Your Majesty has a royal Audiencia in these island with four auditors, one fiscal, and other officers, whereby your Majesty spends each year sixteen thousand five hundred pesos. It seems that this might be dispensed with for the reasons set forth in the paper which goes with this, and to which I refer, only adding (what I may say in all truth) that, although this commonwealth is in the greatest trouble, through the many causes of death, wars, conflagrations, afflictions, shipwrecks, and the destruction of so much property, as your Majesty has learned, there is nothing which it feels more keenly today, or which afflicts it more, than to have the Audiencia here judging, and with it to lack all freedom of person or property. The name of auditor is so odious here that it alone offends; and we have come to such a state of affairs that because I, in conformity to what your Majesty has ordered, have attempted to maintain and have maintained amicable relations with the auditors; and have shown, on various occasions, more patience and endurance than the people considered right; and more than seemed fitting to my situation, in order not to give rise to scandal: some have conceived hatred for me, publicly saying that, to comply with the expenditures and opinions of the said auditors, I was neglecting to look after them, and that I could correct the evil which the Audiencia was doing. But as I cannot do that, it has seemed to me the best means to let the public see that there was good feeling between me and the Audiencia, and to give an account to your Majesty now of the reasons which lead me to this conclusion, in a letter separate from other matters, as I am now doing, and to which I refer you. I shall end by saying that I remind your Majesty that no private interest moves me to take this step, but merely the obligation and zeal which I have always had and now have for the service of your Majesty. This is vouched for by the fact that, a year ago, I sent my brothers the order and authority to beseech your Majesty to be pleased to grant me the favor of commanding an appointment for this charge, and giving me permission to go to Espana, where I might continue my service more nearly in the sight of your Majesty; and although I hold it certain that this was not neglected, I would again on this occasion lay on them the same obligation, and beg your Majesty to be pleased to command that my request be favorably regarded. May our Lord protect the Catholic person of your Majesty through many long years, with the prosperity necessary to Christendom. Manila, July 15, 1604. _Don Pedro de Acuna_