f this court and
government, and in order to preserve the preeminence and exemptions
which they may and should enjoy here, they ordered, and they did so
order, that, now and henceforth, the said secretaries of this court
and government may freely bring into this court, as their retinue,
the said slaves with swords, according to the usual custom in the said
royal Chancilleria of the City of Mexico, and other chancillerias of
the Yndias, without the interposition--by any person, of whatever
estate, quality, or rank--of any hindrance or impediment whatever,
under the penalties provided by law. Thus they voted, and ordered it
to be recorded as an act, and signed it in my presence.

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_An act decreeing that the Sangleys shall not be allowed to have
godchildren, on account of the injury which may result therefrom._

In the city of Manila, on the seventeenth of May, one thousand
five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the
royal Chancilleria of these Philipinas Islands, having examined the
information which was referred to this royal Audiencia by Estevan
de Marquina, alcalde-mayor of the village of Tondo and its presidio,
regarding the custom which the Christian Sangleys of that jurisdiction
have among themselves, of receiving and having a great number of
godchildren, both Christian and infidel, in order to have them
ready for any emergency that may arise, and to employ them as false
witnesses--to which they lend themselves with great facility, and at
little cost--and for other evil purposes and intents, exchanging with
them favors and assistance in their affairs; and whereas, on account
of these and other causes which have come to light, and as is quite
evident from the said information, that district is ruined and divided
into factions, and that it would be advisable, for its reform, to
suppress this custom of having godchildren, and that they should not
continue it, under severe penalties: therefore, they declared that
they ordered, and they did so order, that, now and henceforth, the
Sangleys of these islands shall in no manner have or avail themselves
of the said godchildren; nor use their names, nor those of any others,
in order to have them for their partisans or accomplices in any kind of
transaction which might occur, as they have been wont to do hitherto;
nor shall they regard them as such, or receive others in their place;
and they shall give up immediately all th