Part 16

Your Majesty was pleased to order the Council to examine a report from the Council of Yndia resident in Lisboa, dated December 4, 1605, and another from the Council of Portugal, dated January 31, 1606, which treat of the inadvisability of religious going to the kingdoms of Xapon from the Philipinas, for the reasons advanced; and two others dated May 30, 1606, and March 31, 1607, from the Council of the Yndias, which allege the contrary. The Council after examining these, and calling to mind what was advised on the occasion of other reports from the Council of Portugal and of certain briefs of the Pope, which were laid before them, advised your Majesty of its opinion in this matter--namely, to examine the report and what your Majesty was pleased to decide. And inasmuch as the said advice was given November 2, 1604, in Valladolid, and your Majesty was pleased to answer the Council of Portugal in regard to it, and decreed what was resolved thereon; and now since we have come to advise your Majesty: we advise that, in order to express our opinion, as your Majesty orders, it would be advisable to examine what your Majesty resolved then. Accordingly if your Majesty please, you might order the Conde de Salinas to send your Majesty the resolution taken upon the report of that Council of the year 1604, which was accompanied by the briefs of his Holiness, so that after examination in this Council, we may more reasonably advise your Majesty of our opinion. Madrid, September 7, 1607. [Six signatures follow].

[_Endorsed_: "+ Officially; September 7, 1607. The Council of State in regard to certain reports from the Councils of Portugal and of the Yndias, of Castilla, as to whether or not religious are to go to Japon by way of the Philipinas." _In a different hand_: "The accompanying report from the Council of Portugal will give information on what is asked here. Also other reports from the same Council, and from that of the Yndias, in regard to matters of the Filipinas, and of Macan, are enclosed. They should be examined together in the Council, and the Council should advise me of their opinion regarding the whole matter."]

[One signature, evidently that of the king, follows].

_Report from the Council of State_

Sire:

Conformably to what your Majesty was pleased to order, there were examined in the Council the reports and papers which are returned with this, and opinions were expressed as follows:

The chief comendador of Leon said that from the accounts and investigations which the reports from the Council of Portugal disclose, it is gathered that in the preaching of the gospel which is being carried on by those of the Society who reside in Japon, they practice, contrary to its spirit, worldly artifice; for it is said, on the one hand, that they are preaching in secret, and, on the other, that they maintain a ship in trade and traffic for their support. He considers it very unsuitable that the gospel should go in disguise, and believes that those who preach it should emulate the poverty of the apostles, and should carry on no manner of trade or profit, so that they may attract and convert by the example of the purity of their lives, with no worldly ostentation. This is very fitting for the reputation of the faith and those who preach it, that those who oppose it may not say that they trade. If they adopt this plan, and are so numerous that they can attend to all parts of the country where it is necessary, the going of other orders thither might be dispensed with. But if they are not sufficient to attend to all parts, and that king begs that Franciscan friars should go, the comendador knows no reason why they should not be sent; and the bishops of the Filipinas should be charged to send such religious as are fit for the ministry of preaching. The governor of those islands should be ordered to send them in small vessels, which should only take sufficient provisions for their support, expressly prohibiting that they carry any kind of merchandise, and the trade of the Filipinas with Japon should cease entirely; for in this way would be obviated the difficulties which are represented on the part of the Portuguese, and the desired end of the conversion of souls would be better attained. It would be an easy thing to obtain from the Pope that he should revoke the restriction that none could go except by way of Portuguese Yndia, leaving to the choice of your Majesty all that concerns this affair; for his Holiness may be sure that your Majesty, as the best informed of all, will do what is most fitting for the propagation of our holy faith. What the Portuguese allege in regard to the religious who went to Japon being missed in the Filipinas is not sufficient; for there will certainly be some who, without being missed there, could go to Japon. Thus, if personal interests and differences would cease, those religious might attend solely to the conversion of those heathen, with the discretion and moderation which is fitting, so as to relieve that king from the suspicion he has, that in that way they are trying to take away his kingdom. For if he is assured of that, and sees that no other than religious come, and that these are engaged in no other business than that of conversion, it is to be hoped in our Lord that he will not hinder it; since by those same documents it is evident that the reason for his having made martyrs of the Franciscan friars was the suspicion which he had that they had other objects to the prejudice of his state. It is likewise fitting that all the religious maintain friendly relations with one another, and be united, and that their duties be not ill performed. For quarrels between them will be of much greater injury and less edification for the heathen than is the diversity of their garb; and, when it is seen that they are all working toward the same end, it will be recognized that all profess the same faith, and that religion is one.

