to satisfy and pay the creditors, and to the amount of their debt; but if they cannot be sold, or if the creditors wish to take them to the amount of the debt, they shall be delivered to the latter in chains, in order to serve out the amount of the debt.  If the said creditors refuse to receive the prisoners, they shall be notified to give them food in the said prisons at their own expense; and, on failure to do so, the prisoners will be set at liberty.  Thus they voted, ordered, and decreed.

Before me: 

Pedro Hurtado Desquibel

An act decreeing that notaries, whether public or royal, shall be present at the review of charges against prisoners.

In the city of Manila, on the thirteenth of June, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, while making a general review of the charges against prisoners in the royal prison of this court, ordered, and they did so order, in consideration of the fact that the notaries, both public and royal, were not present at the said review with the records of the suits against the prisoners, for which reason the review was hindered, that the notaries should all be notified, collectively and singly, to be present at such review of charges, with the suits that they shall have, in order to report upon them—­under penalty of a fine of four pesos for the first offense, to be given to the poor of the said prison.  For the second offense they shall be rigorously punished.  Thus they voted, ordered, and decreed.

Before me: 

Pedro Hurtado Desquibel

An act decreeing that the prison warden shall maintain a stricter watch over the prisoners.

In the city of Manila, on the twentieth of June, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, on the occasion of a review of charges against prisoners, declared that, whereas it has come to their knowledge that many of the prisoners in the said prison leave it to eat and sleep, and go to their houses and about their business, and that those who are ordered to imprison them fail to do so, so that from the aforesaid there has been, and is, a great deal of disorder, and that the warden thereof does not fulfil and observe his obligations:  therefore, as it is advisable to remedy the aforesaid evil, they ordered, and they did so order, that Baltasar Martin, warden of the said prison, be notified that, now and henceforth, he shall under no consideration permit any prisoner in his charge, during the time of his imprisonment, to leave the said prison for eating, sleeping, or any other matter outside of it.  Prisoners who are ordered to be imprisoned shall not be released except by order and command of the judges by whose orders they are arrested.  The aforesaid warden shall observe the obligations of his office, being warned that, if he shall act contrary thereto, he will be proceeded against with the full rigor of the law; in addition to which, the penalties for not exercising his said office in accordance with his bond and pledge shall be executed against him.  Thus they voted, ordered, and decreed.