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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 50: 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 50: 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

The number of tributes in these Philipinas Islands, and the amount
    that they produce yearly


By the official statement which I sent to his Majesty with my report
and advices of July 14, 1760, it appears that there were one hundred
and seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred and seventy-one whole tributes
of Indians, at the rate of ten reals each. It also appears that there
were eight thousand, one hundred and sixty-nine and one-half whole
tributes of mestizos, at the rate of twenty reals each, which are
equivalent to sixteen thousand, three hundred and thirty-nine whole
tributes of Indians. Adding this item to the aforesaid one, they make
a total of one hundred and ninety-five thousand, three hundred and
ten tributes; and adding those paid by the blacks, the grand total,
stated in round numbers [numero cerrado] for greater convenience
in this reckoning, is placed at two hundred thousand whole tributes
belonging to the royal crown.



Tributes: 200,000

A whole tribute comprises two persons, and the two hundred thousand
tributes aforesaid produce to the royal exchequer, at the rate of ten
reals which each one pays, the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand
pesos every year.



Note

The whole tributes belonging to private encomiendas number eighteen
thousand, one hundred and ninety-six and three-fourths, according
to the general statement of accounts of this royal treasury for
the past year of 765. From these the encomenderos collect one peso
for each tribute, and the king two reals; on this account, although
the number of tributes belonging to the crown and to the encomiendas
exceeds two hundred and ten thousand, at ten reals each, only the two
hundred thousand above stated have been considered [in this account];
and their value is placed at two hundred and fifty thousand pesos,
which is the utmost that the natives of these islands pay for the
benefit of the royal treasury.



STATEMENT II

    What the king expends in the spiritual administration of the
    Indians, and what is received on this account by the ministers
    of the doctrinas and the missionaries.


1. For the cash stipends which his Majesty pays, at the rate of a
hundred pesos for every five hundred tributes, the curas and the
ministers of the doctrinas receive, according to the number of the
two hundred thousand tributes, the sum of forty thousand pesos.

2. For the stipends in rice, at the rate of a hundred fanegas (each
of forty-eight gantas) for every five hundred tributes, at one peso
a fanega--which price was established by the royal officials in
the papers granting the contribution for wine used in masses--his
Majesty pays, and the aforesaid curas and ministers receive annually,
the sum of forty thousand pesos.

3. For the wine for masses and oil for the lamps [47]--as appears in
the respective documents therefor, of which account is given to his
Majesty--this annual expense is fixed at the sum of seventeen thousand,
one hundred and ninety-three pesos, six tomins.

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