t some day happen
that an expedition would be determined to be necessary, in a council
of war, and that the majority of the votes of the treasury council in
which the expenses are voted may not concur, either through want of
capacity in the officials, or through an excess of passion and private
interest--and, in a land so remote, experience teaches that there
are many such. In the report of the meeting that I enclose herewith,
in regard to the above matter of the cloves, I guessed what were the
majority of the opinions beforehand. Doctor Don Albaro de Mesa y Lugo,
neutral or indecisive as he is on all questions of any importance
or difficulty, and especially on those regarding revenue, for fear
lest the auditors be obliged to pay. Licentiate Geronimo de Legaspi,
senior auditor at the time of the council, not satisfied because I have
employed his elder son in a company, tried to have a place given to the
second son also, in another one. Because what he asked was not done,
although I desired to please him, he was displeased. The accountant,
Marten Ruiz de Salazar, has for a long time been offended, because
he was not allowed to take fees from the clerks of the accountancy,
and to exercise absolute authority over accepting and dismissing
them, as in the present case. Hence my proposition was disliked by
them both. Thus may your Majesty see carried out in this case the
same motive that I stated for all the others--namely, that they do
not vote without self-interest or passion. He to whom your Majesty
can and ought to trust most is the person to whom all the government
shall have been charged; and he should be given authority so that
he may, after having heard the opinions of the treasury council,
concur with the party which may seem to him more judicious, even
though it be not the one with the more votes. [_In the margin_:
"Have the fiscal see this again." "The fiscal declares that the form
is laid down by the decrees and ordinances which treat of it, and he
thinks it undesirable to make any innovation. For even though there
happen to be some officials, of those who take part in those meetings,
who are such as here described, it might also happen that there would
be rash governors who might act inconsiderately, and only through
self-will or caprice, and cause great and excessive expenses of the
royal revenues. Consequently, it is preferable that action be taken
by many votes, since in justifiable and even in doubtful cases t