ordinances governing the cabildo of this city were given
by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, governor of this island, with the
command that none of them be altered without an order from the
governors. One of them prescribes the form of the election of
alcaldes-in-ordinary. Although time has somewhat vitiated it, the
order that the regidors should give account to the governor of all that
occurred has been observed. Consequently, they send him annually two
commissaries from their last cabildo meeting with the nomination of
eighteen or more persons, on whom they have cast their eyes for the
choice of two alcaldes. This year, while separated into factions,
the regidors--finding one of them favored by an auditor who was
trying for his own private ends to oust an alcalde in opposition
to the community--tried to pervert the said custom of sending me
the nomination. I did not allow that, because of the innovation and
because of the difficulty involved therein that, in a presidio that
is open to so many enemies, alcaldes may be chosen to whom the city
cannot be entrusted--for the alcaldes are captains of the inhabitants
when occasion arises--declaring, besides, the more than thirty years
of this practice. They obeyed, and proposed eleven persons who were
satisfactory in every respect. The other new regidors, who had offered
the said auditor more than they could perform, opposed the nomination,
appealing to the Audiencia, and refusing to make the election on
the following day, the first of January. As it was vacation time,
I gave one of the auditors commission to preside in the cabildo,
in accordance with that fact. He excused himself on account of
sickness; whereupon I gave it next to the other remaining auditor,
who also excused himself. In default of both of them, I gave the same
commission to him who performs the duties of fiscal, basing my reason
for it on the grounds that, according to the ordinance he has a vote in
a deadlock; and on the fact that one of the auditors usually presides
in that act, although there are precedents of some unprofessional
men having presided. Don Juan Sarmiento, a creole, and Admiral Don
Fernando Galindo, of Espana, a man of great worth, were elected.

After the vacations were past, the two auditors and the fiscal
conspired together, in order to annul the said election and to make
another new one. They offered the necessary support to the regidors of
their party, in order to have them present themselves