for the royal decision. In this connection, he remarks: "The offices
in the Yndias are not worth anything unless one steals." To this letter
are appended the decisions made by the royal fiscal in Spain. He refers
to the royal councils the proposal to trade cloves in India; approves
the farming of crown lands, but is uncertain whether the Mexican
treasury can provide the additional contribution thus made necessary;
advises thorough inspection of the accounts of the probate treasury,
and strict prohibition of the use of those funds by the governors;
objects to accepting pay-warrants in place of cash; and states that
the removal of minor officials in the treasury, and the fees paid to
them, are matters which should be investigated. A later opinion by
the fiscal is to the effect that those minor officials be removed and
appointed, as hitherto, by the treasury officials, not by the governor.

Another letter from Tavora, of the same date, deals with various
matters of administration, relations with other nations, etc. He
again deplores the late arrival of the ships from Nueva España,
and urges that they he sent thence earlier in the season. He has
not waited for them in sending the vessels to Acapulco; and the
latter carry but small cargoes, owing to the unusual lack of Chinese
goods in Manila this year. The citizens desire to send a committee of
their number to Mexico to conduct their trade, in order to thwart the
supposed unfriendly schemes of the Mexican merchants; but the governor
deprecates this proceeding, as dangerous to the best interests of the
islands. It is favored by an old royal decree, which he is putting
into execution; but he considers this so inexpedient that he asks
the royal Council to decide the case. He deprecates the forced loans
that the governors make from the inhabitants, and urges that this be
prevented by having more aid sent from Nueva España. The governor is
endeavoring to have ships built in India, Camboja, and Cochinchina,