied good positions, took away from them one hundred thousand pesos, which is sufficient pay and remuneration for a soldier; besides that, the marquis of Cerralbo has given him a post in Nueva España in the castle and government of Vera Cruz. There are two other encomenderos: Don Fernando Centeno, who also took one hundred and fifty thousand pesos from here, and who also has been occupied and busied in the best posts of Nueva España by the same viceroy; and Esteban de Alcaçar, who took two hundred thousand pesos from here, to whom your Majesty had granted, as a reward, the government of Terrenate, but which he refused. As regards the services of Don Fernando Centeno, the soldiers speak of him with but scant respect. He was condemned to lose his head, for having refused to fight under Don Geronimo de Silva, on an occasionwhen they let the Dutch enemy escape, although the Spaniards could have punished their boldness; and also on other occasions, it is said that they did not proceed as honorable soldiers. I cannot attest to your Majesty what I have not seen, but the above is his reputation here. But granting that, and that one is occupied and the other does not admit of so honorable a post, it renders those who have served well, and are here at present, very disconsolate to see the former rewarded and very rich, and the latter poor and with no reward. And determining to inform your Majesty of all these reasons, and obeying the general decree by which no one may enjoy an encomienda if he leave these islands, and another special decree issued very recently, in which your Majesty is pleased to order some of the largest encomiendas to be assigned to the royal treasury, in order to give the religious the wine and oil which you have been pleased to grant them as a favor, so that it may not be necessary to take it from your royal treasury as has been done hitherto—I gave orders to the royal officials to place the proceeds of the three said encomiendas in the royal treasury, until, after your Majesty were informed of all the reasons which I present from here, you might order what is most advisable and is your pleasure.I petition your Majesty to be pleased to order that these consequences be not allowed; for with them, all those who should have ordinary favor with the viceroys of Nueva España, will take measures to obtain rewards there, seeking to enjoy at the same time those grants which they have here also in encomiendas, and will solicit that favor from your Majesty through third persons. This is to the injury and disappointmentof those who remain here, as I say above; and others will not be encouraged to come here, when they see beforehand the great troubles that they will undergo before they can merit and obtain some [reward] for living in so uncertain a country.Some of the encomiendas here are very large, having incomes of from one to four thousand pesos. If your Majesty be pleased to give me permission, so that they may be reduced to five hundred pesos, by dividing these among those who best deserve them, and are poorest, all will be rewarded and paid; and there will be much to give, and also to place in your Majesty’s royal treasury. The services [rendered] in these regions, Sire, are not so arduous that this should not be a good and sufficient reward, although those who are from Flandes know better how to exaggerate them. I shall await your Majesty’s order, for I have not learned in so many years aught else than to obey. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraAdministrative and financialSire:Your Majesty has conceded to your viceroys of Nueva España authority, in the case of deaths and vacancies in this government, to send commissions to those who are to have charge of military matters; and until the arrival of the regularly-appointed governor you order them to send another governor from Mexico. That has been done twice by the marquis de Cerralbo—once with Don Fernando de Silva, ofthe Habit of Santiago, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo; and [the other time] with Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, because of the death of Don Juan Niño de Tabora. Your Majesty is greatly disserved in all of the things that I shall now mention. First, when the Audiencia was governing the [royal] estate, your Majesty’s royal treasury was pledged to more than eighty or one hundred thousand pesos, which they obtained by a forced loan from the inhabitants, by placing soldiers of the guard in their houses, quartering these on them until they lent this money; and the officials spent the money in paying warrants that were ordered to be issued to please the soldiers and sailors. It has been the custom to order those warrants to be despatched so that they might be paid when there should be any money.As for those poor men, they have not been paid in one, three, ten, or fifteen years. They sell their warrants during such times for the fourth, fifth, or sixth part of their face value; and many have been paid at one hundred pesos for one thousand. The warrants are bought by the servants of the auditors, royal officials, governors, and other ministers, and to them is paid the face value. Thus the poor soldiers are so unjustly dispossessed of [the rewards for] their hardships; and on this account is your Majesty’s royal treasury so pledged. In the term of Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, more than one hundred thousand odd pesos had been paid in this kind of warrants. Your Majesty having issued a decree, in the time of Don Juan Niño de Tabora, ordering such warrants to be paid at the third of their face value, he began to do so one