fees. This act shall be made known to all the officials whom it
concerns. So they declared, ordered, and decreed.

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_




_An act decreeing that the alcaldes-mayor shall not make collections,
nor shall they be given to the official judges; and that the collectors
appointed must be approved by this royal Audiencia._

In the city of Manila, on the seventh of January, one thousand
five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the
royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas,
on account of the alcaldes-mayor of the provinces of these islands
collecting, personally or by their agents, the tributes from the
natives in their jurisdiction who pertain to the royal crown,
by commission granted therefor by the officials of the royal
exchequer, there have resulted many injuries and inconveniences,
both to the said natives and the said royal exchequer: therefore,
because it is necessary to avoid the said injuries, and apply a
remedy to the aforesaid evil, they ordered, and they did so order,
that the officials of the royal exchequer of the king our sovereign
should be notified, so that in no way or manner, now and henceforth,
shall they grant the collections, directly or indirectly, to the said
alcaldes-mayor, nor shall the latter have any part of that which is
granted to the collectors. Therefore, the said collectors shall take