comiendas be combined to form larger ones. This letter is followed by
twenty-five "conclusions" (dated January 18) relating to this subject,
which express the opinions of bishop and clergy on the collection of
tributes from the Indians. These define the purposes for which this
tax should be collected, the restrictions under which collections
shall be permitted, and the respective duties in this matter of the
encomenderos, ministers of religion, and governors, They declare that
restitution should be made for all tribute unjustly collected from
the natives--which includes all that is taken from pagans who have
not been instructed, or from any Indian by force. Another letter
by the bishop (dated January 25) accompanies this document. He
states that he does not desire to forbid the encomenderos from
personally collecting the tributes. He advises that the amount of
such collections should be reduced, and that the Spaniards should not
be too heavily mulcted for the restitutions which should be made to
the Indians. The governor replies to these communications, expressing
much interest in the Indians and desire to lighten their burdens. The
collections should be uniform in rate everywhere, and of moderate
amount. Certain requirements should be made from the encomenderos,
especially in regard to the administration of justice; but they must
be enabled to retain their holdings. The governor wishes to adopt
some temporary regulations which shall be in force until the king can
provide suitable measures. On February 15 the city officials and the
encomenderos present a petition to the governor. They complain of the
pressure exerted upon them by the clergy and the friars to prevent
the collection of the tributes; and entreat the governor to interpose
his authority, and to secure a royal mandate, in order that they may
collect the tributes without ecclesiastical interference, or else
to permit them to return to Spain. Salazar answers (February 8) the
previous letter of Dasmarinas; this reply, and the opinions furnished
by the religious orders, we synopsize in our text, as being somewhat
too verbose for the edification of our readers. Salazar answers the
objections made to his earlier statements, and assures the governor
that the encomenderos can live on one-third of the tributes, that
there is no danger of their abandoning their holdings, and that the
chief obstacle to the conversion of the pagans is the cruelty of the
Spaniards. He urge