n the book of minutes and meetings
of the treasury, which is in my office, and on leaves one hundred
and eighteen and one hundred and nineteen of it, to which I refer,
and by petition of his Lordship, the said bishop, I gave the present
in Manila, August eleven, one thousand six hundred and sixteen. As
witness at its drawing and revision were Christoval Martin Franco
and Joan Vazquez de Mercado, citizens of this said city.

_Gaspar Alvares_

As is manifest and appears from the original testimony, that remained
in the possession of the reverend Don Fray Pedro de Arce, with which
it was corrected and collated, and is issued actually and really
corrected and collated, and on petition of the said reverend person,
I gave the present in the city of Manila, on the twenty-fifth day of
the month of August, one thousand six hundred and sixteen, witnesses
being Christoval de Saavedra, Blas de Rrosales, and Andres Estevan,
citizens and residents of Manila.

Therefore I affixed my seal in testimony of right. Gratis.

_Pedro de Valdes_, notary-public.

We, the undersigned notaries, testify that Pedro de Valdes, by whom
this testimony seems to be sealed and signed, is a notary-public of the
number [81] of this city of Manila, and that entire credence has been,
and is, given, in and out of court, to the writs and acts that have
passed, and pass, before him. Given in Manila, August twenty-five,
one thousand six hundred and sixteen.

_Diego de Rueda_, notary.
_Juan de Cabrera_, royal notary.
_Sebastian Samer_, his Majesty's notary.

Sire:

Don Pedro de Arce, bishop of Cibu, declares that his predecessor,
Don Pedro de Agurto, first bishop of that province, appointed and
named canons and dignidades, although without any stipend, to serve
in his cathedral church, without your Majesty's order. By his death
the said canons and dignidades claimed the right to govern in the
vacant see of the said bishopric; while the archbishop of Manila also
claimed the right to place a government there himself. Since many
opposing ideas have been expressed among the theologians regarding
this matter, I supplicate your Majesty to have the goodness to order
what procedure must be observed in this, and whether such canons and
dignidades constitute and hold the force of a cabildo, or not, so
that, at any event, suits and dissensions may be avoided; and it will
receive favor. [_In the margin_: "Have all the documents that bear
upon this argument co