The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 08 of 55: 1591-1593; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 08 of 55: 1591-1593; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
requires as effectual a remedy as you can provide; and I therefore
charge you to "decide in this what appears to you to accord with the
judgment of the bishop." This does not mean to commit the affair to
him alone; but, after hearing his opinion, and having examined his
discussion and treatment of the matter with me, I am to resolve upon
what measures are best for the remedy thereof, and then in the name of
your Majesty provide and carry out that remedy, and have it observed
most punctiliously. Further, I told him that two-thirds of the number
of religious are of this opinion and sentiment, contrary to that of
the bishop; moreover that the bishop himself and all the theologians
were lately of one mind in this matter, but that now the bishop alone
disagrees; and that I think I make no mistake in being guided by so
many learned opinions in a matter which I find to be of service to
God and my king. Furthermore, I replied to various inquiries that
he made of me, such as the remedy which had been brought to bear in
these things, and the resulting benefit. My answer is so long, that in
order not to be detailed here, I refer your Majesty to the aforesaid
reply, as well as to the result obtained, which I show there, and
to the orders now in force. I see no other remedy than to take the
matter as I find it. I see that for lack of justice nothing can be
collected, as the Indian receives no benefit. I wish to establish
justice for administration and government, and for dealings with
and good management of the Indians, that both your Majesty and the
encomenderos should receive profit; and that the royal estate should
not suffer, nor the encomendero starve, abandon everything, and go
away. For your Majesty's share alone there would necessarily be more
than a hundred and fifty thousand pesos of restitution, not to count
thirty thousand pesos of income which would be lost from the present
tributes (for all the encomiendas belong to your Majesty); and these
islands would be left alone without a single soldier, and with only
the bishop and the religious, so that within one week there would be
neither the one nor the other. I assured him, in fact, that without
express order from your Majesty I could not curtail or diminish the
royal income or alter the encomiendas from their first establishment,
which they have had for twenty-six years. I answered him fully in
respect to the establishment of justice where there is none, and the
great good that would result therefrom. I urged him to appoint laymen
of good life and example, who, while there are no religious there,
may instruct and bring them up in the holy faith, as your Majesty
commands in the royal charge regarding presentations--to which the
bishop never has given me an answer. I told him that finally, in
these two ways, it will be brought about that they will not be left
alone and intractable, and thus ready to rebel and rise in two days'
time. It were well that these laymen of good life, when religious are
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