to the benefices which are curacies of the Indians—­but only outside of this city; and not to the said canonries, dignidades, or curacies of Spaniards or Indians within this city.  And inasmuch as this holy Church recognizes that it is under obligations for many reasons to his royal and Catholic Majesty, the king our sovereign, as being his foundation, and that it will not be proper to enact or make any statute without his pleasure and order, they determined to go before his royal person and entreat him humbly to confirm the present, and consider it fitting, as a matter of so great importance to the service of God our Lord, and to that of his royal Majesty, and to the increase of this holy Church.

Fray Pedro, bishop of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus. Dean Arellano The archdeacon of Manila.  The schoolmaster of Manila. Precentor Sanctiago de Castro The treasurer of Manila. Canon Tomas Gimarano Canon Garcetas Canon Juan de la Cruz Canon Alonso Garcia de Leon Racionero Don Francisco de Caldes Racionero Tomas de Bega Racionero Pedro Flores Benegas

Before me: 

Alonso Ramirez, secretary of cabildo.”

And my royal Council of the Indias having examined the said statute, I have considered it advisable to have it confirmed and approved, as by the present I do confirm, and approve it.  And I request and charge the archbishop of the said metropolitan of the city of Manila—­the one now in office, and those who shall be archbishops hereafter—­to observe, fulfil, and execute it, and cause it to be observed, fulfilled, and executed, completely, according to its contents.  I declare such to be my will.  Given in Madrid, February nineteen, one thousand six hundred and nineteen.

I The King

Countersigned by Juan Ruiz de Contreras; and signed by the council

PROPOSAL TO DESTROY MACAO

The royal Council of the Indias has tried many methods to prevent considerable amounts of silver being sent to the Philipinas from Nueva Spana; but those methods have been without result, as experience has demonstrated.  One has occurred to me, and I think, God helping, that it will have good results.  It is as follows: 

The inhabitants of the said islands have no other means of support than commerce, and in the shelter of their trade is sustained all that church which now numbers so many faithful that it already has an archbishop and three suffragan bishops for its government.  Inasmuch as that trade has hitherto consisted of Chinese merchandise with Nueva Espana, it has been, and is, necessary to obtain from that country the value of the merchandise in money, and to take the money there in order to make the investment of the following year.  Trade is there [i.e., in the islands] like sowing in order to reap; and consequently, if the door were to be partly closed to this trade, the said