eviously
held, which shall have been examined and passed upon; and that such
persons shall have deposited, first and foremost, in his Majesty's
royal treasury, all the fines and condemnations which shall have
been in their charge, with tenths of gold and other things of which
they must give account, together with the payment of these and of
any other sums which they shall have been sentenced to pay in their
residencias. In order that they may furnish these, they must be present
in person, during the time prescribed by law, without leaving their
jurisdictions--being warned that if any person absent himself from
the jurisdiction where he holds office, without first furnishing
residencia, it will not be received or heard by the prosecutor, and
he will be compelled to return to furnish it in his own person. In
order that the provisions of this act may be strictly enforced,
they ordered that his Majesty's fiscal register the letters-patent
which shall have been given to the said offices of justice; so that
whatever is ordained by the said royal laws, and provided by this
act, he may claim when the officials shall be appointed, and the
necessary residencias be taken. Likewise there is to be delivered
to the government secretary of these islands a copy of this act, so
that in the patents of those who shall be appointed the fulfilment
of what is herein contained shall be formally inserted as a clause,
and his Majesty's said fiscal shall register the said patents. They
cannot continue to exercise their offices without first making the said
investigation, exactly observing the provisions of this said act; and
the accountant of the royal exchequer shall likewise register it; so
that whoever shall not have given an account of the said fines, tenths
of gold, and other matters which shall have been in his charge, shall
not take his office. By this act, they so voted, ordered, and decreed.

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

In the city of Manila, on the thirteenth of July, one thousand five
hundred and ninety-nine, I, Pedro Hurtado Desquibel, clerk of court
for the royal Audiencia, Chancilleria, and Court of these Philipinas
Islands, certify and attest that, from the eighth of June, of the past
year, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, to the present day,
the date of this testimony, the president and auditors of this said
royal Audiencia, have from time to time agreed upon and enacted the
acts [4] which are herein cop