y is
defrauded out of a great sum, through the smuggling that takes place."]

Sire:

Your Majesty's orders are not obeyed strictly in the Indias, either for
want of honest officials, or because your vassals would be ruined if
your orders were executed strictly and to the letter. One of the most
essential ordinances is that of the permission that your Majesty has
been pleased to give to your vassals of these Filipinas Islands for
[exporting] two hundred and fifty thousand pesos in cloth, and the
provision that the proceeds therefrom shall not amount to more than
five hundred thousand pesos of silver. It neither has been nor is
observed; for if the officials were strict in not allowing more to
be exported than your Majesty's ordinance states, then the merchants
would do it privately, and as they could find means, and outside
of the town; and there would be no remedy for it. The same takes
place at the return of the [investment in] silver; and after that
the truth could not be ascertained. This trouble can be obviated if
your Majesty would be pleased to grant the vassals of these islands
the favor to permit them to [send exports] of two hundred and fifty
thousand pesos more. For as the people are increasing in number, and
are becoming richer, they cannot be maintained, because of the very
heavy expenses that vanity causes, unless they can export a greater
quantity of merchandise than your Majesty has permitted them to. By
that means they cheat your royal duties, and also by not paying the
freight-charges in your galleons, although those payments are the
backbone of your Majesty's treasury. By those funds the said islands
are sustained, as are also the soldiers and sailors, and the galleons
and other ordinary expenses--a great sum. I petition your Majesty
to be pleased to have this matter examined in your royal Council;
and to order me to execute what is most fitting for your service, as
far as may be possible. But since I am but one man in this region,
I have no one to aid me, and I shall not be able to carry out my
wishes. Another means occurs to me, namely, for your Majesty to
be pleased to grant tacit permission to your governor that, for
all the goods exported over and above the amount permitted, he may
strike a bargain with the said inhabitants, and oblige them to pay
here all the duties and freight-charges that they would pay if such
cloth were registered. This measure has one great drawback--namely,
whether your