Volume 22 — Law XII

This latter law, dated November 4, 1606, is as follows: “Inasmuch as the auditors of the royal Audiencia of Manila, under pretext of a decree from us dated December eighteen, one thousand six hundred and three, meddle in affairs touching the Parián or the Sangley Chinese, and in giving orders and licenses so that they may reside in the Filipinas Islands; and inasmuch as the cognizance and ruling in these matters should concern our governor and captain-general, in whom the defense of that land is vested: therefore we order that matters concerning the Parián of the Sangleys be alone in the charge and care of our governors and captains-general, [142n] and that our royal Audiencia abstain from discussing or taking cognizance of anything touching this matter, unless it be that the governor and captain-general commit something that concerns him to them. And in order that the advisable good relations should be held among all of them, and the Parián be governed with more unanimity and satisfaction, the governors and captains-general shall be very careful always to communicate to the royal Audiencia what shall be deemed advisable for them [to know].”

Law v of the book and titulo, from which the above laws of the regular text are taken, and which was promulgated by Cárlos II and the queen mother, provides that “in the government of the Parián, and the jurisdiction, communication, and all the other things contained in ley lv, título xy, libro ii, what was enacted shall be observed.”