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
If these departments of the government were separated in the above
manner, there would be an invariable method of procedure in the two
tribunals of the Audiencia and the intendancy. For in the former,
even if one or another minister should pass away, there would remain
others, who could instruct the new officials, so that the said method
should never be changed without evident necessity, justified by
documents and by unanimous opinions; and in the intendancy the same
thing would occur, by means of the practical knowledge which would
pass from some royal officials to others, and from some subordinates
to others. Especially should be left to parties [in controversies]
free recourse by appeal to the royal Audiencia from all the acts
and measures of the intendant; and he, with the ministers [of that
court], should proceed to the choice (by a majority of votes) of
the [provincial] governors, corregidors, and alcaldes-mayor. Thus,
likewise, would be avoided the sale of those offices, which is
frequent; and the merit and services of the citizens would be rewarded,
so that they might have some stimulus in regard to their conduct and
valor, and be encouraged to serve your Majesty by these hopes--which
are entirely lacking to them at the present time, in which he alone
is preferred who gives most for the offices.
In regard to the "Ordinances for the provinces," I have systematized
those which Doctor Don Simon de Anda y Salazar can show you;
he carried with him a copy of them, which I drew up with the
knowledge and experience which I have acquired by dint of constant
application. Thus far they have been neither approved nor censured
by the royal Audiencia, in virtue of the royal decree which your
Majesty addressed to that body, that they should frame and arrange
some ordinances, keeping in mind the articles of the late governor
Don Pedro Manuel Arandía, and those of the reverend father in Christ
the bishop of Nueva Caseres; [65] but as the said ordinances cannot
be framed without [incurring] the resentment of the ministers of
doctrinas, and opposing their despotism and their designs (which aim
at the overthrow of the ordinances which I composed), that court has
left the matter in suspense for more than three years. And it will
remain in this condition, at the pleasure of the senior auditor in the
said Audiencia, on whom alone it depends, unless the efforts of those
zealous ministers Don Manuel Galvan and the above-mentioned Don Simon
de Anda, and those which I have exerted in the duties of my office, can
secure the settlement of a business of so great importance--in which
are included the two points which I have already mentioned, the trade
with the Indians, and their instruction in the Castilian language.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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