[In the margin:  “Have the decree for Santo Domingo and Nuebo Rreyno [3] brought, so that it may be examined and the proper decree issued.”]

Don Pedro de Acuna The licentiate Tellez Almacan The licentiate Manuel de Madrid y Luna

[Endorsed:  “Manila; to his Majesty, 1605. 58.  Governor and Audiencia.”  “January 15, 1607, examined, and decreed within.”]

Relations with the Chinese

Restitution of Chinese Property

Official statement of the memorials presented in the royal Audiencia of Manila on the part of the most reverend archbishop of the Filipinas, concerning the demands of the king of China.

Most potent lord:  The archbishop of these Filipinas declares that, as such archbishop, he is under obligation to look after the condition of these islands and of the Christian religion in them; and, as a member of the Council of his Majesty, to protect the interests of his royal crown, and of this his dominion—­all of which, according to the counsels of prudence, is at the present moment in great danger.  This danger is one of the greatest that could be, for the powerful king of China has threatened us with an enormous fleet of ships, saying that there will be a thousand of them if we do not grant what he demands in regard to two things.  One of these is clearly just; for it concerns a great quantity of property which was brought into this city by the Chinese merchants last year, six hundred and three, when the Sangleys rebelled against this city.  Your governor commanded that the said property, as belonging to enemies (as those who brought it here were), should be kept, and taken into custody, and should be given back to them.  A great part of this property was afterward sold among the Spaniards and more than thirty thousand pesos of the proceeds of the said goods came into the possession of Diego de Marquina, general depositary of this city, by whom it was all (or nearly all) turned over to your royal treasury.  The rest of the Chinese property came into the possession of Captain Sebastian de Aguilar, and any other person who may have received into his keeping and custody other goods belonging to the said property.  The other thing which the said king of China demands is, that certain Chinese (of whom there are not many) who remained alive after the war and were at that time taken prisoners, and are in the galleys, should be given their liberty that they may go back to their own country.  This is a matter for your Highness to examine carefully, to ascertain whether this be a just demand, and whether it can be justly exacted.  Even if it were clearly and evidently just that the said Chinese should remain as convicts in the said galleys, this demand requires much consideration, on account of the condition of the faith and of the realm, whether this commonwealth must be forced to break with so powerful an enemy