osed by Don Gonzalo Rronquillo be not paid in the city, because
the country is very poor and needy, and the citizens have many other
expenses for the city, I answered that I should be very glad to relieve
them of it, but that, on account of the very heavy expenses that were
requisite for the preservation of those islands, I was forced to avail
myself of what could be reasonably obtained therefrom. Accordingly I
charged the said Gomez Perez to order the collection of the said three
per cent, and directed that the proceeds therefrom be kept separate,
for the purpose of paying the military forces. You shall exercise
the same care, and shall attend to the matter with the mildness and
efficient means that I expect from you. While en route through Nueva
Spana, you shall request the viceroy to order that the speedy and
efficient collection of the duties at Acapulco be attended to, and
that he send the proceeds from them to those islands with the least
possible delay--because of the need there of whatever duties are at
Acapulco--in accordance with the terms of the separate decree that
will be handed you with these instructions, so that you may give it
to the viceroy, and take the requisite action in this.

I was petitioned, in behalf of the said city, to have some public
property assigned to it, in order that it might attend to matters of
peace, war, government, and other things touching its preservation,
defense, and any suits that might be brought against it. I assigned
the city for six years one-half of the fines and penalties applied to
my treasury, and the revenues from the warehouses and shops wherein
the Chinese merchandise is traded. When Gomez Perez arrived there,
he wrote me that the fines adjudged to the treasury had been assigned
to the city; but that the sum raised by this means amounted to very
little, and that there were no warehouses. He wrote, however, that
there were a number of Sangley shops in the Parian, the rent from which
was given to the judge who governed the Sangleys. Now, inasmuch as I
purpose to bestow favor upon the said city, I have continued the said
fines from the treasury for another ten years. In the matter of the
shops, you shall manage and try to procure by gentle means that the
Sangleys may voluntarily pay the salary of their judge. If this be
done, then you shall also assign the rents from the shops as public
property to the said city. Failing in this, then, together with the
Audiencia, you