Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 08).djvu/309

 bishop, to whom I had entrusted it, is unable to attend to the affairs, acts, and judicial procedures which require personal attention, you, as governor, shall appoint the said defender and protector, to whom you shall assign a suitable salary. This salary shall be paid from the tributes of the Indians, distributed proportionally among those assigned to my crown and those allotted to private individuals, without at all infringing for this purpose upon my moneys that proceed from other sources. Notwithstanding this, you are to understand that the bishop is not to be deprived of the general superintendence of the protection of the said Indians.

You report that, upon your arrival at those islands, you found that the Indians of Sirean, Yllocos, and Cagayan were paying ten reals, and had been doing so since the tribute was imposed, because, as they were more wealthy, heavier tribute was imposed on them than on the others. You say that you are in doubt, because your instructions state that the tribute of eight reals is to be increased and raised to ten, whether you are to understand that all the tributes are to be raised two reals; for if so, then those who formerly paid ten must now pay twelve, just as those who were paying eight now pay ten. Inasmuch as the intention was that all the tributes should be raised two reals, you shall order that those Indians who were paying ten reals shall pay twelve, now and henceforth. You shall adjust this with the mildest possible means.

Respecting the duties that are to be paid on the gold dug in those islands—about which you say there has been a dispute, since the former fiscal of the Audiencia there claimed that it should be the fifth,