Foundation of the Audiencia of Manila (concluded). Felipe II; Aranjuez, May 5, 1583. Two decrees regarding the religious. Felipe II; San Lorenzo, June 21, 1583, and Aranjuez, April 24, 1584. Annual income of the royal exchequer in the Philippines. Andres Cauchela, and others; Manila, June 15-30, 1584. Letter to Felipe II. Melchor Davalos; Manila, July 3, 1584. Letter to the archbishop of Mexico. Santiago de Vera; Manila, June 20, 1585. Two letters to Felipe II. Fray Geronimo de Guzman [Madrid? 1585]; and Fray Jhoan de Vascones [1585?]
Sources: These documents are obtained from the original MSS. in the Archivo de Indias, Sevilla--excepting the royal decrees, which are found in the _Crónica_ of Santa Inés and in the "Cedulario Indico" of the Archivo Historico Nacional, Madrid, respectively.
Translations: The first document is translated by Henry B. Lathrop, of the University of Wisconsin; the second and fourth, by Alfonso de Salvio, of Harvard University; the third, by Arthur B. Myrick, of Harvard University; the fifth, by José and Clara M. Asensio; the sixth, by Herbert E. Bolton, of the University of Texas.
Foundation of the Audiencia of Manila (_concluded_)
252. _Item_: We command that the said commissioners of examination [_receptores_], and special clerks who go on inquiries, shall not play games of chance, except for articles of food ready to be eaten, on pain of removal from office.
253-259. [Form of entry of witness's oath; fees charged must be endorsed; cases must be accepted promptly, in due order; absence and accounting for writs; fees received must be recorded; commissions may not be begged for; reports of investigations made out in public form must be given to the parties.]
260-264. [Taxing of charges; discharge of commissioners on completion of commission; commissioners may not be employed if they are relatives of clerks, attorneys, or advocates, or if they have boarded or lodged with them within a year; procedure on second trial.]
265-272. [Procedure in the assignment of commissions; cases accepted must not be thrown up; requests of parties for summoning of witnesses are not to be entered on the record; testimony is to be taken before local magistrates, if so desired; rights of commissioners-in-ordinary and of supernumerary commissioners to assignments.]