Volume 45 — THE COLLEGE OF SAN JOSÉ

I

COLLEGE AND SEMINARY OF SAN JOSEPH

155. The support of the collegiates during that time was obtained by themselves with a certain sum of money which each one of them gave, and which, administered by the procurator of the college, was sufficient for their sustenance and decent support. Some fixed income for the support of the rector and teachers, and succor for some students of quality and ability, who by the poverty of their parents could not meet their expenses with the sum which was charged, was greatly desired. Our Lord provided that by means of the Christian and noble governor of Mindanao, Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa, who (as we have remarked above) had already founded and endowed the principal college of the Society in Manila. Being so favorable to the good work, he, when making his will as he embarked in Oton for the conquest of Mindanao, in which he named his daughters as his heirs, in case of their death before they reached a competent age, made a pupillary substitution in favor of this college and seminary. He ordered that in such an event, the property of either one of his two daughters should pass to the Society of Manila for the purpose of building a house, and founding a college and seminary for the education of youth. That event happened, for the younger of his two daughters named Doña Juana died at a very tender age, being drowned with her uncle Andres Duarte, a “twenty-four” of Xerez, in the wreck of the ship “San Antonio.” Therefore, by virtue of the clause of the will of the said governor, the college of San Joseph inherited the possession which belonged to it. With that property this college and seminary of San Joseph was instituted and founded anew with public ecclesiastical and secular authority, on February twenty-eight, one thousand six hundred and ten, as appears from the act of its foundation which reads as follows.

156. “In the city of Manila, February twenty-eight, one thousand six hundred and ten, in the college of the Society of Jesus of this said city, before the treasurer, Don Luis de Herrera Sandoval: the provisor and vicar-general of this archbishopric, apostolic commissary, subdelegate-general of the Holy Crusade in these islands, Father Gregorio Lopez, provincial of the said college of the Society of Jesus, made a presentation of the acts contained in the four preliminary leaves of this book, signed by his name, and sealed with the seal of his office. That signature appears to be that of said father provincial. I, the present secretary, attest that I know him. He also presented the original licenses of the cantor, Santiago de Castro, former provisor and vicar-general of this archbishopric, and of Don Francisco Tello, former governor and captain-general of these islands, copies of which are inserted in these acts. Said licenses are for the foundation of the said college of San Joseph of this city of Manila, as is contained in them more minutely. I attest that I have seen said original licenses and that they are conserved in the archives of the said Society. One of them is countersigned by Geronimo de Alcaraz, former notary-public of this archbishopric, and the other by Gaspar de Acebo, former government secretary of these islands. The said father provincial declared that by virtue of the clause of the will of Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa, deceased, which is contained in the said acts, where he appears to be the patron of said college of San Joseph, he appointed and presented as collegiates of said college, Don Felipe de Figueroa, son of Don Lorenco de Figueroa and Doña Ana de Salazar, his wife; Gabriel de Santillan, son of Captain Ventura de Santillan and Doña Flora de Aguilar, his wife; and Gabriel Venegas, son of Don Goncalo Flores and Doña Juana Bautista, his wife: all inhabitants of this city, so that as such appointed collegiates they might be supported by the said income of the said college, according to the clause of its institution, as appears from the appointment above, which was dated in this city on St. Bernard’s day, August twenty of the former year, one thousand six hundred. Although the said appointment is valid, legal, and sufficient, as it was made by the patron whom the said testator appoints, for greater validity he declared that he again presented—and he did present—the said three collegiates above named. And for greater solemnity of this act, as it was the first, the said provisor and vicar-general begged that his judicial authority be interposed and renewed, and that the license of said Santiago de Castro, his predecessor, be confirmed. The said provisor and vicar-general, having also read the said acts and original licenses, declared that, so far as it concerns him, he approved—and he did approve—the appointment made of the said Don Felipe de Figueroa, Gabriel de Santillan, and Gabriel Venegas; and he declared that he confirmed—and he did confirm—the said license of the said Santiago de Castro, his predecessor, and said that he again gave it—and he did give it—for the college founded with an income. For that effect, for greater validity, the said father provincial, in the presence of the said provisor and of me, the said secretary, delivered the three said collegiates to Father Pedro de Velasco, appointed rector of the said college. The latter received them as said collegiates of said college, so that they might be supported by it. All the above was done in my presence, and that of the witnesses who were present, brothers Diego de Sarsuela, Juan de Larrea, and Martin de Lisarde of the said Society; and the said father provincial, the said provisor; and the said Father Pedro de Velasco affixed their signatures to it before me, Pedro de Roxas, secretary and notary-public.”

