Note 15 — COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINES WITH NUEVA ESPAÑA

74. It was also expedient that permission be given to the seamen to transport in their own chests goods up to the amount of 40,000 pesos of investment, on account of the importance of interesting them in the defense,15 and in order to facilitate that in provinces so remote there should be Spaniards who would serve as artillerists and seamen, since their wages alone, in voyages so arduous and long, could not be sufficient incentive. In order that that commerce might be regulated and infractions regarding the lading be avoided, an arrangement was proposed to his Majesty in which the annual investment was reduced to 3,200 piezas of the regular sizes—half-bundles, bags, sacks, [churlos, balsas (for bolsas)] cakes of wax, and other like packages of bulky commodities, and three hundred half-chests of goods from China, in order to supplement the said 3,20016 piezas. Consequently, at the despatch of the galleon there would be nothing else to do except to distribute the said piezas and issue the permits for its lading—collecting 10,000 pesos for the royal duties, at the rate of two per cent, for this purpose rating the 3,200 piezas at 128 pesos and 1 tomin, and the half-chests at 300 pesos and pay at Acapulco thirteen per cent, regulating the 3,200 piezas at 256 pesos and 2 tomìns, and the 300 half-chests at 600 pesos each. This would result in the royal duties at both ports amounting to 140,000 pesos, and in return would be brought back, for the account of the permission, a million pesos; and thus would be avoided sworn declarations, and other dubious measures to which the previous regulations were subjected.