others are left to be auctioned upon the arrival of the
ship from Nueva Espana. To increase the value of the offices sold,
there were also admitted some bonuses, after payment of which, I
understand, the offices will clear fifteen thousand pesos more or
less. That the magistracies might have more value to meet the present
necessities, your said governor commanded that they be sold with the
condition that the owners thereof could renounce them by depositing
in your royal treasury the third of the value, as is done with the
offices of clerks. Should your Majesty confirm this, it will be of
much profit to your royal exchequer.

Besides the notarial offices which your royal decree ordered to be
sold, no mention was made of those of La Laguna, of the Coast and
Tondo, of Bulacan, of the cabildo of this city, and that of Pangasinan,
which are all large jurisdictions and have notaries appointed by
themselves. Moreover, there may thus be sold the office of notary of
the alcaiceria [silk-market] of the Chinese, where there is a separate
judge; and that of the mines and registries, with the inspection
of the Chinese ships, in the form provided by your governor, and
used by Thomas Perez. If this last office were sold with the others,
we could find a person who would give therefor five thousand pesos;
and should your governor provide the office of al-ferez-mayor and
that of depositary-general, it would come to six thousand pesos. I
understand that if your Majesty should command these offices to be
sold by open vote in the cabildo, there would be found many purchasers.

When Alonso Veltran, your notary of the court of this Audiencia,
departed for Nueva Espana, he sold his office, by official permission,
to Alonso de Torres, an honored merchant, for four thousand five
hundred pesos. The third thereof was placed in your royal treasury
of which he made royal exhibition in the Audiencia, and asked to be
admitted to the possession and exercise of said office. When your
governor examined the records, he said that the cognizance of that
cause was not for the Audiencia, but for the governor, because the
general decree providing for the sale of offices for Nueva Espana came
addressed to the viceroy. Consequently, the Audiencia referred to the
governor the cognizance and decision of this matter; and he declared
that the said Alonso de Torres was not entitled to admission. Although
the latter appealed, he did not dare continue the case, in ord