[84] Recopilacion de leyes contains the following law in regard to the rations of rice:  “Inasmuch as the presidents and auditors of the Audiencia of the Filipinas Islands, and the officials of our royal treasury are accustomed to divide among themselves all the tributes of rice belonging to us in La Pampanga for the expense of their houses, taking it at the price at which the tributarios give it at the harvest, whence it happens that the rations given on our account are lacking, and that they must be bought at excessive rates; and as such procedure is very prejudicial to our royal treasury:  therefore we order the president and royal officials to avoid it and stop so pernicious a custom, for thus is it advisable for our royal service.” [Felipe III, Madrid, December 19, 1618 —­lib. ii, tit. xvi, ley lxxii.]

[85] The following document, preserved in Archivo general de Indias with the same pressmark as Fajardo’s letter (see Bibliographical Data, post), was probably ordered to be copied as a help toward solving these doubts.

The King:  To the president and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the Filipinas Islands.  I have heard that, [the command of] a company of infantry having become vacant because of the death of Don Tomas Brabo, and my governor and captain-general of those islands, Don Pedro de Acuna, having appointed to it Captain Juan de Billacon—­who in order that he would accept had to be urged by the said Don Pedro, both because he was a very worthy and deserving man and one who had done many services, and because there was no one else to select, and because it was an occasion when a great number of boats were expected from China which it had been rumored were to come to attack the islands, to revenge the Sangleys who had been killed in the insurrection of the year six hundred and three—­you issued an act, in which you ordered that the said governor should appoint the said company in conformity to the ordinance, and that in the meantime there should be no innovation in anything—­just as if such a matter were the chief that should be attended to then, since it was an occasion in which the governor was toiling so arduously in fortifying districts and strongholds of those islands, raising ramparts, and making ditches in order to be as ready as possible for the awaiting of so great a multitude of men as rumor said were to attack those islands.  Inasmuch as it is proper that matters pertaining to war be solely in the charge and care of the said my governor and captain-general, I have, after examination of the matter by my royal Council of the Indias, considered it fitting to issue the present, by which I order you not to interfere and oppose the said governor in anything pertaining to war and government matters; and when any case arises, in which any doubt may exist as to the form and execution of it, it is my will that the orders of the said my governor be followed and obeyed, and that you advise me, through my said Council, of the doubt, and what shall be your opinion regarding it; so that after my Council has examined it, the measures most advisable to my service may be ordered and commanded.  Given Ventocilla, November four, one thousand six hundred and six years.