year with twelve thousand pesos, that he set apart for that purpose. Thesaid Don Juan Cerezo did not pursue the custom, as he declared that the said Don Juan Niño had exceeded the bounds in the execution of your Majesty’s decree. Although this charge was brought against him in the residencia, it was not proved that he had actually paid that sum during his term. It is, however, clear to me, outside of judgment, that his own secretary, while he was judge and collector of the licenses of the Sangleys, who should have deposited that money in your Majesty’s royal treasury, deposited a great sum of it in this kind of warrants; and so that it might not be proved judicially, the owners went to receive the money from the royal officials; and while they were there, and almost before their eyes, the said secretary again took it. And perhaps it happened that a soldier, having collected it, would say that he did not wish to return it, whereupon the secretary would give ten pesos for the transaction, and thus obtained his purpose. Although I was so sure and convinced of this truth, nevertheless, as it was not proved entirely in the residencia, I did not wish to render sentence on this point, but instead to send it to your Majesty’s royal Council; for I confess, Sire, that if I had committed that outrage, as I have investigated it, I would be of the opinion that your Majesty would not be fulfilling your duty, as a just king, if you did not order me to be beheaded. After my arrival at these islands, I immediately set about executing your Majesty’s decrees. I ordered, by an act, that all those persons to whom your Majesty owed money should come to ask the third of it, the other two-thirds being commuted, so that they could ask it at no future time. All have done it and up to date wehave paid in warrants of this kind the amount that your Majesty, if so inclined, can have examined from the enclosed certification, as well as what we have saved from the two-thirds that have been commuted.Returning, Sire, to the trouble that arises from having the persons whom the viceroy sends from Mexico in your Majesty’s name to governad interim, there is no one who does not take back one or two hundred thousand pesos, as agents for the said inhabitants of Mexico. That is very much to the damage and prejudice of this city, for how can the goods of the inhabitants here go, and how can they make any profit on them, if the goods of those Mexicans, which are carried under charge of the commander and almirante and the other officials (the creatures of the governor), are to be sold first? And since those governors only come for one or two years, they do not exercise justice, correct disorder, preserve the authority and jurisdiction of your Majesty, or undertake any other thing than living in peace; being the protectors of all, and good merchants, in order to return very rich; complaining loudly of the hardships that they experienced in coming to serve your Majesty; boasting of the many risks to their lives, and the many expenses paid from their own property; and giving the ignorant crowd to understand that your Majesty is under great obligations to them. All this, Sire, will cease, if your Majesty will send six gentlemen of thoroughly good abilities, soldiers of Flandes, to act as substitutes and who shall have commissions for the future succession to the government, through the death or absence [of the governor]. Such men can bring their commissions,sealed, from your Majesty, and should not come from Mexico. They can be employed here as follows: the first in the fort of this city; the second in that of Cavite, and in the government of the said port; the third in Terrenate; the fourth in the island of Hermosa; the fifth in the office of master-of-camp; the sixth as commander of the artillery, in the office of sargento-mayor, and as governor and chief justice of the Parián, or alcalde-mayor of Tondo. Encomiendas could be given to all of them, as these fall vacant, if they prove to render the services and possess the qualities that are requisite; and they could be changed about in these offices, whenever advisable, so that they might become experienced in the [various] departments. Whenever one of these should assume the government because of the death of the regularly-appointed governor, such should receive the same pay as he; and, if during his absence, that which he should be receiving. I bind myself to provide for all of them, so that they may be contented. I entreat your Majesty to make this resolution, for it is expedient for your royal service. All who should come should be knights of the military orders; so that both the vassals who have rendered homage, and the heathen and other inhabitants, may learn respect and veneration for the persons whom your Majesty assigns to succeed in the government. Your Majesty has many vassals who are soldiers, of the above excellences and qualifications, who would come very willingly if they were given such positions and hopes. If that happens in my time, they will be so well established that many who have served your Majesty well would desire it. The extraordinaryexpenses incurred by the royal Audiencia and the greed for the wealth of Mexico will be avoided; and the greed of both must oblige them to be honest and to govern well.When the residencia is taken from the governors they give it as if they had been imitating Moses or Joshua in their government. For as nearly all the citizens of these islands have come from Nueva España to serve for reasons of justice; and as there are others who do not wish that the present governor should note them as men who swear against