157. Before making this second institution of the college, account had been given to his Majesty in his royal Council of the Indias, of the legacy and bequest of Governor Estevan Rodriguez, and the possession by the Society in Manila of the property of Doña Juana de Figueroa, and permission was petitioned to bring from Mexico to Manila the money belonging to the said bequest, since it had to serve for the foundation of the college for the public welfare and profit of the islands. His Majesty, considering himself as greatly served by it, had ordered his royal decree despatched in accordance with this. In order that one may see the esteem of the Council for that work, that decree faithfully copied from its original will be placed here. It is as follows.

158. “The King. Don Luis de Velasco, my viceroy, governor, and captain-general of Nueva-España, or the person or persons, in whose charge may be the government of that country: On the part of Diego Cordova, of the Society of Jesus, and its procurator of the Indias, I have been informed that Governor Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa, when he went to accomplish the conquest of the island of Mindanao in the Filipinas, where his enemies killed him, made a will under whose disposition he died, by which, desiring that the youth [of Filipinas] be occupied in virtue, he ordered that if either of his daughters should die while a minor, a college seminary should be founded in the city of Manila with the portion of the inheritance which belonged to such deceased girl, so that the sons of inhabitants of the said islands might study therein; and he left as patron of it the provincial of the Society of Jesus of those islands. Inasmuch as the younger daughter has died while a minor, the possession of that inheritance which fell to her was given to the said Society. Consequently, the said college seminary is to be founded in the said city of Manila with that inheritance. There is very great need of that college in that city for study, and for the rearing of ministers of the holy gospel. The property with which the said seminary is to be founded is in that city of Mexico, where it is advisable that it be placed at interest for its conservation and maintenance, inasmuch as there is nothing in which to invest it in the said islands. He petitions me that, in consideration of the great fruit which will be attained in those islands from that foundation, and in consideration of the many good services of said governor, I grant the concession of giving the license so that the proceeds from the property which is in that said city for the foundation and support of the said seminary, be allowed to pass thence to the said islands freely, notwithstanding the prohibition, with a sworn certification of the procurator of the said Society of Jesus of the said islands, to the effect that what thus passes is the gain or proceeds of the property of the said seminary, as there is nothing in the islands in which the said money can be invested as abovesaid. The members of my Council of the Assembly of the Indias having examined it, and having considered the abovesaid, I have considered it fitting to have this my decree issued. I command you thereby that, in each one of two years you allow to pass from that city to the said islands the sum which shall appear necessary to you for the said effect from the said property, if it does not exceed six hundred ducados; and that that sum be included in the quantity which I have given permission to be sent from that kingdom to the said Filipinas Islands, notwithstanding any order to the contrary, which for this time and in regard to this matter I dispense with. The said two years you shall send me a minutely detailed account of the value of the said property, and the district where it is invested and in what, and the amount of the proceeds thereof each year, and what it is advisable to enact concerning the whole matter. That, with your opinion you shall send to the said my Council of the Assembly, so that after examining it the advisable measures may be taken. Given in Valladolid, September thirteen, one thousand six hundred and eight.