The Marques de Velada said that the reports from the Council of Portugal are at variance with those from the Council of the Yndias; for the former say that in Japon they do not desire Franciscan friars, and the others that they are asking for them. It therefore appears best to him that your Majesty should secure from the Pope a revocation of the clause in the brief which prohibits other religious from going to Japon unless it be by way of Yndia; and that his Holiness leave it to the choice of your Majesty to send them by the way which shall seem most fitting, as, in regard to the principal point--which is that they should go, whether it be by Yndia or otherwise--they are in accord. Whether they are to go by that or some other route is such a minor consideration that it ought not to depend on that. Accordingly he would order Don Juan de Silva [41] to investigate whether it be true that the king of Japon is asking for Franciscan friars; and if this be so he should not fail to send some, in the manner which has been stated by the chief comendador of Leon. And even if the king does not seek them, let it be known that he will permit them. Moreover, all kinds of trade should be totally prohibited, and the passing of any other people from the Filipinas to Japon, except such religious friars as are not only holy, but judicious and discreet--although these qualities were not displayed by those friars who told the king of Japon that by means of them the Western Yndias had been conquered, because that was sufficient reason for causing their martyrdom, fearing that by the same means his kingdom would be taken away from him. Accordingly it is fitting that those who go should be fully warned not to speak of this, before assuring that king of the amity and kind feeling of your Majesty, and that you will never attempt anything to his injury. The members of the Society will have an advantage over the friars, in having been so many years in that country, but the latter will have an advantage in not having ships for trade; and it is very fitting that this should be remedied, since the purity with which the gospel ought to be preached will not allow of such sources of profit.

The Conde de Chinchón said that the ill-feeling in those regions between the Castilians and the Portuguese has lasted many years, because the Portuguese have been and are suspicious that the profit of the trade will be taken away from them; and if the fathers of the Society who are in Japon proceed with the caution that they use in England, it is no wonder that they are troubled by the fact that others go [to Japon] who, without underhand measures, endeavor to establish the faith as it should be done, and not in private, or with any mixture of worldly interests. The first thing which it appears to him ought to be done is to procure the revocation of the brief, as has been said, so that it will remain at the free disposition of your Majesty to send religious to Japon when and by such route as your Majesty may judge expedient; and, having procured the revocation, there should be no prohibition of certain Franciscan friars from the Filipinas going there, in the manner in which the chief comendador of Leon has suggested--totally prohibiting commerce, and the passing of people other than religious. In this manner he believes that the Portuguese will be satisfied, and that the fathers of the Society will agree to it, if influence be brought to bear upon the superiors of both orders, so that they may secure agreement between the orders.

The constable of Castilla said that for the present he would not change the order which was given that religious friars should not go from the Filipinas to Japon, and he would only consider the revocation of the brief in which they were prohibited from going by any other route than that by Yndia; because that was nothing else than an attempt of the Council of Portugal to tie your Majesty's hands with the authority of the Pope, and tacitly to exclude the Castilian religious from going there. It is expedient that your Majesty should have this matter at your own disposal, to send them when and by what route is expedient. This would serve as a check, so that those of the Society would take great care as to what they do. It would also be desirable to urge, through the Council of Portugal, that those fathers should enjoy no trade or profit; and to prohibit totally the trade of the Filipinas with Japon. In this way the suspicions and apprehensions of both parties would cease, and by this means your Majesty might be better informed, and by impartial persons, and time would show what was most expedient. Your Majesty will have this examined, and take measures according to your pleasure. Madrid, December 20, 1607.

[_Endorsed, in the hand of the king_: "I am advised concerning all this that I may decree, by one way or another, what is most suitable. Write today secretly to the Marques de Aytona that he shall ask the Pope in my name for the revocation of the order of which mention is here made; and that he shall order another one despatched, leaving to my choice to send the religious who are to go to preach, by the route which appears best to me according to the state of affairs; and charge the Marques to have this despatch sent immediately, as secretly as possible."]

DOCUMENTS OF 1608-09

Annual receipts and expenditures of the Philippine government. Pedro de Caldierva de Mariaca; August 18, 1608. Decrees regarding way-station for Philippine vessels. Felipe III; September 27, 1608, and May 13, 1609. Letters to Juan de Silva. Felipe III; May 26 and July 29, 1609. Expeditions to the province of Tuy. Juan Manuel de la Vega; July 3, 1609. Petition of a Filipino chief for redress. Miguel Banal; July 25, 1609. Despatch of missionaries to the Philippines. Diego Aduarte. and others; [1608-09?].

_Source_: All these documents are obtained from the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla.

_Translations_: The first, fourth, and fifth documents are translated by James A. Robertson; the first decree in the second, by Henry B. Lathrop, of the University of Wisconsin; the rest, by Robert W. Haight.

