Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 05).djvu/31

 to its limited resources, as I have already said. For expenses of considerable sums, as those incurred in despatching fleets for our settlements, against pirates, and in paying the salaries of corregidors and alcaldes-mayor, the officials ask me to request an order from your Majesty. I have no other way of complying with the obligations of your royal service. Will your Majesty please to have an order sent me, in order that when I consider it convenient for your royal service, I may make payments from the royal treasury? It is not possible otherwise to maintain your royal service. The total expenditure is but slight, and is watched and regulated with all care.

There are several men, newly-arrived in this country, who are always writing advices and opinions in respect to the aforesaid matter and others. It would be best for the royal service that the decrees despatched therefor be sent submitted to the consideration of the governor. As we are so far away it is right, ceteris paribus, in order to insure progress, that confidence be placed in the governor.

By other letters, I have already given advices of the imposition of three per cent as duties on both importations and exportations of the merchandise of both Spaniards and Chinese. A freight charge of twelve pesos per tonelada is also imposed. Considering their large profits, these duties are very moderate. For this reason, and because the instructions brought by the adelantado Legaspi decreed the collection of five per cent from the people of this country and seven from the merchants of Mexico, and as the collection at that rate cannot, in good conscience, be too long delayed, I have decided to