chief but not the only reason for
collecting tributes; and, until it shall be adequately provided, it
is but reasonable to collect for the benefit of justice bestowed upon
the Indians. The tax also is very moderate; "since an Indian pays
here one peso, while in Nueva Espana he pays three or four pesos,
by way of tribute."] The advantages resulting to the Indians are
not so small as your Lordship thinks. If we had no other example of
this, the one which is afforded by the province of Pintados would
be sufficiently convincing--seeing that, before the Spaniards came
to these islands, and even after they came, the inhabitants voyaged
from one island to another with many boats, assaulting, plundering,
and murdering one another, not only in their fleets by sea, but
in armed bands on the land. It was only after they had intercourse
and communication with the Spaniards--although they had no religious
instruction, and in most regions no justice--that factions, and raids,
and assaults have ceased among them. This is no insignificant gain,
to say nothing of many others, which, as I have said, result from
the establishment of justice, in their better government, order, and
preparation for receiving religious instruction, which is our principal
object. Dasmarinas admits that religion is more important than
justice; but the latter is so much more expensive that it justifies
the appropriation of a larger share of the revenues; moreover, the
encomendero should be allowed enough for his support, and for that
of his family and the soldiers whom he must support (usually eight
or ten in number). A parallel case is seen in the relative positions
of himself and the bishop; the latter's office is certainly a higher
dignity, and of greater importance, yet he receives but two thousand
(pesos?), while the governor has twelve thousand; but the latter is
thus remunerated because he incurs much greater expense. The governor
claims that his instructions command him to consult the bishop only
in reference to affairs in the districts which are mutinous, or have
never been pacified; and cites the instructions further to show that
he is justified in collecting tributes where religious instruction is
not given, and that the bishop's privileges in the conduct of affairs
are only advisory, not authoritative. Moreover, the opinions which
the religious orders have furnished to him show that they disagree
with the bishop in many important particulars--not to m