service, and, with the consent of all interested--the royal officials,
the encomenderos, and the ecclesiastics--prepares new instructions
and ordinances, which are designed to relieve the natives from all
oppression, and provide fair wages for their labor on public works. The
royal officials are endeavoring to secure more satisfactory methods of
government for the Chinese who are in the islands, both residents and
transients. Tavora asks for a printed copy of all the royal decrees
that apply to his government. He has done all in his power to aid
the seminary for orphan boys at Manila, but it needs more; and he
asks the king to grant an encomienda in support of this charity. He
is doing what he can for the hospitals, but asks that brethren from
a hospital order be sent to manage them. The ships from Mexico were
sent late this year, and were almost lost through storms; Tavora
urges that this be not allowed to occur, as the very existence of
the Philippine colony is thus imperiled.

A document dated October 7, 1628, presents (apparently to the Council
of the Indias) various arguments for suppressing the silk trade of
China in Spain and its colonies. The old complaint is reiterated,
that the silver coin of Nueva España is being drained away into
China; besides, this trade deprives Spain of all this money, and the
customs duties are greatly decreased from what they might amount
to. Large quantities of contraband goods are, moreover, carried
to the South American colonies, thus injuring the exports from the
mother country. The Chinese wares are apparently cheap, but their
poor quality, and their depreciating effect on the values of Spanish
goods, diminish the real profits of the Chinese trade. The necessity
of protecting the silk industry in the kingdom of Granada is used
as a strong argument against allowing the Chinese silk trade in the
Spanish colonies, as the former adds greatly to the revenues of the