cil of the Indias having examined the said statute,
I have considered it advisable to have it confirmed and approved, as by
the present I do confirm, and approve it. And I request and charge the
archbishop of the said metropolitan of the city of Manila--the one now
in office, and those who shall be archbishops hereafter--to observe,
fulfil, and execute it, and cause it to be observed, fulfilled,
and executed, completely, according to its contents. I declare such
to be my will. Given in Madrid, February nineteen, one thousand six
hundred and nineteen.

_I The King_

Countersigned by Juan Ruiz de Contreras; and signed by the council

PROPOSAL TO DESTROY MACAO

The royal Council of the Indias has tried many methods to prevent
considerable amounts of silver being sent to the Philipinas from
Nueva Spana; but those methods have been without result, as experience
has demonstrated. One has occurred to me, and I think, God helping,
that it will have good results. It is as follows:

The inhabitants of the said islands have no other means of support
than commerce, and in the shelter of their trade is sustained all
that church which now numbers so many faithful that it already has an
archbishop and three suffragan bishops for its government. Inasmuch
as that trade has hitherto consisted of Chinese merchandise with Nueva
Espana, it has been, and is, necessary to obtain from that country the
value of the merchandise in money, and to take the money there in order
to make the investment of the following year. Trade is there [_i.e._,
in the islands] like sowing in order to reap; and consequently, if the
door were to be partly closed to this trade, the said inconvenience
would cease. The door might be shut without any harm to the said
islands, if another door were to be opened to them, which would be
also as remunerative as the other, and would not be with his Majesty's
countries. In this way his money would not be taken away, for they
could engage in that trade with Japon. In this same manner as the
inhabitants of Manila lade the silks that they buy in that city from
the Chinese, and send them to Nueva Espana, they should lade them to
send to Japon, where there is a great consumption of these goods and
much excellent silver with which to buy them. This would be a very
good thing for the people of Manila; for, although the profits for
any year might be less than those of Nueva Espana, still they would
be more sure, because of