the past governor, as he would think that they will do the same with him at his residencia; or so that the governor might not complain of them as having evil tongues; to tell the truth here is a great sin. No one is willing that the governor, when his residencia is taken, should impute any fault to him, or obtain any testimony as to the reason why he came here as an exile. Many other disadvantages arise, that cannot be written. In short, Sire, most people swear falsely; and those who do not, hide themselves, or retire in order not to testify. There are theologians who counsel them that they may deny the truth under oath, in order not to do wrong. This condition ought to be closely examined, and would be remedied by those commissions. Such persons should come from Madrid, and the persons who have to govern should live here.I petition your Majesty to be pleased to have this matter examined in your royal Council, for it is very important for your service. I discharge my conscience of what is in my care, by advising your Majesty of it. May our Lord preserve your Catholicperson, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six. Your vassal kisses the feet of your Majesty.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraManila, April 11, 1636. Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results [resultas] of these islands, in whose possession are the pay-checks of the general accounts of the royal treasury, shall certify at the foot of this decree the sum of pesos that have been paid from the royal treasury from the first of July, six hundred and thirty-five, to the last of June, six hundred and thirty-six, to various persons for pay-checks that the royal treasury owes them as pay for serving your Majesty, and for other reasons, by virtue of my decrees regarding the one-third, the owners voluntarily commuting to his Majesty the other two-thirds, in consideration of the needs and debt of the royal estate in these said islands. The certification shall be set forth in detail with the greatest clearness, together with the amount of the two-thirds of which a gift is made to his Majesty.Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraFrancisco de OrtegaIn fulfilment of the above decree of Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera y Mendoza, governor and captain-general of these Filipinas Islands, and president of the royal Audiencia herein, I, Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results of the royal treasury in the islands, certify that among the original pay-checks for credits on the general accounts of the royal treasury for the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-five, when the treasury wasin charge of the royal official judges—namely, the accountant, Martin Ruiz de Salazar; the factor, Yñigo de Villarreal; and the treasurer, Don Baltasar Ruiz de Escalona—there appear those which will be stated here below, as having been paid to various persons to whom the royal estate owed them, as pay and daily wages, for services performed for his Majesty in various posts of sea, war, etc. [These were paid] up to one-third of their face value, by virtue of the decrees of the said governor—the other two-thirds having been given voluntarily, as a favor and proof of devotion to his Majesty, because of the obligations that were resting upon his royal treasury in these islands, as appears by the memoranda that each person presented, asking that they be paid in this manner, as is set down as in the said pay-checks. Those paid, their numbers in the files [legajos] of each department, together with the names of each person, the amount of the principal which was owing them, that of the third which was paid them, and that of the two-thirds which was commuted, are as follows:[A marginal note reads as follows: “Certification of the auditor of accounts that the two-thirds commuted by the owners of the pay-checks, amount topesostominsgranos4,295069,9232512,523534,912113,0951634,15019”]Factory Department13Number of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos3556111Juan Talag, an Indian145113130363200Juan Talag, an Indian105421283[7]1254Juan Talag, an Indian419831385600Juan Talag, an Indian185431283913135Juan Talag, an Indian4565915041423287 Indians141111142328[sic]45336009 Indians11200224005141441[sic]Pablo de la Oliva (paid one-half)23120231205734024Don Juan Sarapi11335226611623352Cintay, a Sangley1111122401,33006Pay of the Infantry of ManilaNumber of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos7614973Alférez Andres de Aguiar497999767728059Simon Sanchez9347187127811759Juan de Mendoza39111783107931653Domingo de Herrera105452110108022464Alfonso Rosario74751496118125705Antonio Gonzalez8555171308237000Antonio Gonzalez12328246548437352Antonio Gomez124442490108821909Alferez Luis de Villarreal7303146068912925Bartolome Martin6409128189029264Juan de Orgáz974919517919608Pedro Ponce320264069228030Juan Gomez Flores933818674967731Juan Navarro25645149974330Francisco Rodriguez Caballos156431489870010Manuel Vicente23274663103360010Juan Martin Roldan3207439091087224Juan Galo2409481711548611Fray Francisco Mexias162332481163500José Perez de Nava1154232811826361Jeronimo Enriquez87741756912043508Captain Juan Ruiz Barrientos1450229006124167410Julio Alonso55611111511Said pay of the Infantry of ManilaR[esult?]4,2950612650518Francisco de Leixas168323366613629474Don Juan Dolosit982519641113822142Captain Pedro de la Mata736814756Pay of the Infantry of MalucoNumber of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos11020658Alférez Juan de Montalvo68721376611159338Alférez Juan Palomo Holgado197663955211213642Alférez Juan de