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
7. You shall visit your jurisdiction once each year, remaining twelve
days in each large village of the chiefs, and six days in the small
villages, visiting them and trying with justice the natives in whatever
they plead, remedying all that you may find necessary and clearing away
whatever injuries or injustices may have been committed. [During the
visit or rather, during all their term, they are not to hale anyone
into court to justify any slavery, but justice is to be meted to those
who appear to plead of their own accord. They, their clerks, or other
officials, shall not take fees from any fifths of gold paid them in
their jurisdictions; neither shall fees be exacted for the visit. They
must pay their own expenses during that period and not exact them
from the Indians. Contravention of this last means restoration of
the amount exacted to the Indians, and four times as much as a fine.]
8. [This regulates the manner of trials and the fees for the same. No
process is to be made in cases involving sums up to twenty pesos,
but such cases are to be briefly despatched, and the notary cannot
receive a fee in excess of four reals from each party to the suit,
under penalty of returning it, and a sum four times as large as a fine
to the Manila court. If one Indian causes the arrest of another Indian,
and the one arrested confesses his guilt, sentence is to be passed
by virtue of the confession. Otherwise witnesses shall be called,
and after their depositions are taken, the case shall be judged. If
there is any appeal, the case is to be tried in second instance, and
after examining the witnesses the records are to be sent to the Manila
Audiencia. Criminal cases must be tried as soon as possible. Those
involving sums not in excess of five pesos shall be tried summarily,
and nothing more than a mere record of them shall be made for the
archives of the notary. No fees are to be received for depositions of
witnesses, and only the fee adjudged by the tariff can be accepted for
giving written records of the case to the parties involved. The tariff
of fees is to be posted in a public place in the court, both in the
Spanish and native language, in order that all may know the amount
to be paid. Notaries are to record the amounts accepted as fees,
which must not exceed the tariff. This method of trial was ordered
for the purpose of saving time, expense, and trouble to the Indians.]
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