Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 08).djvu/164

preservation and defense of the Indians, are of greater cost and expense than that for instruction—to which is allowed one-fourth, and which is reserved and kept for the Indians; thus in respect to the cost of each ministry its stipend must be given, as I prove in my letter by many arguments. As to his saying that your Majesty ordered me to remedy, with his help, these excesses in the collection of tributes, I responded that, only as regards the disaffected and never-pacified encomiendas, your Majesty orders me to communicate and confer with him, in these words: "I have heard that there has been and is disorder and misappropriation in the collection of the tributes from the disaffected or unpacified encomiendas," etc. Therefore your Majesty bids us to discuss no others except these, as in the others I shall correct the excesses. The only ones in doubt are those disaffected. It says further that "Such encomiendas must not be abandoned; but that at least the entire tribute should not be collected, but only a small part in token of acknowledgment," etc. Consequently it is not ordered that they be abandoned, but that something be collected; and even then nothing shall be collected except from those who are in rebellion without cause; your Majesty declares further that "Since the Indians of the said encomiendas receive no temporal or spiritual benefit from their encomenderos, there is no reason why they should pay," etc. It clearly follows from this that, if they receive any temporal benefits—as is that of justice, and others which are proposed—the collections may be made. In continuing, your Majesty declares: This is a matter that requires as effectual a remedy as you can provide; and I therefore charge you to decide in this what appears to you to accord with the judgment of