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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 41 of 55, 1691-1700: 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 41 of 55, 1691-1700: 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

14. Thus this matter [expediente] rested until the year one thousand
seven hundred and ten, when the alférez, Nicolas Guerrero, one of the
ordinary attorneys of the royal Audiencia, presented a certificate
empowering him as the chief authorized agent of the province of San
Nicolas, to act as their attorney in the matter in hand. Thereupon,
he declared that in maintenance of the claim of the said province,
it was advisable to examine the minutes of the proceedings hitherto
conducted in the royal courts, in regard to the restitution of
their former missions of Zambales and everything pertaining to
them. Accordingly, he prayed his Highness to deign to order the
secretary to produce the said minutes, which on being given to the
said attorney, he appeared before his Highness and stated that in
accordance with the last royal order of six hundred and ninety, whereby
the other party was required to answer fully, this had not been done,
but that the party had merely referred to its former pleadings, and
that any other answer had not been made during the space of twenty
years, so that the suit had been unduly prolonged; and moreover, that
the matter having been recently investigated, his side has a paper
(which he now presents with all solemnity), namely, a private letter
from the father provincial of the Dominicans, Fray Pedro Mejorada,
[85] in reply to one from the provincial of the Recollects, Fray
Francisco de la Madre de Dios, in which he declares, that he answered
in the same manner as his province had done on former occasions; that
he would not oppose the abandoning of the said missions as he was not
a party thereto, for his province had taken these under their charge
solely in compliance with the orders of Governor Don Juan de Vargas
and Archbishop Don Phelipe Pardo; that, moreover, at the present time
when his province was so straitened through the lack of religious,
if they were not succored in that regard it would be necessary for
them to take other steps. Wherefore (he added), so far as matters have
now gone he might do what he pleased, for his province would offer no
opposition, and was prepared to give up those missions if so requested
and charged to do. In this letter, moreover, among other points, it
was inferable that his province was ready to leave the said missions
of Zambales. Therefore the attorney petitioned and prayed his Highness
to deign to have the case brought up for final trial, declaring his
client as entitled to the possession of such missions, to whom they
should therefore be restored. Thereupon the judges decided that the
measures so far taken together with that letter should be acted upon;
that the trial should be proceeded with without prejudice to whatever
had already been decided, and that all the papers in the case be
handed over to the fiscal of this royal Audiencia, for his opinion
(within three days) of what steps it was advisable to take. Thereupon,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 41 of 55, 1691-1700: 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

14. Thus this matter [expediente] rested until the year one thousand
seven hundred and ten, when the alférez, Nicolas Guerrero, one of the
ordinary attorneys of the royal Audiencia, presented a certificate
empowering him as the chief authorized agent of the province of San
Nicolas, to act as their attorney in the matter in hand. Thereupon,
he declared that in maintenance of the claim of the said province,
it was advisable to examine the minutes of the proceedings hitherto
conducted in the royal courts, in regard to the restitution of
their former missions of Zambales and everything pertaining to
them. Accordingly, he prayed his Highness to deign to order the
secretary to produce the said minutes, which on being given to the
said attorney, he appeared before his Highness and stated that in
accordance with the last royal order of six hundred and ninety, whereby
the other party was required to answer fully, this had not been done,
but that the party had merely referred to its former pleadings, and
that any other answer had not been made during the space of twenty
years, so that the suit had been unduly prolonged; and moreover, that
the matter having been recently investigated, his side has a paper
(which he now presents with all solemnity), namely, a private letter
from the father provincial of the Dominicans, Fray Pedro Mejorada,
[85] in reply to one from the provincial of the Recollects, Fray
Francisco de la Madre de Dios, in which he declares, that he answered
in the same manner as his province had done on former occasions; that
he would not oppose the abandoning of the said missions as he was not
a party thereto, for his province had taken these under their charge
solely in compliance with the orders of Governor Don Juan de Vargas
and Archbishop Don Phelipe Pardo; that, moreover, at the present time
when his province was so straitened through the lack of religious,
if they were not succored in that regard it would be necessary for
them to take other steps. Wherefore (he added), so far as matters have
now gone he might do what he pleased, for his province would offer no
opposition, and was prepared to give up those missions if so requested
and charged to do. In this letter, moreover, among other points, it
was inferable that his province was ready to leave the said missions
of Zambales. Therefore the attorney petitioned and prayed his Highness
to deign to have the case brought up for final trial, declaring his
client as entitled to the possession of such missions, to whom they
should therefore be restored. Thereupon the judges decided that the
measures so far taken together with that letter should be acted upon;
that the trial should be proceeded with without prejudice to whatever
had already been decided, and that all the papers in the case be
handed over to the fiscal of this royal Audiencia, for his opinion
(within three days) of what steps it was advisable to take. Thereupon,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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