I the King

“By command of the king our sovereign:

Juan Ruiz de Contreras”

159. After all this, it was necessary to have recourse the second and third time to the royal Council of the Indias, in regard to the collection of the remainder of the property of this foundation, which was in the royal treasury of Manila. His Majesty, with the appreciation and esteem which he always had for this work, protected it with the kindness which he generally exercises toward all those things which are for the service of God and the public welfare, and ordered his royal decrees despatched to the governors, Don Juan de Silva, May twenty-two, one thousand six hundred and fourteen, and Don Alonso Faxardo, December three, one thousand six hundred and eighteen, ordering the said sum to be paid for the purpose of the support of the collegiates, as was done. By virtue of those royal decrees and other papers which were presented during the suit of precedence which the college of Santo Thomas, of the Order of Preachers of this city, began a while ago with San Joseph, the latter obtained a decision from the royal Audiencia in its favor, May sixteen, one thousand and forty-seven, by which it was protected in its priority and possession of precedence in the public acts to that of Santo Thomas. That same thing was confirmed afterward by the royal Council of the Indias, as appears from the suit and other authentic documents which are kept in the archives of San Joseph.

II

SUMMARY OF HISTORY

[The following brief summary is compiled from various authorities, full references being given in the footnotes throughout.]

A royal decree of May 3, 1722, grants the title of “royal ad honorem” to the college of San José. This decree is as follows:

I the King

“By order of the king our sovereign:

Andrés Alcorobarratia Gulpide”

