The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 09 of 55: 1593-1597; 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 09 of 55: 1593-1597; 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
Having ascertained very carefully the extortions and injuries
inflicted on the Indians by the encomenderos and their collectors,
in the collection of their tributes, I have thought that it might be
a good plan to have the tributes of all the encomiendas collected
in your Majesty's name, and placed in the royal treasury; then
they could be paid out from it to the encomenderos. By this method
innumerable acts of tyranny and insolence would be avoided, which
can not be remedied, especially in encomiendas distant from here one
hundred, one hundred and fifty, or two hundred leguas. Not one case
of punishment has occurred in these encomiendas, although there are
wrongs. We must go there with the authority of the law. Thus all the
encomiendas would have but one master and true proprietor--namely,
your Majesty. The collectors would be appointed by one person, and
would be men of merit, and conscientious and moral. The estate of
the temporal [12] encomenderos would be managed for them at less cost
than they themselves would incur therein, and all the tributes would
be collected without any care or trouble on their part. Although this
might be somewhat severe on those who already possess encomiendas,
it might at least be adopted for those in the future who are granted
favors and new appointments (just as if the encomienda were vacant),
so that this so commendable usage might be introduced. In reality
the value of the encomienda would be given to them, minus the cost of
collection; and the instruction, would be much better paid, although
this latter is regulated as carefully as possible. By this method,
too, certain soldiers who are poor and still in service could be
appointed to make these collections. May our Lord, etc. From Manila,
June xx, 1593.
_Gomez Perez Dasmariñas_
Sire:
Because of the great need, I have granted in your Majesty's name a
license for this once for the printing of the "Christian Doctrine,"
copies of which I enclose herewith--one in the Tagal language, which
is the native and the best language of these islands, and the other
in the Chinese language. [13] I hope that great benefits will result
therefrom in the conversion and instruction of the people of both
nations. And because the countries of the Yndias are on a larger scale
in everything, and because things are more expensive in them, I have
set the price at four reals apiece until your Majesty is pleased to
decree what is to be done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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