rs and, after taking away the keys from the warden,
took the prisoner out by force and executed on him the sentence of
death. Auditor Don Alvaro de Messa having proceeded against the warden
by commission of the Audiencia, the governor suppressed the case, and
handled the auditor with rough speech. Without being ordered by the
Audiencia, on his own authority he takes the prisoners from the jail
and mans the galleys with them, even though their cases are actually
pending at the time in the Audiencia; and it has been impossible to
conclude them, notwithstanding that it is the Audiencia that causes
all criminals to be taken from jail and placed in the galleys for
which authority is granted them. He suppresses the secular offices of
justice at will, before their time-limit expires, without awaiting
the opinion of the Audiencia, or even communicating the matter to
them. He sends out investigators whenever he wishes, although that
is the proper business of the Audiencia. He appoints followers
and kinsmen to posts of justice, in violation of your Majesty's
decrees. He removed the former reporter, who was exercising that
office so that he might be given a post as alcalde-mayor (which was
the usual practice), and appointed a reporter without an order from
the Audiencia. He does the same with other offices which fall vacant,
although the contrary is the custom. In the session of July 23, while
vote was being taken upon a certain petition presented by Captain Pedro
Alvarez, government and war secretary of these islands--which related
the insults put upon him by the governor and the master-of-camp in
proceeding against him in a certain cause, which is declared by acts
of trial and revision to be outside of the military jurisdiction--and
after Auditor Geronimo de Legaspi de Hecheverria had uttered his vote
and opinion that a writ of your Majesty should be despatched against
the said master-of-camp, since the acts of trial and revision were
incorrect, so that in fulfilment of such writ he might be prohibited
from trying the cause, under penalty of two thousand ducados and
warnings of greater: the said governor replied on the instant, with
his usual heat, that he vowed to God that he would choke and skin
the throttle of that auditor who should sign such a decree. "Why
must he be subject to three licentiates, each one of his own nation,
and to have come to such a pass that a bandy-legged graybeard should
order him?" At this rate, bluster