Your Majesty has prohibited any one from sending money to Macan, and the governors order the same by their edicts under penalty of confiscation.  Antonio Fiallo gave information of over thirteen thousand pesos sent him by Bartolome Tenorio, chief-constable of the court, making a gift to your Majesty of the portion which pertained to him as denouncer.  And although this cause originated from the edicts of the government, the auditors tried it, acquitting the said Bartolome Tenorio—­commenting on the suit in examination and review during my absence, without carrying it to the regular session.

The ordinances governing the cabildo of this city were given by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, governor of this island, with the command that none of them be altered without an order from the governors.  One of them prescribes the form of the election of alcaldes-in-ordinary.  Although time has somewhat vitiated it, the order that the regidors should give account to the governor of all that occurred has been observed.  Consequently, they send him annually two commissaries from their last cabildo meeting with the nomination of eighteen or more persons, on whom they have cast their eyes for the choice of two alcaldes.  This year, while separated into factions, the regidors—­finding one of them favored by an auditor who was trying for his own private ends to oust an alcalde in opposition to the community—­tried to pervert the said custom of sending me the nomination.  I did not allow that, because of the innovation and because of the difficulty involved therein that, in a presidio that is open to so many enemies, alcaldes may be chosen to whom the city cannot be entrusted—­for the alcaldes are captains of the inhabitants when occasion arises—­declaring, besides, the more than thirty years of this practice.  They obeyed, and proposed eleven persons who were satisfactory in every respect.  The other new regidors, who had offered the said auditor more than they could perform, opposed the nomination, appealing to the Audiencia, and refusing to make the election on the following day, the first of January.  As it was vacation time, I gave one of the auditors commission to preside in the cabildo, in accordance with that fact.  He excused himself on account of sickness; whereupon I gave it next to the other remaining auditor, who also excused himself.  In default of both of them, I gave the same commission to him who performs the duties of fiscal, basing my reason for it on the grounds that, according to the ordinance he has a vote in a deadlock; and on the fact that one of the auditors usually presides in that act, although there are precedents of some unprofessional men having presided.  Don Juan Sarmiento, a creole, and Admiral Don Fernando Galindo, of Espana, a man of great worth, were elected.