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. 36]

i649-1666] CONDITION OF PHILIPPINES, I842

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to acquire wealth, every matter which does not contribute to that object, such as the making of a bridge,
or a road, the prosecution of evil doers, or any occupation purely of government or justice, distracts and
troubles him. On the contrary every means of attaining his end appears to him fitting and good.
This method of thought is a little more or less in the
minds of all; and thus you observe that no one says
here, not even excluding the religious, who are those
who know the country best, 'I have such or such
reasons for gaining this suit,' but, 'I have so many
thousand pesos to gain the suit.' But to tell the
truth, it is not to be wondered at that the alcaldesmayor work without much scruple. In the space of
six years they have to pay their passage from and to
Espafia; to satisfy the high interest on the money
which they have borrowed; to acquit themselves
of the amount which their alcaldeship has often
cost them; and besides they make their fortunes.
Not more or less is done in Turquia."
In the same way as this good man talked, the majority talk. The faults and vices of some are attributed and laid to all. It is certain that this system is
fatal, for governors of such sort must be essentially
interested in turning down the attempt of private
speculators, and to frighten away instead the attraction of capital. That has, as a natural consequence,
the increased interest on money which so endangers
production, and, consequently, exportation and the
encouragement of the islands. But not less fatal is
the opinion that the authorities of Manila themselves
are fed on such abuses. Complaints are continually
presented against the alcalde, at times very captious
and filled with falsehood and absurdity. The Au