[56] _Voyage_, ii, p. 153. "The Royal Audience was established to restrain the despotism of the Governors, which it has never prevented; for the gentlemen of the gown are always weak-kneed and the Governor can send them under guard to Spain, pack them oft to the provinces to take a census of the Indians or imprison them, which has been done several times without any serious consequences." Zúñiga: _Estadismo de las Islas Filipinos o mis Viages por este Pais_, ed. Retana, i, p. 244. [57] "Cuando se pusieren edictos, publicaren, y pregonaren las residencias, sea de forma que vengan á noticia de los Indios, para que puedan pedir justicia de sus agravios con entera libertad." _Law of 1556_, lib. v, tit. xv, ley xxviii of the _Recopilacion de Leyes de los Reinos de las Indias_. [58] _Recopilacion_, lib. v, tit. xv, ley vii. [59] Churchill's _Voyages_, iv, pp. 427-428. [60] "I request the reader not to infer from my opinion of the tribunals of residence, my confidence in their efficacy. My homage is immediately and solely addressed to the wisdom of the law. I resign all criticism on its operation, to those who know the seductive influence of Plutus over the feeble and pliant Themis." De Pons: _Voyage to the Eastern Part of Terra Firma or the Spanish Main in South America during the years 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804_. New York, 1806, ii, p. 25. [61] "Une loi très-sage, mais malheureusement sans effet, qui devrait modérer cette autorité excessive, est celle qui permet à chaque citoyen de poursuivre le gouverneur vétéran devant son successeur; mais celui-ci est intéressé à excuser tout ce qu'on reproche à son prédécesseur; et le citoyen assez téméraire pour se plaindre, est exposé à de nouvelles et à de plus fortes vexations." _Voyage de La Pérouse autour du Monde_. Paris, 1797, ii, p. 350. [62] His comments on the kind of officials needed are not without interest today: "A governor must understand war but he must not be over confident of his abilities. Let him give ear to the advice of those who know the country where things are managed very differently from what they are in Europe. Those who have tried to carry on war in the islands as it is carried on in Flanders and elsewhere in Europe have fallen into irreparable mistakes. The main thing, however, is to aim at the welfare of the people, to treat them kindly, to be friendly toward foreigners, to take pains to have the ships for New Spain sail promptly and in good order, to promote trade with neighboring people and to encourage ship-building. In a word, to live with the Indians rather like a father than like a governor." _Relation et Memorial de l'etat des Isles Philippines, et des Isles Moluques_ by Ferdinand de los Rios Coronel, Prestre et Procureur General des Isles Philippines, etc. _Thevenot_, ii (p. 23 of the Relation). [63] Morga, p. 345. _Recopilacion_, lib. ii, tit. xv, ley xi. [64] _Ibid_., ley lviii. Le Gentil, ii, pp. 159, 161. [65] _Recopilacion_, lib. ii, tit. xv, ley xi.