Annual Receipts and Expenditures of the Philippine Government

Statement of the Annual Incomes and Sources of Profit of His Majesty in These Philipinas Islands

_Tributes from his Majesty's encomiendas_

Tributes Common gold

3U359 In the encomienda of the coast of this city of Manila, his Majesty has three thousand three hundred and fifty-nine tributes. The tributes are each one peso, besides the two reals for the _situado_, and amount to the same number of pesos. 3U359 pesos, -- tomins.

U533 In the encomienda of the villages of Çapa, Santa Ana, and Caruya, there are five hundred and thirty-three tributes. U533 pesos, -- tomins.

U100 From the wandering Indians of the said coast and of this city of Manila, a greater or less sum is collected annually, which accordingly approximates to one hundred tributes annually U100 pesos, -- tomins.

805 In the encomienda of the villages of San Miguel and San Francisco, in Laguna de Bay, there are eight hundred and five tributes, or a like number of pesos. U805 pesos, -- tomins.

U894 In the encomienda of Lumban, Pacte, and Longos in the said Laguna, there are eight hundred and ninety-four tributes. U894 pesos, -- tomins.

1U364 1/2 In the encomienda of Nayun and Tayavas there are one thousand three hundred and sixty-four and one-half tributes, or one thousand three hundred and sixty-four pesos and four tomins. 1U364 pesos, 4 tomins.

U275 In the encomienda of Calilaya there are two hundred and seventy-five tributes, or a like number of pesos. U275 pesos, -- tomins.

U711 In the encomienda of Tuley and Maragondon there are seven hundred and eleven tributes, or a like number of pesos. U711 pesos, -- tomins.

2U091 In the encomienda of Mindoro, there are two thousand and ninety-one tributes. 2U091 peso, -- tomins.

4U307 1/2 In the encomienda of La Panpanga there are four thousand three hundred and seven and one-half tributes, or four thousand three hundred and seven pesos and four tomins. 4U307 pesos, 4 tomins.

U824 In the encomienda of the villages of Agoo and Alingayen, in the province of Pangasinan, there are eight hundred and twenty-four tributes. In this province the tributes amount each to ten reals, thus making a total of one thousand and thirty pesos. 1U030 pesos, -- tomins.

U431 In the encomienda of Binalatonga, in the said province of Pangasinan, there are four hundred and thirty-one tributes, which, at ten reals, amount to five hundred and thirty-eight pesos and six tomins. U538 pesos, 6 tomins.

4U785 1/2 In his Majesty's encomiendas in the province of Ylocos, where the tributes are also ten reals, there are four thousand seven hundred and eighty-five and one-half tributes, which amount to five thousand nine hundred and eighty-one pesos and seven tomins. 5U981 pesos, 7 tomins.

2U668 In the encomiendas of Camarines there are two thousand six hundred and sixty-eight tributes at one peso. 2U668 pesos, -- tomins.

In the province of Cibu, his Majesty owns the encomienda of the island of Compot and Cagayan, the tribute of which has not been collected for three years, as it is in revolt.

2U400 In the encomienda of Bohol and Bantayan in the said province of Çebu--which was apportioned to the royal crown this year, one thousand six hundred and eight, because of the death of Don Pedro de Gamboa, its former owner; and which his Majesty enjoys since the twenty-second of January of this said year--there are two thousand tour hundred tributes at one peso. 2U400 pesos, -- tomins.

3U624 In the encomienda of Panay and Oton there are three thousand six hundred and twenty-four tributes at one peso. 3U624 pesos, -- tomins.

U382 In the village of Baybay, on the river of this city, three hundred and eighty-two tributes are collected from Christian Sangleys. U382 pesos, -- tomins.

1U500 There are always a varying number of infidel Sangleys living in the Parian of this city; as for the last collections, they amount to one thousand five hundred tributes. 1U500 pesos, -- tomins.

---------------------- 32U395 1/2 33U906 pesos, 5 tomins.

_Situados of all the encomiendas in these islands_

Common gold

The situado [42] of his Majesty's encomiendas above mentioned amounts to eight thousand and ninety-eight pesos and seven tomins, at the rate of two reals for each tribute--the tributes amounting to thirty-two thousand three hundred and ninety-five and one-half 8U098 pesos, 7 tomins.

The situados of the encomiendas of individuals in these islands amount to twenty-three thousand two hundred pesos. 23U200 pesos.

31U298 pesos, 7 tomins.

_Tithes of gold_

The tithes of gold (of which the tenth is taken in these islands) are worth on an average, considering former years, eight hundred pesos. U800 pesos, -- tomins.

_Ecclesiastical tithes_

Of the ecclesiastical tithes of this archbishopric of Manila and of the three bishoprics of the islands, there are collected annually, on an average, one thousand pesos; for, although they have been worth one thousand one hundred pesos or one thousand two hundred pesos, in certain years, they approximate to the said sum, according to the present. 1U000 pesos, -- tomins.

