_That the auditors, are giving malicious information when they say that the governor prevents a report of the government suits from being made to the royal Audiencia._ 5. The third point is that the auditors complain that I do not allow any report of the government suits to be made to the Audiencia. As a sample, they cite an appeal made by the friars of St. Augustine from the edict, issued at the petition of the city, ordering all the Sangley shopkeepers to be collected in the Parian. Although that was a necessary measure, and the royal Audiencia had no right to meddle in a matter so manifestly belonging to the government as the residence of the Sangleys in this or in that part yet I am not doing nor did I do what they say in this matter, about preventing the report to be made--as will be seen by the acts which I enclose herewith, and which are cited in the letter on government affairs, which mentions this point. By those acts will be seen the very opposite of what they tell me that they have written. _That those appointed to judicial offices be lawyers_ 6. The fourth point is that they say that there are few advocates in this royal Audiencia, as I always keep them occupied in judicial posts, which ought to be kept for men of merit. The truth is that there are not more than five lawyers in all the islands; and that in the four years while I have governed here I have not occupied in judicial offices more than two--namely, Doctor Juan Fernandez de Ledo, in the Parian (which is an office that does not prevent him from exercising the profession of the law, since he does that in this same city, and already his term of office is over), and Doctor Luis Arias de Mora (whom I have only occupied in the office at La Laguna de Bay, which is three leguas away, and in which I maintain him because of a petition to that effect from the provincial and religious of St. Francis, who are the ministers in charge of those missions). They have assured me that they have not had an alcalde-mayor for many years who has given more satisfaction in that province. Since La Laguna, whence are brought the timbers for the shipbuilding at Cavite, depends greatly on the religious, and without the latter the Indians would do nothing, and it is important to me to have there a person of great exactness, so that the cutting and sending of wood may not cease, and consequently, the building and repair of the ships; and since there are so few methodical men in this country, when there is one, I try to retain him in office all the time. In regard to appointing lawyers to judicial offices, I have made no innovation, for my predecessors have done the same; and such men can be not less suitable for those offices than soldiers. Here, Sire, there is very little for the lawyers to do, and they starve to death. Since they are citizens and have married in the country, they must be supported, at least so that the governors may have someone with whom to consult