_An act decreeing that all the officials, both of this royal Audiencia
and the ordinary courts, shall be present at the review of charges
against prisoners._

In the city of Manila, on the seventh day of the month of January,
one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors
of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, declared that,
whereas by the absence of the alcaldes-in-ordinary of this city, and
of the clerk, reporter, alguazils-mayor, attorneys, commissioners,
notaries-public, and other officials, not only of this royal Audiencia
but of the lower court of this city, from the review of charges against
prisoners, many prisoners are not at liberty--from which it follows
that they are vexed and annoyed by long imprisonments and other great
injuries and inconveniences; besides the fact that, in many suits,
they are unable to administer and provide justice on account of not
being present at the said review: therefore, because it is advisable
to institute a reform in this matter, they ordered, and they did so
order, that now and henceforth, every week on the days set apart for
the review of prison charges, the said alcaldes-in-ordinary, the
alguazils-mayor of the court and the city, the clerk and reporter
of this royal Audiencia, the attorneys and commissioners thereof,
the solicitors of the royal offices, the native interpreters, and
the notaries-public, bailiffs, alguazils, and other officials of
this royal Audiencia and the ordinary court, shall be present at
the said review with all punctuality--except the reporter of this
royal Audiencia, who is not obliged to be present at the said review,
unless he has no suit to attend to--under a penalty of a fine of one
peso for every offense, for each one of the aforesaid officials, as