Loading your reading…

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 45, 1736: 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 45, 1736: 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

Commerce of the Philippines with Nueva España, 1640-1736
    (concluded). By Antonio Álvarez de Abreu; Madrid, 1736.


Source: Concluded from VOL. XLIV, q.v.

Translation: See VOL. XLIV.







COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINES WITH NUEVA ESPAÑA

(Concluded)


PERIOD IX

    [Here] is set forth what occurred in regard to the commerce of
    Philipinas from the year 1730 until that of 1733, in consequence
    of the practice of the ordinance of the year 1726, with occasion
    of the complaint made by the merchants of Andalucia.


128-162. [In July, 1729, the consulate and merchants of Cadiz sent to
the king a memorial protesting against the favor recently granted
to Manila, which the latter was abusing to such an extent as to
endanger the very existence of the Spanish commerce with Nueva
España. So much Chinese silk had been sent by Manila to Acapulco
that Cadiz had determined to send in this year's trading-fleet no
Spanish fabrics; but this would result in the destruction of its
commerce and of its manufactures. Cadiz claims that Manila carries
away from Nueva España three to four millions of pesos annually,
a sum which falls into the hands of foreigners and infidels;
and asks that the permission given to Manila for the export of
Chinese silks be revoked. The king thereupon ordered the viceroy
of Mexico to see on foot a thorough investigation of the Manila
commerce, its actual character and extent, its profits, and other
particulars, which is done. The year 1731 was selected for this
investigation; the sales at Acapulco were unusually profitable that
year, as all kinds of fabrics were then scarce in Nueva España,
and the Chinese goods were advanced 25 per cent over their usual
prices. The officials found that the total sales from that year's
cargo amounted to 2,096,874 pesos (making the average value of
each pieza of lading more than 500 pesos); deducting from this
the royal duties, 229,547 pesos (including the contribution of
20,000 pesos made by the shippers), the amount of returns for
the citizens of Manila was 1,877,327 pesos. This amount would
probably be equaled in subsequent voyages of the galleon (even
if the sales at Acapulco were not so profitable), so long as the
present permission continued; for the 500 half-chests of Chinese
fabrics made an enormous amount, and of great value. The amount of
silver embarked that year for Filipinas was as follows: "1,691,465
pesos, as proceeds of the merchandise sold at the fair that year
[this being the previously-mentioned amount, with the royal duties
deducted from it]; 566,828, in sums remaining from the previous
year; and 175,828, on the account of his Majesty for the royal
situado and other special situados of those islands, and for the
pay of the crew of the galleon." Investigation being made of the
past years of this commerce, "the castellan of Acapulco replied,
that from the year 1692 until that of 1702 the Philipinos had been

No reviews yet