_An act decreeing that the attorneys shall not speak in suits wherein
they shall not have been authorized to do so._

In the city of Manila, on the twenty-first day of the month of January,
one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors
of the royal Audiencia and Chancillería of these Philipinas Islands
declared that, whereas the attorneys of this royal Audiencia often take
it upon themselves to speak and make allegations in suits in which they
have no authority, and in which they have not appeared as parties to
the said case, certain nullifications can be created--for which reason
the said case may be brought again, and the parties thereto subjected
to considerable injury and expense: therefore, to obviate the said
injuries and other inconveniences of reconsideration, they ordered,
and they did so order, that, now and henceforth, neither the said
attorneys nor any one of them shall take it upon himself to speak,
nor shall they speak in any suit or case, unless authorized therefor
by the party in whose favor they shall speak, or unless he has proved
himself to be a party to the suit--under penalty that he who shall
disobey this decree shall incur a fine of four pesos of common gold,
as soon as he shall be judged guilty thereof; three of them to be given
to the royal hospital for Spaniards, and one to the bailiff in charge
thereof. And under the said penalty, the clerk of court is ordered
not to give any one of the said attorneys any suits or petitions,
unless empowered thereto by the parties concerned. By this act they
so ordered, declared, and decreed.

Before me: _Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_