Santiago4504910211439620Alférez Diego Nabon, a Pampango132082641411520000Captain Juan de Mora66541332811611200Geronimo de Atiença3728745411751000Alférez Alonso Rosario Tenorio170003400011818403Alférez Pedro Melendez Marques6129122561191,53500Captain Alonso Serrano511401,023401201,66300Captain Don Esteban de Comosa y Losada554281,7085412119333Captain Don Alonso de Dueñas6439128761221,22240Captain Don Juan Garcia407408150012311044Alonso Umali3669735712454611Alférez Pablo Garcia1823364812535429Alférez Baltazar de Reyes11811023611012620900Captain Rodrigo de Cossa69541392812710025Sisto Ruiz3335667012921259Alférez Martin Lasangan70711416813115871Alférez Pablo Lili52781057513221754Alférez Pablo Malanson7245145011133679011Alférez Alonso Rosario22621145260134313410Alonso Maigal10443209071355151Agustín Ansay1718343513618927Lucas Cavasag630101261913732944Francisco Dumagui109682195513855327Alférez Cristobal Jaron184423686513934800Sergeant Nicolas Ciap116022320514030334Alonso Mangohat101112022314139767Alférez Juan Tubil1324102651914238862Miguel Cabalit1295425901014345276Alférez Diego Pilata1507103017814484851Alférez Agustin Lalung2827084851[sic]14521136Andres Naguit703101407814640000Diego Ruiz Galazzo133282665414762253Don Gaspar Dugui2074541501014820300Don Nicolas Manuel67541352814969462Andrés Balu, a Pampango231484631615025031Mateo Bela8338166751511,575011Juan Tambing525131,0500015231826Ygnacio Maudain1060102121815330019Juan de Vergara100072001215510000Francisco de Linares33286654156100011Juan Lauglaug33211666015714107Agustin Niri4702940515844010Pedro Benguit14510293015939044Agustin Tauding130152602111605819Pedro de Mora Salcedo1933386616839321Miguel Suboc13108262151771,00461Captain Juan Campal33474669691781,49445Captain Diego Bosog498159963018978360Francisco Quico261205224018021906Don Nicolas Banguit73021460418111536Don Lucas Lapor3831076781822,06164Don Marcos Puyat687211,3744318415223Captain Lazaro de Torres506110142185254010Nicolas Rosario84510163301864755Don Angel Manalit1571316418754751Alférez Agustin Banal1824436509188384311Juan Pay, a Pampango128102532118915527Francisco de Mendoza516210345190648611Lorenzo Soler216234324819117639Bernabé de Aguiar58671175219264849Matheo de Vila216174323219331901Antonio Viscayno106282125519417104Simon Ronquilo57011140319539938Alférez Damian Dalisay133122662619992046Captain Juan Gonzalez Melon3066106135820041453Domingo Mangonay1381927636
Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera
[Endorsed:“Manila. Government matters. 1636.”
“June ten, six hundred and thirty-eight.”
“Ascertain whether anything has been written about this matter by the previous governors, and take it to the fiscal to be examined, together with what advices there are concerning this.”
“It does not appear that the governors have written anything about this.”
“The fiscal declares that since there are interested parties in this separation of the communal fund(namely, the Chinese of the Parián and those of Tondo), and since there is a suit pending between the two orders of St. Dominic and the Society, he cannot decide upon this matter until the parties have been heard in court, and the dispute between them settled according to law, especially if the facts are not evident by other authentic papers in this case which justify it, besides only this letter of the governor. Consequently, he opposes the approval that is requested, until he can examine in greater detail the things mentioned here by a more thorough knowledge of the cause, after the parties have been cited in court. Madrid, June 30, 1638.”
“July 24, 638. The new governor who shall go [to the islands] shall, together with the Audiencia, investigate the matter.”]
[In the margin:“He proposes names for protector of the Chinese; and in the meantime, Doctor Luis Arias de Mora is appointed, to whom are assigned two hundred pesos in addition to the eight hundred that he receives as a salary, so that he may exercise his duties as the archbishop’s counselor jointly with this office.”]
Sire:
Your Majesty has ordered that your fiscal shall not be protector of the Chinese who live near the city, and that six persons be proposed so that your Majesty may choose according to your pleasure. All the time while I have been in this government, the said Chinese have been without a protector. Thus I have had the care and task of administering justice to them; and, although they have an alcalde-mayor, they are satisfied only with what rulings the government makes. This royal Audiencia has only threeadvocates—or four, counting Doctor Ledo, who is at present serving as your Majesty’s fiscal. I have appointed Doctor Luis Arias de Mora, who is the senior, and a person of excellent abilities, to attend to this matter until your Majesty shall order otherwise. Licentiate Nicolas Antonio de Omaña is also a good person, as is Licentiate Manuel Suarez de Olibera, who is serving as auditor-general and my assessor. I have assigned two hundred pesos additional salary to the eight hundred of the protectorship to Don Luis Arias de Mora; for, in addition to exercising this office, he is the archbishop’s counselor. Therefore he despatches and performs what pertains to him in ecclesiastical matters, without meddling with the royal patronage and jurisdiction of your Majesty, as the archbishop has tried to do hitherto. By that means I think that the archbishop will be quiet, and we shall be able to live in peace. Doctor Luis Arias is a person who merits honor from your Majesty by giving him this charge, in which he will be excellently employed. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Sire, your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.
Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera
[Endorsed:“January 8, 637. Have him notified to observe the ordinance of November 22, 636, so that he may avoid new expenses of the treasury, and that no more salary be given than what is ordered.”]
Encomiendas
Sire:
Your Majesty has ordered that when persons who have been given encomiendas, and who have served in the islands, leave them, their encomiendas fallvacant, in order that they may be given to the most deserving who remain. Some persons have been able to negotiate and to obtain from your Majesty the favor and grace of being able to enjoy them for ten years, even though they live in Nueva España. Such are the adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, whose services and those of his father well deserve that honor and reward from your Majesty; also Don Fernando de Silva, of the Order of Santiago, who, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo, governed these islands with general approbation, and has served your Majesty for many years in the States of Flandes with the same approbation. Besides these, there are three others to whom your Majesty has granted the same favor, namely: Don Andres Perez Franco, who, although he has served for many years, and well, in the States of Flandes and in these islands, as he occupied good positions, took away from them one hundred thousand pesos, which is sufficient pay and remuneration for a soldier; besides that, the marquis of Cerralbo has given him a post in Nueva España in the castle and government of Vera Cruz. There are two other encomenderos: Don Fernando Centeno, who also took one hundred and fifty thousand pesos from here, and who also has been occupied and busied in the best posts of Nueva España by the same viceroy; and Esteban de Alcaçar, who took two hundred thousand pesos from here, to whom your Majesty had granted, as a reward, the government of Terrenate, but which he refused. As regards the services of Don Fernando Centeno, the soldiers speak of him with but scant respect. He was condemned to lose his head, for having refused to fight under Don Geronimo de Silva, on an occasionwhen they let the Dutch enemy escape, although the Spaniards could have punished their boldness; and also on other occasions, it is said that they did not proceed as honorable soldiers. I cannot attest to your Majesty what I have not seen, but the above is his reputation here. But granting that, and that one is occupied and the other does not admit of so honorable a post, it renders those who have served well, and are here at present, very disconsolate to see the former rewarded and very rich, and the latter poor and with no reward. And determining to inform your Majesty of all these reasons, and obeying the general decree by which no one may enjoy an encomienda if he leave these islands, and another special decree issued very recently, in which your Majesty is pleased to order some of the largest encomiendas to be assigned to the royal treasury, in order to give the religious the wine and oil which you have been pleased to grant them as a favor, so that it may not be necessary to take it from your royal treasury as has been done hitherto—I gave orders to the royal officials to place the proceeds of the three said encomiendas in the royal treasury, until, after your Majesty were informed of all the reasons which I present from here, you might order what is most advisable and is your pleasure.
I petition your Majesty to be pleased to order that these consequences be not allowed; for with them, all those who should have ordinary favor with the viceroys of Nueva España, will take measures to obtain rewards there, seeking to enjoy at the same time those grants which they have here also in encomiendas, and will solicit that favor from your Majesty through third persons. This is to the injury and disappointmentof those who remain here, as I say above; and others will not be encouraged to come here, when they see beforehand the great troubles that they will undergo before they can merit and obtain some [reward] for living in so uncertain a country.
Some of the encomiendas here are very large, having incomes of from one to four thousand pesos. If your Majesty be pleased to give me permission, so that they may be reduced to five hundred pesos, by dividing these among those who best deserve them, and are poorest, all will be rewarded and paid; and there will be much to give, and also to place in your Majesty’s royal treasury. The services [rendered] in these regions, Sire, are not so arduous that this should not be a good and sufficient reward, although those who are from Flandes know better how to exaggerate them. I shall await your Majesty’s order, for I have not learned in so many years aught else than to obey. May our Lord preserve your Majesty’s Catholic person, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Your vassal kisses your Majesty’s feet.
Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera
Administrative and financial
Sire:
Your Majesty has conceded to your viceroys of Nueva España authority, in the case of deaths and vacancies in this government, to send commissions to those who are to have charge of military matters; and until the arrival of the regularly-appointed governor you order them to send another governor from Mexico. That has been done twice by the marquis de Cerralbo—once with Don Fernando de Silva, ofthe Habit of Santiago, because of the death of Don Alonso Faxardo; and [the other time] with Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, because of the death of Don Juan Niño de Tabora. Your Majesty is greatly disserved in all of the things that I shall now mention. First, when the Audiencia was governing the [royal] estate, your Majesty’s royal treasury was pledged to more than eighty or one hundred thousand pesos, which they obtained by a forced loan from the inhabitants, by placing soldiers of the guard in their houses, quartering these on them until they lent this money; and the officials spent the money in paying warrants that were ordered to be issued to please the soldiers and sailors. It has been the custom to order those warrants to be despatched so that they might be paid when there should be any money.
As for those poor men, they have not been paid in one, three, ten, or fifteen years. They sell their warrants during such times for the fourth, fifth, or sixth part of their face value; and many have been paid at one hundred pesos for one thousand. The warrants are bought by the servants of the auditors, royal officials, governors, and other ministers, and to them is paid the face value. Thus the poor soldiers are so unjustly dispossessed of [the rewards for] their hardships; and on this account is your Majesty’s royal treasury so pledged. In the term of Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, more than one hundred thousand odd pesos had been paid in this kind of warrants. Your Majesty having issued a decree, in the time of Don Juan Niño de Tabora, ordering such warrants to be paid at the third of their face value, he began to do so one year with twelve thousand pesos, that he set apart for that purpose. Thesaid Don Juan Cerezo did not pursue the custom, as he declared that the said Don Juan Niño had exceeded the bounds in the execution of your Majesty’s decree. Although this charge was brought against him in the residencia, it was not proved that he had actually paid that sum during his term. It is, however, clear to me, outside of judgment, that his own secretary, while he was judge and collector of the licenses of the Sangleys, who should have deposited that money in your Majesty’s royal treasury, deposited a great sum of it in this kind of warrants; and so that it might not be proved judicially, the owners went to receive the money from the royal officials; and while they were there, and almost before their eyes, the said secretary again took it. And perhaps it happened that a soldier, having collected it, would say that he did not wish to return it, whereupon the secretary would give ten pesos for the transaction, and thus obtained his purpose. Although I was so sure and convinced of this truth, nevertheless, as it was not proved entirely in the residencia, I did not wish to render sentence on this point, but instead to send it to your Majesty’s royal Council; for I confess, Sire, that if I had committed that outrage, as I have investigated it, I would be of the opinion that your Majesty would not be fulfilling your duty, as a just king, if you did not order me to be beheaded. After my arrival at these islands, I immediately set about executing your Majesty’s decrees. I ordered, by an act, that all those persons to whom your Majesty owed money should come to ask the third of it, the other two-thirds being commuted, so that they could ask it at no future time. All have done it and up to date wehave paid in warrants of this kind the amount that your Majesty, if so inclined, can have examined from the enclosed certification, as well as what we have saved from the two-thirds that have been commuted.
Returning, Sire, to the trouble that arises from having the persons whom the viceroy sends from Mexico in your Majesty’s name to governad interim, there is no one who does not take back one or two hundred thousand pesos, as agents for the said inhabitants of Mexico. That is very much to the damage and prejudice of this city, for how can the goods of the inhabitants here go, and how can they make any profit on them, if the goods of those Mexicans, which are carried under charge of the commander and almirante and the other officials (the creatures of the governor), are to be sold first? And since those governors only come for one or two years, they do not exercise justice, correct disorder, preserve the authority and jurisdiction of your Majesty, or undertake any other thing than living in peace; being the protectors of all, and good merchants, in order to return very rich; complaining loudly of the hardships that they experienced in coming to serve your Majesty; boasting of the many risks to their lives, and the many expenses paid from their own property; and giving the ignorant crowd to understand that your Majesty is under great obligations to them. All this, Sire, will cease, if your Majesty will send six gentlemen of thoroughly good abilities, soldiers of Flandes, to act as substitutes and who shall have commissions for the future succession to the government, through the death or absence [of the governor]. Such men can bring their commissions,sealed, from your Majesty, and should not come from Mexico. They can be employed here as follows: the first in the fort of this city; the second in that of Cavite, and in the government of the said port; the third in Terrenate; the fourth in the island of Hermosa; the fifth in the office of master-of-camp; the sixth as commander of the artillery, in the office of sargento-mayor, and as governor and chief justice of the Parián, or alcalde-mayor of Tondo. Encomiendas could be given to all of them, as these fall vacant, if they prove to render the services and possess the qualities that are requisite; and they could be changed about in these offices, whenever advisable, so that they might become experienced in the [various] departments. Whenever one of these should assume the government because of the death of the regularly-appointed governor, such should receive the same pay as he; and, if during his absence, that which he should be receiving. I bind myself to provide for all of them, so that they may be contented. I entreat your Majesty to make this resolution, for it is expedient for your royal service. All who should come should be knights of the military orders; so that both the vassals who have rendered homage, and the heathen and other inhabitants, may learn respect and veneration for the persons whom your Majesty assigns to succeed in the government. Your Majesty has many vassals who are soldiers, of the above excellences and qualifications, who would come very willingly if they were given such positions and hopes. If that happens in my time, they will be so well established that many who have served your Majesty well would desire it. The extraordinaryexpenses incurred by the royal Audiencia and the greed for the wealth of Mexico will be avoided; and the greed of both must oblige them to be honest and to govern well.
