The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55: 1606-1609; 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 14 of 55: 1606-1609; 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
The crime is such that all of them justly deserve to die for it;
but, moved with pity, I permitted some few to serve in the galleys
of the king, which is a punishment inflicted by us upon criminals
to avoid putting them to death. After they had been placed in the
galleys, I get free some of them who, as it afterward appeared,
had not been so much in fault; and others furnished some slaves,
who received the same treatment. It is well known that kingdoms and
provinces where crimes are not punished cannot maintain themselves;
and if this crime were not punished, and the Chinese were to see that
they received their liberty even when they had committed so great
a crime, another day they would do the same thing. Hence I have not
yet set at liberty those Sangleys who are condemned to the galleys,
that they may go to China and even convey to the viceroy knowledge
of what has happened. I am certain that when he knows the facts he
will regard their punishment as very slight in view of their crimes;
but, if he should deem otherwise, let him inform me of his will.
The property which was in existence during the past year, for whom
owners or consignees appeared, was surrendered to them; there was a
great quantity of it, and now they take [_blank space in MS_.]. This
is the amount which I have been able to send from the royal treasury,
where some of the property of the Sangleys was deposited for which
an owner was not to be found; next year I will endeavor to send the
rest. During the past year one ship arrived; and the other, which
was on its way to Castilla, was lost with a very great quantity of
Chinese stuffs and other goods. For this reason it has been impossible
to discharge this obligation in full at the present time. Let the
viceroy notice that this is and will be done because it is just, and
not because he has written that unless the people and the goods are
sent he will make war on Luzon; for I am sure that the king of China
and his ministers, being prudent, politic, and discreet persons,
will not wage war for causes so light. Still, if they desire to do
so, the Castilians are well able to defend their lands from all who
may attempt to take them away; and they even know how to attack their
enemies and to seek them out in their own dwelling-places, when their
opponents suppose that they have them conquered.
As regards the licenses for ships coming from China to trade with
Luzon, it is not so dangerous to grant such permissions that the king
[of China] or other persons there will consent to lose the great
advantage which they possess in the large quantity of silver which is
carried hence every year; for this remains in China, without a single
real leaving there, while the goods which they give us in exchange
are consumed and used up in a very short time. Hence we may say that
in this trade the Chinese have as great an interest as the Castilians
have, or even more.
Chinese Immigration Restricted
Sire:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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