be done away with;
and no alcalde-mayor or corregidor should have a deputy except when
he is absent, and such deputy should not be given a salary.

[_In the margin_: "If there is any reform to be made, have the new
governor act therein, and advise us of his action. _Idem. Idem. Idem_
in this matter."]

5. One of the things in which, I have understood, the royal exchequer
of your Majesty has been the most defrauded and the citizens of these
islands the most aggrieved, is in the freighting and despatching of
vessels which go from here to Nueva Espana with merchandise; for the
governors have, for some years past, assigned to this duty various
special friends and confidants of themselves, and even at times their
own servants. The said persons lade in the ships their own property,
and even that of their relatives and friends--and likewise, it is
said, of any person who will pay them for it. This transaction and
negotiation is of great profit for them, and a great fraud upon the
royal exchequer; for all the merchandise which they lade in this way,
outside of the amount allotted, goes without paying your Majesty the
royal duties, and is not a part of the cloth which is assigned to the
citizens in the general allotment which is made to them. As a remedy
for this, it will be well that in the future, when the allotment
of the cloth is made, there should be present and superintend it,
besides the governor and the other persons who are appointed, an
auditor and royal official in rotation, each year, commencing with
those longest here. As soon as the said allotment shall be finished,
the royal official shall take a copy of it, and the persons to whom
allotment is made of the said cloth shall come with their invoices, to
bale it and pay the royal duty in the presence of the royal officials,
who should give warrants for it. One or two of the officials should be
present at the port of Cavite, which is the landing-place of ships,
two leagues from this city; and there should be also present on the
ship, during its lading, the freighters who are ordinarily appointed,
and an auditor, so that no cloth will be allowed to be laded except it
be that contained in the said allotment. That which is thus authorized
shall be vouched for by warrants from the said royal officials that
the duties are paid. So great has been the irregularity in this
matter that, by having it checked by these strict methods, there
would probably be a great gain to th