ls of justice, those
needed by the town are elected by the same convention. The balloting
must be secret, and is authorized by the notary and presided over by
the provincial chief. The parish priest may be present, if he wishes,
to express what opinions he may consider fitting, but for no other
purpose. In sealed envelopes the election returns are sent to the
superior governments of the provinces of Tondo, Bulacan, Pampanga,
Bataan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite, so that
after choosing one of those proposed as gobernadorcillo, the respective
government orders the credentials corresponding to each class to be
despatched. In the other provinces, because of their distance from
the capital, the chief of each one appoints the nominee in the first
place, and making use of the blank credentials entrusted to him by
the superior government, writes therein the names of those interested,
and places them in possession [of their offices].
The cabezas of barangay can be elected, if they preserve their
cabecerias and the collection of tributes, by the rule in the royal
decree of October 17, 1785.
The Chinese community may elect from among its Christian individuals,
and in a meeting presided over by the alcalde-mayor of Tondo,
one man as gobernadorcillo, one as chief deputy, and a third as
alguacil-mayor. The government grants those elected the proper
credentials, by virtue of which they exercise jurisdiction. The
officials of justice in this community are called _bilangos_, and are
appointed by the new gobernadorcillo. The electors are also thirteen
in number, and are composed of the outgoing gobernadorcillo, the
ex-captains, and the petty chiefs [_cabecillas_] of the tribute and
of champans, both past and present. When any number is lacking, it is
made up from the petty heads of the trades. At present the collection
of tribute or the poll-tax from the Chinese is in direct charge of
the alcalde-mayor in the province of Tondo, with a supervisor chosen
from among the officials of administration of the royal treasury. In
the other provinces it is attended to in person by the chief of each
province. This levy of taxes is managed by a register, where the
Chinese are enrolled and classified, and that register determines
the quota of each, who contributes according to his class.
The gobernadorcillos and officials of justice deserve the greatest
consideration from the government. The provincial chiefs are under
ob
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