Besides the notarial offices which your royal decree ordered to be sold, no mention was made of those of La Laguna, of the Coast and Tondo, of Bulacan, of the cabildo of this city, and that of Pangasinan, which are all large jurisdictions and have notaries appointed by themselves.  Moreover, there may thus be sold the office of notary of the alcaiceria [silk-market] of the Chinese, where there is a separate judge; and that of the mines and registries, with the inspection of the Chinese ships, in the form provided by your governor, and used by Thomas Perez.  If this last office were sold with the others, we could find a person who would give therefor five thousand pesos; and should your governor provide the office of al-ferez-mayor and that of depositary-general, it would come to six thousand pesos.  I understand that if your Majesty should command these offices to be sold by open vote in the cabildo, there would be found many purchasers.

When Alonso Veltran, your notary of the court of this Audiencia, departed for Nueva Espana, he sold his office, by official permission, to Alonso de Torres, an honored merchant, for four thousand five hundred pesos.  The third thereof was placed in your royal treasury of which he made royal exhibition in the Audiencia, and asked to be admitted to the possession and exercise of said office.  When your governor examined the records, he said that the cognizance of that cause was not for the Audiencia, but for the governor, because the general decree providing for the sale of offices for Nueva Espana came addressed to the viceroy.  Consequently, the Audiencia referred to the governor the cognizance and decision of this matter; and he declared that the said Alonso de Torres was not entitled to admission.  Although the latter appealed, he did not dare continue the case, in order, as he said, to avoid misfortune.  For this reason, your royal treasury lost one thousand five hundred pesos.  To remedy this, and to increase your royal exchequer, it is most important for your Majesty to command that the said general decree directed to the viceroy of Nueva Espana in the year eighty-one, [17] which treats of the sale and renunciation of offices, be observed in these islands.  Its fulfilment should be enforced by your president and auditors; and, when a vacancy occurs in any office, the said office should be sold, in order that your royal treasury may have some relief.  If it is not thus commanded, the governors will exercise the privilege of providing offices.

Last year I reported to your Majesty that, because of the death of Dona Ana de Palacios, there had been left vacant an encomienda owned by her in Camarines.  Petition had been made to your governor that it be placed to the account of your royal crown, in virtue of your Majesty’s royal decree; and that twelve thousand pesos of income should be paid to this royal Audiencia.  But because Captain Joan Maldonado presented another decree in which your Majesty commands