I give your Majesty an account of this matter, because of the importance that it may have for the service of God and your Majesty, the good of the poor, and the advantage of a work of such public necessity and importance in these regions.  If your Majesty should be pleased to command that the Confraternity of La Misericordia should take charge of the administration of the royal hospital, as aforesaid, it will be necessary to come to a statement of the system to be observed in making payments for the royal hospital and that of the Confraternity of La Misericordia, by deciding whether they are to be kept separate or no.  It will also be necessary, in the way in which your Majesty shall be most pleased and profited, to deal with the mistrust about the accounts, which is what causes most hesitation.  Submitting myself to your royal pleasure, and suggesting as I ought what occurs to me in the matter, I propose, Sire, that payments be made only as passing through the hands of a single administrator and superintendent.  In this way he will be able to give account of the expenditure.  Let the manner, order, and direction of the same be in accordance with the judgment of the deputies of La Misericordia; and let the superintendent give his account of expenditures made under the direction of the deputies.  On such conditions the Confraternity will take charge of the work; for it will not hand in accounts and will be called upon for no business except of charity, trust, and good administration, while the superintendent will hand in the accounts for the said Confraternity.  Thus the whole, if your Majesty please, will be in one; and on other conditions the Confraternity will not undertake it.  At least I regard it as a matter of the highest importance and advantage that your Majesty give commands that the archbishop and the Order of St. Francis place four religious—­two priests and two laymen—­in the said hospital; and that, in case this order cannot undertake it, the Society of Jesus do so, for, being persons of great charity and good government in all things, it will be of great advantage for them to have this in their charge; so that in this way it seems that many great evils would be remedied, and many great advantages result.  Our Lord keep your Majesty many long years, as His Divine Majesty has power, and as we all desire and have need.  Manila, July 20, 1597.

Luis Perez Dasmarinas

[Endorsed: “Let the president and auditors and the archbishop state what they think best to be done in the case; and in the meantime let them give such orders as they think best for the good conduct of the hospital.”]