When the residencia is taken from the governors they give it as if they had been imitating Moses or Joshua in their government. For as nearly all the citizens of these islands have come from Nueva España to serve for reasons of justice; and as there are others who do not wish that the present governor should note them as men who swear against the past governor, as he would think that they will do the same with him at his residencia; or so that the governor might not complain of them as having evil tongues; to tell the truth here is a great sin. No one is willing that the governor, when his residencia is taken, should impute any fault to him, or obtain any testimony as to the reason why he came here as an exile. Many other disadvantages arise, that cannot be written. In short, Sire, most people swear falsely; and those who do not, hide themselves, or retire in order not to testify. There are theologians who counsel them that they may deny the truth under oath, in order not to do wrong. This condition ought to be closely examined, and would be remedied by those commissions. Such persons should come from Madrid, and the persons who have to govern should live here.
I petition your Majesty to be pleased to have this matter examined in your royal Council, for it is very important for your service. I discharge my conscience of what is in my care, by advising your Majesty of it. May our Lord preserve your Catholicperson, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six. Your vassal kisses the feet of your Majesty.
Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera
Manila, April 11, 1636. Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results [resultas] of these islands, in whose possession are the pay-checks of the general accounts of the royal treasury, shall certify at the foot of this decree the sum of pesos that have been paid from the royal treasury from the first of July, six hundred and thirty-five, to the last of June, six hundred and thirty-six, to various persons for pay-checks that the royal treasury owes them as pay for serving your Majesty, and for other reasons, by virtue of my decrees regarding the one-third, the owners voluntarily commuting to his Majesty the other two-thirds, in consideration of the needs and debt of the royal estate in these said islands. The certification shall be set forth in detail with the greatest clearness, together with the amount of the two-thirds of which a gift is made to his Majesty.
Sebastian Hurtado de CorcueraFrancisco de Ortega
In fulfilment of the above decree of Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera y Mendoza, governor and captain-general of these Filipinas Islands, and president of the royal Audiencia herein, I, Juan Bautista de Çubiaga, auditor of accounts and results of the royal treasury in the islands, certify that among the original pay-checks for credits on the general accounts of the royal treasury for the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-five, when the treasury wasin charge of the royal official judges—namely, the accountant, Martin Ruiz de Salazar; the factor, Yñigo de Villarreal; and the treasurer, Don Baltasar Ruiz de Escalona—there appear those which will be stated here below, as having been paid to various persons to whom the royal estate owed them, as pay and daily wages, for services performed for his Majesty in various posts of sea, war, etc. [These were paid] up to one-third of their face value, by virtue of the decrees of the said governor—the other two-thirds having been given voluntarily, as a favor and proof of devotion to his Majesty, because of the obligations that were resting upon his royal treasury in these islands, as appears by the memoranda that each person presented, asking that they be paid in this manner, as is set down as in the said pay-checks. Those paid, their numbers in the files [legajos] of each department, together with the names of each person, the amount of the principal which was owing them, that of the third which was paid them, and that of the two-thirds which was commuted, are as follows:
[A marginal note reads as follows: “Certification of the auditor of accounts that the two-thirds commuted by the owners of the pay-checks, amount to
