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
7. Before this, I had already mentioned the great amount of silk,
both raw and woven, which foreigners bring from China, and that with
this they supply their own manufactures, and [likewise] obtain money
from us by selling in España the fabrics from Canton as if they
came from Paris, Londres, Amsterdam, etc. Is this, or is it not,
detrimental to our manufactures? and, if it is, why is not an outcry
made against it by the merchants of Cadiz? They will say that it is
impossible to prohibit this commerce, while our own manufactures are
in so backward a condition; but why will this argument not avail the
Spanish merchants of Manila? They will say also that the foreigners
introduce into España not fabrics from China, but those of their own
manufacture; that, whether it be from one country or from another,
the injury to our manufactures is the same. But what cannot be denied
is, that the foreigners who obtain so great an amount of silk from
China trade it in our dominions, and that we cannot do the same in
order to deprive them of those enormous gains. If, then, the company
of Spaniards were formed in these islands, they could convey from
China a great deal of raw silk for our factories, and many special
fabrics which would be of as good quality as those of Europa; they
could furnish them more cheaply than the foreigners do; and, above
all, the profits would remain among the Spaniards. Our commerce would
steadily flourish; we would have more ships, to make our dominions
safe; the marine service would be increased; and necessarily there
would be diminution in the commerce of the foreigners, for which our
deluded Spaniards are pleading.
8. The royal duties will be the same, if the silk and fabrics of China
are carried by our ships of the company, as if they were carried by
the foreigners; and even if the kindness of our sovereign makes some
reduction [in the duties], in order to favor the said company and
subvert those that are hostile to it, other advantages, of greater
importance than the aforesaid duties, will result to the crown, in
the certain knowledge that, in the present state of things, that is
prohibited to the Spaniards which is allowed to foreigners--that is,
the introduction of goods from China which are difficult to recognize
in España, on account of the facility with which European fabrics
are imitated in Canton.
9. By allowing to the aforesaid company the importation of Chinese
goods into España, while the prohibition to foreigners remains in
force, the trading-fleets and galleons will be supplied; and these
commodities will be purchased less from foreigners, in order that
our own manufactures and commerce may gain some growth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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