The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 3]

FOUNDATION OF THE CITY OF MANILA

I, Hernando Riquel, notary-in-chief and governmental notary for his Majesty in these islands of the
West, do hereby certify most solemnly, to whomsoever shall see this present, that the most illustrious
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, governor and captaingeneral in these said islands, gave the title of city to
this colony of Manila, on the third day of the month
of June of the past year, seventy-one; and on the
twenty-fourth day of the same month and year, which
was St. John's day, he appointed two alcaldes in
ordinary, one alguacil-mayor, and twelve regidores;
and on the day following he appointed one notary
for the cabildo and two notaries public for the court
of the said alcaldes,47 as is set forth in greater detail,
and appears by the list of the said appointments,
which are in my possession. Therefore, that this
might be manifest, I have been ordered by the
aforesaid governor to draw up the present document; which is done in the said city of Manilla, on
47 This municipal organization may be thus defined: The
cabildo was the municipal official corporation-nearly the same
as the American city council; the regidores were members of 't.
The alguazil was an official who executed the orders given by the
cabildo, or by the alcaldes (judges). Regarding this subject, see
Historical Introduction, VOL. I, p. 56; also Dic.-Encicl. Hisp.Amer, art: Cabildo, Alcalde, etc.