By a section in a letter from your Majesty to Don Pedro de Acuna, late governor of these islands, your Majesty commands that the wine for celebrating mass which was provided to religious in charge of the instruction of Indians on private encomiendas shall not be given by the royal exchequer.  This decree has caused resentment on the part of those concerned.  They instituted legal proceedings against the execution of the command, claiming that the previous usage should prevail, and affirming that the wine is thus furnished in Mexico and Piru.  I presented decrees showing that this is a grant made by your Majesty to the religious of those provinces for a limited time; and the Audiencia, on appeal, directed your Majesty’s commands to be executed.  The encomenderos declare that your Majesty should meet this expense, and are sending documents on the subject.  I give this information in order that your Majesty may be assured that this is entirely an act of bounty on your Majesty’s part, and that your Majesty has many obligations and expenses on these islands, which must be met; and that since your Majesty gives the wine on the royal encomiendas, they can and should provide it on their own.

Your Majesty has commanded that no offices or places of profit shall be given to those who hold Indians in encomienda.  There are some encomiendas so small that they are insufficient as a means of support, and sometimes these are held by persons very well fitted for such offices as are to be granted.  It would be well if your Majesty should command that which shall be most to your service on this matter, that no doubt may exist.  The fiscal my predecessor, whenever offices were given to such encomenderos, was accustomed to begin suit appealing from the governor’s appointments; and he likewise appealed and brought suit against some of those to whom the governors made grants, on the ground that they were against decrees and the instructions of the governor.  This was a fruitful source of irritation, the governors declaring that the offices are thus granted for the good of your Majesty’s service, although it appears that the appointees are making gain of them.  Since that which has occurred and that which may occur is of moment, your Majesty will ordain according to your royal pleasure, observing that the governors are subject to residencias, and that it is difficult to bring a lawsuit with reference to every one of their decisions made after this manner, or to undertake to settle the question whether or no such decisions are proper.

This city of Manila is very near the villages of some Indians who support themselves by agriculture.  If there are any places unoccupied they use them as sites for dwellings.  They make use of the grass to cover their houses and also to cover their fields, for they always keep these covered thus during the time while the crops begin to grow.  These Indians have suffered great oppression, for there have been established in the vicinity of this city more than