of social and economic conditions. The length of this work obliges
us to synopsize such matter as is of secondary importance, and to
conclude our translation of it in _Vol_. XXIV.

A royal decree (April 6, 1629) commands the provincials of the
religious orders in the Spanish colonies to heed the rights of
the royal patronage in making or changing appointments to mission
posts. The leading Dominican officials in Manila write (May 12,
1629) to the king, informing him that the country is in a ruinous
condition from the piracies of the Dutch, which have also broken
up the trade of the islands. They ask certain favors from the king,
and are sending an envoy to Madrid to discuss their affairs with him.

The annual reports of Governor Tavora (dated August 1, 1629) include
many important matters. As usual, he is embarrassed by lack of funds;
little has been received from Nueva España, and the revenues of
the islands are greatly diminished by the decline in trade. He
is endeavoring to secure what cloves he can from the Moluccas,
and advises that this product be bartered in India, on the royal
account, for supplies needed for the royal magazines in Manila,
which can be done on highly profitable terms. Tavora minimizes the
possible danger to these cargoes from the Dutch enemy at Singapore,
and asks that he be allowed to send cloves thus to India, at such
times as he can collect a sufficient quantity for this purpose;
and that in this matter the treasury officials be not allowed to
interfere. He also proposes that the rations of rice allotted by
the government to its workmen be provided by letting Chinese farmers
cultivate certain unused crown lands; he has even begun to plan for
this undertaking. Tavora recounts certain difficulties that he has
experienced in dealing with the treasury officials at Manila, and asks