pesostominsgranos4,295069,9232512,523534,912113,0951634,15019”]
Factory Department13
Number of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos3556111Juan Talag, an Indian145113130363200Juan Talag, an Indian105421283[7]1254Juan Talag, an Indian419831385600Juan Talag, an Indian185431283913135Juan Talag, an Indian4565915041423287 Indians141111142328[sic]45336009 Indians11200224005141441[sic]Pablo de la Oliva (paid one-half)23120231205734024Don Juan Sarapi11335226611623352Cintay, a Sangley1111122401,33006
Pay of the Infantry of Manila
Number of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos7614973Alférez Andres de Aguiar497999767728059Simon Sanchez9347187127811759Juan de Mendoza39111783107931653Domingo de Herrera105452110108022464Alfonso Rosario74751496118125705Antonio Gonzalez8555171308237000Antonio Gonzalez12328246548437352Antonio Gomez124442490108821909Alferez Luis de Villarreal7303146068912925Bartolome Martin6409128189029264Juan de Orgáz974919517919608Pedro Ponce320264069228030Juan Gomez Flores933818674967731Juan Navarro25645149974330Francisco Rodriguez Caballos156431489870010Manuel Vicente23274663103360010Juan Martin Roldan3207439091087224Juan Galo2409481711548611Fray Francisco Mexias162332481163500José Perez de Nava1154232811826361Jeronimo Enriquez87741756912043508Captain Juan Ruiz Barrientos1450229006124167410Julio Alonso55611111511Said pay of the Infantry of ManilaR[esult?]4,2950612650518Francisco de Leixas168323366613629474Don Juan Dolosit982519641113822142Captain Pedro de la Mata736814756
Pay of the Infantry of Maluco
Number of pay-checkAmount of pay-checkDue toAmount paidAmount commutedpesostominsgranospesostominsgranospesostominsgranos11020658Alférez Juan de Montalvo68721376611159338Alférez Juan Palomo Holgado197663955211213642Alférez Juan de Santiago4504910211439620Alférez Diego Nabon, a Pampango132082641411520000Captain Juan de Mora66541332811611200Geronimo de Atiença3728745411751000Alférez Alonso Rosario Tenorio170003400011818403Alférez Pedro Melendez Marques6129122561191,53500Captain Alonso Serrano511401,023401201,66300Captain Don Esteban de Comosa y Losada554281,7085412119333Captain Don Alonso de Dueñas6439128761221,22240Captain Don Juan Garcia407408150012311044Alonso Umali3669735712454611Alférez Pablo Garcia1823364812535429Alférez Baltazar de Reyes11811023611012620900Captain Rodrigo de Cossa69541392812710025Sisto Ruiz3335667012921259Alférez Martin Lasangan70711416813115871Alférez Pablo Lili52781057513221754Alférez Pablo Malanson7245145011133679011Alférez Alonso Rosario22621145260134313410Alonso Maigal10443209071355151Agustín Ansay1718343513618927Lucas Cavasag630101261913732944Francisco Dumagui109682195513855327Alférez Cristobal Jaron184423686513934800Sergeant Nicolas Ciap116022320514030334Alonso Mangohat101112022314139767Alférez Juan Tubil1324102651914238862Miguel Cabalit1295425901014345276Alférez Diego Pilata1507103017814484851Alférez Agustin Lalung2827084851[sic]14521136Andres Naguit703101407814640000Diego Ruiz Galazzo133282665414762253Don Gaspar Dugui2074541501014820300Don Nicolas Manuel67541352814969462Andrés Balu, a Pampango231484631615025031Mateo Bela8338166751511,575011Juan Tambing525131,0500015231826Ygnacio Maudain1060102121815330019Juan de Vergara100072001215510000Francisco de Linares33286654156100011Juan Lauglaug33211666015714107Agustin Niri4702940515844010Pedro Benguit14510293015939044Agustin Tauding130152602111605819Pedro de Mora Salcedo1933386616839321Miguel Suboc13108262151771,00461Captain Juan Campal33474669691781,49445Captain Diego Bosog498159963018978360Francisco Quico261205224018021906Don Nicolas Banguit73021460418111536Don Lucas Lapor3831076781822,06164Don Marcos Puyat687211,3744318415223Captain Lazaro de Torres506110142185254010Nicolas Rosario84510163301864755Don Angel Manalit1571316418754751Alférez Agustin Banal1824436509188384311Juan Pay, a Pampango128102532118915527Francisco de Mendoza516210345190648611Lorenzo Soler216234324819117639Bernabé de Aguiar58671175219264849Matheo de Vila216174323219331901Antonio Viscayno106282125519417104Simon Ronquilo57011140319539938Alférez Damian Dalisay133122662619992046Captain Juan Gonzalez Melon3066106135820041453Domingo Mangonay1381927636