ss was felt for your royal exchequer. Its income
has not reached the value of last year, although your Majesty's gold
has been more valuable than that of private persons, because it had
to be distributed in various payments. If it were possible for your
Majesty's royal treasury to keep the gold and sell it at the coming of
the ships, there would be considerable profit. However, as the gold is
being constantly needed, and there is nothing else with which to meet
the salaries and other necessary obligations, it is, when there is a
lack of coin, distributed at the common value--although, as I have said
before, a somewhat higher value is given to your Majesty's gold. If,
as I have written in other letters, your Majesty would be pleased to
command forty or fifty thousand pesos to be brought every year from
Nueva Espana to the royal treasury of these islands, returning thence
the value thereof in gold, it would give the greatest relief to this
treasury and profit to your royal exchequer; for twenty-five thousand
pesos in gold, at the price at which it is given in tribute by the
Indians, would amount to fifty thousand in Nueva Espana. This could
be done very easily, if your Majesty would assume the risk of the
transportation of the money and the return of the gold. As a result,
your royal treasury could in a short time be free from obligations,
and could aid in the maintenance of this kingdom. [_Marginal note_:
"Abstract this clause, and send it to the viceroy of Nueva Espana."]

By virtue of your royal decree received by your governor in the past
year, concerning the sale of the magistracies and offices of notary,
by order of your said governor the following offices were sold, in the
usual manner of selling your royal property: Four public notaryships
in this city, at eight hundred pesos each; the notarial office of
Panpanga, at one thousand pesos; that of the province of Pintados,
at one thousand seven hundred pesos; that of Cebu, at six hundred;
that of Bombon, at three hundred; that of Ylocos, at three hundred;
that of Camarines is set at six hundred, and has not been adjudged
to a bidder. These offices were sold with some inducements, in order
that there should be more bidding. Of ten magistracies which were
placed at auction, five were sold--the first at one thousand four
hundred pesos, the second at nine hundred, the third at a thousand,
the fourth at one thousand two hundred, and the fifth at nine hundred
and ten. The