Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 09).pdf/259

 Because of the importance of attention to duties of citizenship on the part of citizen encomenderos—both for the conservation and defense of the said islands, and for their settlement and increase—I charge you to grant leave to no encomendero, under any considerations, to absent himself from the said islands, even if he should have permission from the viceroy and Audiencia of Nueva España. If anyone should absent himself without permission from me, or unless you shall have granted him permission for unavoidable reasons, you shall deprive him of his encomienda, and bestow it upon another and more deserving citizen. Inasmuch as Mariscal Gavriel de Rivera, Captain Juan Pacheco Maldonado, and other citizens went to Nueva España by permission of former governors, and although they have petitioned me for a prolongation of their stay there, not only have I not conceded this to them, but I have answered them bidding them to return. They were warned that their encomiendas would be declared vacant, as the time granted by their permission is already expired, unless they should have returned within the period by which they were bound. If you ascertain, upon your arrival at Nueva España, that they have not returned to the said islands, then you shall deprive them of the said encomiendas, and give the same to others. You shall admit no objection or excuse, for whatever you do contrary to this, now and henceforth, I hereby declare as invalid and null and void.

As I was petitioned, in behalf of the said islands, to grant them a concession ordering exemption from the duties on the first sale of the goods that they send to the port of Acapulco and other places, and also that