is administered by means of
two lay alcaldes, who are appointed annually by the ayuntamiento from
the citizens of the city. When the appointees are men of wealth, they
resign, for this charge alone occasions them ill-humor and serious
occupations which distract them from their business. Those who accept
or desire it, can have no other stimulus than that of vile interest,
tolerating prohibited games, etc. It is, then, necessary to appoint
two lawyers with suitable pay to be judges of first instance.

Everyone knows what the Leyes de Indias are, the epoch in which they
were made, and the distinct regions for which they were dictated. It
is, then, indispensable and peremptory to make the civil codes of
legal processes, of criminal instruction, and of commerce especially
for the country.

In India there is a commission of the government composed of four
votes and a president, charged with making and revising the laws of
India. For the same purpose, in my opinion, three persons who had
studied or should study the country would be sufficient here. In
such case I would be of the opinion that they be not allowed to
do their work together, but that each one work alone and present
his results. Another commission ought to be appointed immediately
(there would be no harm in those same men forming it) to examine
the codes and present a resume of the points in which they differed
essentially. These would be few and in regard to them the government
could take the best resolution.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DATA

The following document is obtained from a MS. in the Archivo general
de Indias, Sevilla:

1. Letter from the archbishop of Manila.--"Simancas--Eclesiastico;
Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y espedientes de arzobispo de Manila;
anos 1579 a 1697; est. 68, caj. 1, leg. 32."

The following document is obtained from a MS. in the Real Academia
de la Historia, Madrid:

2. Jesuit protest.--"Papeles de los Jesuitas, to. 4o., no. 259."

The following document is obtained from a MS. in the Archivo general,
Simancas:

3. Paz's Description of Philipinas.--"Consejo de Inquisicion,
libro 786." (We present such part of this document as relates to
the Philippines.)

The following are taken from the Ventura del Arco MSS. (Ayer library):

4. Condition of Philippines, 1652.--Tomo ii, pp. 385-390.

5. Jesuit missions, 1655.--Tomo ii, pp. 391-399.

6. Events in Manila, 1662-63.--Tomo ii, pp. 421-480.

7. Letter from Salcedo.--T