From the said year of 1822, the government has always devolved upon
an official, a general; in case of his death, the segundo cabo,
a general, is substituted for him; and in case of the death of the
latter, the commandant-general of the naval station.

The captain-general is, as we have indicated, supreme chief of all
departments, and the sum total of his pay amounts to forty thousand
pesos annually.

A command of so great importance, superior to the viceroyalties of
our former American colonies, ought not to be given exclusively to one
specified class; and the election of governor should be free, although
with the limitation that only ex-ministers and high dignitaries of
the army or of any other institution, who merit through their lofty
talents, known competence, and proved morality, that Espana should
entrust to them its representation and the exercise of its sovereignty
in so precious a portion of its domains, should be eligible to it. Thus
jointly do the prestige of the Spanish name the complications of
political life in modern society, and the progress and welfare of
eight millions of Spanish Indians--worthy under all concepts on which
governments now fix their attention more than they have hitherto done,
in a matter of so transcendent importance--demand this with urgency.

It is also advisable to change the vicious, anomalous, and unsuitable
organization of the provinces of Filipinas, assimilating them, so far
as possible, to those of Espana. The separation of the gubernatorial
and judicial duties, the suppression of politico-military commands,
and the appointment of civil governors, under excellent conditions
and unremovable for six years, are urgent; all these are measures
that will positively redound to the benefit of the country.

NOTES

[1] The earliest compilation of laws regarding the Spanish colonies of
Nueva Espana was made, by royal command, by Vasco de Puga (an auditor
of the Audiencia of Mexico), and printed in 1563. Francisco de Toledo,
viceroy of Peru from 1569 to 1581, prepared a code of ordinances for
that country (see Markham's _Hist. Peru_, pp. 149, 156-159, 538). In
1570, Felipe II ordered that a revised compilation of the laws and
ordinances for the government of all the Indias be made. After many
efforts and delays, this was accomplished in 1628, but the work was
not printed until 1681. It is the fifth edition (_i.e._, reprint)
of this compilation from which we obtain the law