_Import and export duties_

The import duties on the Chinese merchandise entering this city, amounted, this said year of six hundred and eight, to thirty-eight thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight pesos, four tomins, and two granos. In this matter no exact figures can be given, because it is more or less, according to the amount of merchandise brought annually by the Sangleys. 38U288 pesos, 4 tomins, 2 granos.

The import duties and freight-charges on the goods brought from Nueva España, and entering this city are usually worth five hundred pesos, or thereabout, because the citizens of these islands to whom the goods are consigned have received the concession of not paying duties on goods to the value of three hundred pesos for the married person, and one hundred and fifty pesos for the single person; and because the bulk of these said goods is to be used for their households and comfort. U500 pesos, -- tomins.

The duties on the goods exported from this city to the said Nueva España are usually worth fourteen thousand pesos. In this matter no exact figures can be given, for it varies according to the value of the merchandise. 14U000 pesos.

52U788 [pesos], 4 [tomins], 2 [granos].

_Fines forfeited to the royal treasury_

Seven hundred and eight pesos have been paid into the royal treasury this year from fines forfeited to the royal treasury. U708 pesos, -- tomins.

_Expenses of justice and courts_

From the expenses of justice and courts, sixty pesos have been paid into the royal treasury this year. U060 pesos, -- tomins.

Amount of the tributes. 33U905 pesos, 5 tomins.

The situados. 31U298 pesos, 7 tomins.

The tithes of gold. U800 pesos.

Ecclesiastical tithes. 1U000 pesos.

Import and export duties. 52U788 [pesos], 4 [tomins], 2 [granos].

Fines forfeited to the royal treasury. U708 pesos.

Expenses of justice and the courts. U060 pesos.

120U561 pesos, -- tomins, 2 granos.

All the above incomes total one hundred and twenty thousand five hundred and sixty-one pesos and two granos of common gold.

Statement of the Ordinary Expense Incurred By His Majesty in These Islands

Common gold

The president, governor, and captain-general of these islands receives an annual salary of eight thousand pesos de minas, or thirteen thousand two hundred and thirty-five pesos and two tomins. 13U235 pesos, 2 tomins.

Four auditors and one fiscal receive each two thousand pesos de minas, which total sixteen thousand five hundred and forty-nine pesos and six granos. 16U549 pesos, 6 granos.

One chaplain of the royal Audiencia, three hundred pesos. U300 pesos.

Three royal officials with five hundred and ten thousand maravedis apiece, which amounts to five thousand six hundred and twenty-five pesos. 5U625 pesos.

One chief clerk with a salary of three hundred pesos. U300 pesos.

Another clerk, for military affairs, with a salary of two hundred pesos. U200 pesos.

Another clerk, for matters of trade, with the same salary. U200 pesos.

One executioner, with one hundred and fifty pesos. U150 pesos.

One notary, with two hundred pesos. U200 pesos.

One galley-purser, with one hundred pesos. U100 pesos.

_Alcaldes-mayor and corregidors_

The alcalde-mayor of Tondo, with a salary of three hundred pesos. U300 pesos.

Of Bulacan, with another three hundred pesos. U300 pesos.

Of La Panpanga, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Laguna de Bay, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Calilaya, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Balayan, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Pangasinan, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Ylocos, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Carmarines, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Arevalo, the same. U300 pesos.

Of Cibu, the same. U300 pesos.

Corregidor of Calamianes, with two hundred and fifty pesos. U250 pesos.

Of Maribeles, with one hundred and fifty pesos. U150 pesos.

Of Mindoro, one hundred pesos. U100 pesos.

Of Catanduanes, one hundred and fifty pesos. U150 pesos.

Of Ybalon, two hundred pesos, because it serves also as the outpost of Capul. U200 pesos.

Of Panay, another two hundred pesos. U200 pesos.

Leyte, one hundred and fifty pesos. U150 pesos.

Butuan, two hundred pesos. U200 pesos.

Alcalde-mayor of Cagayan, three hundred pesos. U300 pesos.

_Various salaries_

One assayer and appraiser, with four hundred pesos. U400 pesos.

One navy storekeeper, two hundred pesos. U200 pesos.

One clerk, for the warehouses of this city, with one hundred and fifty pesos. U150 pesos.

One shore master, with a salary of six hundred pesos. U600 pesos.

One clerk, for the warehouses of Cavite, with one hundred and forty pesos. U140 pesos.

One chief of galley construction, with five hundred pesos. U500 pesos.

Another carpenter, with two hundred pesos. U200 pesos.

One hundred and sixty Indian carpenters at one-half real and their board daily; their wages amount annually to three thousand six hundred and fifty pesos. 3U650 pesos.

One master blacksmith, with five hundred pesos. U500 pesos.