the said two per cent be
lacking, but also the old three per cent which has always been paid,
as well as the other three per cent which was lately imposed upon the
merchandise which the Chinese Indians bring to the said city and the
Filipinas Islands. Accordingly, if the commerce of the islands with
Nueva Espana fails, it is certain and infallible that that of the said
Chinese, which forms the whole export to Nueva Espana, will also fail.

Therefore, the said visitor, notwithstanding the great desire
which he showed of putting the said collection into execution,
did not dare to do it; but considered it better to suspend it, and
report to your Majesty. Although he tried to have it collected as a
voluntary service for the future, the citizens, seeing their great
lack of wealth, could not conform to that measure, although for that
time only they gave a subsidy of four thousand pesos, on condition
that it should not serve as a precedent for the future, and that
there should be no further talk of the said collection [of the said
two per cent] until, after your Majesty had examined it, a suitable
decision should be adopted. They petition your Majesty to be pleased
to consider the very necessary and urgent causes and reasons why the
said collection of the said two per cent should not be carried on,
but that its execution be abrogated, which are as follows:

First, that the motive and cause declared in the said decree of six
hundred and four for the said imposition, was the declaration that
there was suffering because of the great profits of those who were
trading and trafficking in the Filipinas commerce. It was said that the
profits were one hundred per cent, and at times two hundred. Although
the said Sangleys, antecedent to the said year of six hundred and four,
brought the merchandise from China to the said city, and sold it at
prices so low that when taken and sold in Nueva Espana it allowed
a very great profit: still that ceased many years ago, from the said
year of six hundred and four, when the Dutch enemy and pirates began to
continue in and infest those islands with many different plunderings
of the merchandise that the Chinese ships brought to the said city
of Manila. On that account the said trade has gone on diminishing
from day to day, very fast and steadily, to the pass to which the
said Dutch have brought it by their pursuit and pillaging of the said
Chinese ships. From that has resulted the ruin of the said c