The Dominicans asked that the twenty fellowships founded by Corcuera be adjudged to their college, without any gratification or income. Their request was made by the rector of that college, Fray Domingo Goncales, and the other religious of the same, and they offered to take the twenty students free of all charge to the king, as an appreciation of the latter's many favors to their college. Corcuera answered the request by a decree, November 23, 1640, in which he suggested that the Dominicans might use the 3,000 pesos which they offered for the support of the fellowships, for bringing over missionaries of their order from Spain, thus relieving the king of that expense. But it is not in accord with the greatness of the king to listen to such a proposal. On August 8, 1641, Corcuera wrote to Felipe IV, stating the reason which induced him to found the college. He cites therein the request made him by the Manila cabildo, encloses the Dominican's petition, and gives his reasons for refusing it. He also asks that the college be exempted from the payment of the half-annats, as it is a royal institution. When Diego Fajardo took possession of the government, August 11, 1644, he ordered the assignments for the fellowships, amounting now to 12,000 pesos, belonging to the college of San Felipe, now received by the college of San José, to be returned, in accordance with a royal decree dated June 16, 1643, ordering the former college discontinued. The Jesuits urged against the measure "that his Majesty did not order that the Society should pay the said sum, but that there be given to the royal treasury what the Society had received, leaving it to the decision of the royal official judges how it was to be paid and by whom; that the seminary of San José was a distinct college, and had made no use of what had been spent in the support of the royal college; that it was only interested because it had given them a house in which to live: consequently it was not right that it should pay from the income which its founder had instituted, what they had not eaten and drunk. As regards the embargo of property, we alleged immunity, for it was proved that the incomes of the college of San José were ecclesiastical." The sentence was given in favor of the Society by the royal officials, but the governor would not listen. The Society were ordered to pay the 12,000 within three days. The governor refused to discount 8,000 pesos owed the Society by the treasury, and to take 4,000 pesos in cash, and hence, it became necessary for the Society to seek a loan. The king on fuller information, ordered the Society to be reimbursed to the amount of the 12,000 pesos, if it had been collected from them, by a royal decree dated March 17, 1647. [91] SECULAR PRIESTS IN THE PHILIPPINES Summary of a letter by Archbishop Pardo (dated June 6, 1680), in answer to a letter from the king and a royal decree of August 22, 1077.