The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 48, 1751-1765: 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 48, 1751-1765: 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
15. This increase of troops and pay, compared with the pay and troops
stated in Señor Arandia's regulations, amounts to the half more;
and I reckon it, with that of the artillery, at two hundred thousand
pesos more of expense; this, with the hundred thousand applied for
the navy alone, will make three hundred thousand pesos of increase
to be charged to this royal treasury. Computing the cost not by the
said regulations, but by the plan which I have just proposed, the
entire cost of army, navy, and corps of artillery amounts to four
hundred and fifty thousand pesos annually.
Chapter Fourth: On the facility with which these islands can produce
for the royal exchequer more than what it needs for the said expenses.
1. Having constituted the aforesaid military force--or half of it, in
order that the expense may be less at first--the reduction of all the
Indian villages ought to be resolutely undertaken, as a matter that is
absolutely essential, without which all the rest will be useless. This
reduction made (which can be accomplished in less than a year),
enumeration will be made of the tribute-payers in all the provinces;
after the reduction their numbers will be greatly increased, because
the heads of barangay will not be able to hide the tributes as easily
as they now do, or to commit thefts and dishonorable acts, as they have
hitherto done. The ordinances will be made duly effective, especially
in regard to plantations, and other measures will be adopted that are
beneficial for the better government, both economic and civil, of the
villages; government buildings will be erected in the chief towns,
at least, that may serve to shelter the alcalde-mayor and the troops
that he will have; also a storehouse, in which to keep the property
of the royal exchequer. Good schoolmasters will be employed for the
instruction of the Indians, and for teaching them our language; and
the matters in which the father ministers should have the right to
intervene, and those in which they ought to forbear, will be strictly
regulated, without any dispensation. The cultivation of the land will
be conducted with the utmost care; and, finally, the tribute will be
increased, to the rate of two pesos a head each year. Although this
is a very moderate impost, and is profitable not only to the king but
to the Indians, in order to draw them out from their continual and
pernicious slothfulness, this branch of revenue will produce annually
one million, six hundred thousand pesos. This addition to the royal
treasury, even when some deduction is made, as is ordinary, will not
only support the expenses of my plan for army, artillery, and navy, but
a considerable amount of silver will be left for other allotments from
the royal exchequer, and for indemnifying the expenses with which the
islands have been burdened, from the time of their conquest until now.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account