in force today, for the royal Audiencia alone declared null and void
all that which was enacted after the edict. Although the governor
has been advised of this in writing, no reparation has been made;
for, as it is a matter that touches the fiscal, he defies the laws
entirely. A few days ago Juan Cevicos, an ecclesiastic and presbyter,
presented to the royal Audiencia a decree of your Majesty directed
to the audiencias. In it you prohibit offices of justice to the sons,
brothers, or brothers-in-law of auditors and fiscals, under penalty of
a fine of one thousand pesos in gold. He petitioned that, in observance
of it, the said sargento-mayor Alcazar should not exercise the office
of warden of the Parian of the Sangleys, or Don Fernando Centeno,
[20] general of the galleys, also a brother-in-law of the said fiscal,
that of alcalde-in-ordinary of this city. The Audiencia ordered that
the decree be obeyed; and that the said governor be informed, so that
he might appoint someone to fill the office of the Parian. He was so
angered by that, that he expressed himself in unmeasured language;
and especially, in the meeting held July 23, did he treat the auditors
very harshly, chiding them for having meddled in his government. And
inasmuch as they had ordered him by an act to fulfil the said royal
decree, [he said] that the Audiencia had exceeded their authority,
since such action did not belong to their duties. He told them not
to show thereafter similar discourtesy, for he vowed to God that
he would proceed against the auditors, and would not allow his
office to be taken from him before he had exercised it. He paid no
attention to the said royal decree and act, or to the ordinance of
the Audiencia that prohibits such appointments, because he [_i.e._,
Fernando Centeno] was an encomendero; there is, besides, another
very great objection, namely, that the fiscal his brother-in-law
has hitherto been protector of the same Sangleys, until now when
he leaves it for the post of admiral. Luis Rivero having appealed
from the sentence of death passed by the governor, and orders having
been issued by the Audiencia that he should appear to state his case
(inasmuch as he had presented himself to the Audiencia), and that the
warden of the prison should not deliver the prisoner under penalty
of two thousand ducados--of which the warden himself took notice, and
refused to deliver him over--the sargento-mayor went with a detachment
of arquebusie