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. 44]

1700-1736] COMMERCE OF PHILIPPINES

259

count of its low price and the little demand for it.
That the natives of Nueva Espaina were also included
in the prohibition, since their usual material for
clothing was the stuffs from China, on account of the
moderate prices of these, and because they could
not use the cloth from Espafia, since it was more
expensive - unless, if they are deprived of the former,
it will follow that they consume the latter; for if
their need and poverty would permit it they would
use the Spanish cloth, since all value it more on
account of its greater durability and better quality.
That the arrival of the trading-fleets was welcomed
by the rich merchants, but that most of the people in
the kingdom were much more eager to see the ship
from China; and, if its arrival were delayed, one did
not fail to notice many expressions of regret. That
the royal treasury was notoriously injured; for, with
the duties which the silk merchandise yielded, the
situado was forwarded to Philipinas and the Marianas Islands, and in default of those duties it would
be necessary to make the remittance from the funds
in the treasury of Mexico. That would cause arrears
in paying the fixed charges which the treasury had to
carry, and could hardly meet with all its income, and
the royal treasury would also be injured by the loss
of the ten per cent which was paid by the silver sent
in return for merchandise; and, besides, the few commodities which were carried would not yield enough
to cover the cost of the navigation.
56. The fiscal - to whom it was ordered to send
these representations, that he might examine them
and compare them with the Expediente-made his
reply on January io, in the year 1720, reaffirming the
motives which had prevailed, since the discovery and