“The King. President and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands, which is established in the city of Manila: In a letter dated July twelve, of the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, you informed me, with testimony, that having noted that the four Piarist religious whom the present right reverend archbishop of that metropolitan church took in his company, did not present the licenses which they carried in order that they might go to those islands, and that they were entering various posts outside the assistancy in the said archbishop’s house; and in consideration of the fact that they had no other house in those islands, and that there was no distinction among them which could prove that they had a prelate: you deemed it advisable to proceed to the observation of the laws in such cases. You petitioned, by means of political and judicial measures, that the purpose of those religious be investigated, and the amphibological replies of the above-mentioned archbishop could not quiet your anxiety, but the rather increased it, so that you proceeded to the remonstrances which you made to the governor, in regard to his having delivered the royal college of San Joséph, which was under the charge of the expelled regulars of the Society, to Father Martin de San Antonio, abbot of the Piarist fathers, and the reported rector of the seminary of the archbishop, so that those who intended to become ordained might live therein, and be instructed in ethics, also under the direction of the said Father Martin. You declared that from your remonstrances to the above-mentioned governor, could be recognized the wrongs which resulted from that measure, which was quite contrary to what was ordered in the instructions for the banishment of the above-mentioned regulars of the Society, and contrary to the right which those then living in the college had legally acquired of maintaining themselves therein, as well as those who should succeed them in the future, without it being possible to make a pretext of any innovation because of the lack of teachers. For there would be no lack of seculars to substitute for the present, and in time, persons worthy to maintain this praiseworthy foundation could be trained. Finally, not having any information regarding the reasons that moved the governor to this (apparently) strange resolution, you were unable to conform to it or pass it by without taking any notice of it, and alone having observed your first obligation, namely, to report to me what you were discussing as advisable to my royal service and the welfare of my vassals, you represented what had occurred, so that after having examined the matter, I might deign to determine what is most fitting to my royal pleasure. The abovesaid was examined in my Council of the Indias, together with what was reported by Don Pedro Calderon Enriquez, togated lawyer of the said my Council, regarding it, of the antecedents of the matter, and of what was reported at the same time in regard to it, with their respective testimonies, by the former governor and captain-general of those islands, Don Joseph Raon, and the above-mentioned archbishop, in letters from March twelve to July twenty-nine of the above-cited year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, my fiscal made his statement; and consulted with me in regard to it on September thirteen of last year, with consideration of the indiscretion with which the above-mentioned governor, Don Joseph Raon, transgressed by placing the royal college of San Joséph of that city under the direction of Father Martín de San Antonio, the abbot of the Piarists, thus rendering it necessary for those who obtained their becas to leave the college, and abandon them, and the manner in which you opposed the previously-noted spoliation, as a matter contrary to my royal intentions and the product of most grave wrongs and pernicious consequences, as is shown in the fact that the above-mentioned college was founded for the purpose of teaching therein grammar, philosophy, and theology to the children of the principal Spanish persons and subjects of that city. Twenty becas were created therein for a like number of collegiates, and the teaching of the same and their direction was given to the expelled regulars of the Society. The king, my father deigned to receive it under his sovereign protection, May three, of the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty-two, and decorate it with the title of ‘Royal ad honorem,’ provided that it should have no other patrons, and under the express condition that it never should have such, or be able to cause any burden or embarrassment to my royal exchequer. The above-mentioned order of the Society did not have therein other right than the above-mentioned direction and government. Consequently, since the royal decree of July nine, one thousand six hundred and sixty-nine, which was inserted in the decree of April five of the above-mentioned year one thousand seven hundred and seventy, by which the collection of the measures in regard to the seizure of the temporalities of the said expelled regulars was sent to those my dominions of America, ordered that there be no innovation in the colleges or secular houses whose direction and instruction were entrusted to them, as is proved by section thirty of the first decree, the collegiates of the college of San Joséph could not be despoiled of their becas in order to expel them from the college, nor could the Trent seminary be removed to the above-mentioned house, without directly violating the orders of the above-mentioned decrees. To the abovesaid is added that the above-mentioned four Piarist religious went to those islands with no other purpose than to act as attendants of the above-mentioned archbishop, whence is inferred the just motive which you had in advising the said prelate to keep them in his company; in expressing wonder that one of them should be entrusted with the direction of the above-mentioned royal college of San Joseph; in advising Governor Don Joseph Raon of the illegality of the abovesaid act, and of the fatal results which were accessory to that of the expulsion of those who had obtained their becas; and in resolving that my royal mind be instructed in regard to the abovesaid measures so that I might deign to take those measures which should appear most desirable to me for their remedy. Consequently, not only is there not found in your operations the slightest motive that justifies the complaint which the above-mentioned archbishop has brought forward in his said letter, but, on the contrary, it is to be noted that you did no other thing in whatever you performed, than to comply with the mandates of the laws. The said governor and the above-mentioned prelate, not being able to ignore the fact of the existence of the above-mentioned college, and of the solemnity with which it had been founded, it became very worthy of attention that in their reports they were silent in regard to this foundation, both commendable and made by the above-mentioned king, my father, and with his royal name, and transgressed in founding a new college seminary with Indian collegiates, without authority or obligation to do so. That is still more aggravated by the fact of the spoliation of the Spanish collegiates of their possession of the said college of San Joseph by erecting in it what they call a seminary for Indians, since for these and the Sangley mestizos there is the above-mentioned college of San Juan de Letran, and the conciliar seminary was already founded. By such violent spoliation, not only were the collegiates outraged, but also the inhabitants of that city exasperated, so that with such acts of despotism they hate to live there, and the islands are being depopulated of Spaniards, as is happening. Under these circumstances and inasmuch as the above-mentioned college of San Joseph has nothing in common with the expelled regulars, as the latter had only the administration and direction of the college, and this having ceased with their expulsion, the above-mentioned governor ought to appoint a secular of good morals from those who shall have been collegiates in the said college, as such will be already instructed as to its government, as rector and administrator, with obligation of rendering a yearly report. He must not allow the archbishop to meddle with anything pertaining to the said college, as it is under my royal protection, and, consequently, wholly independent of the ecclesiastical ordinary, as are the other pious foundations mentioned by the Council of Trent. The governor ought not to permit the archbishop to meddle in anything concerning the seminary, as there is also a royal foundation, namely, that of San Phelipe, which appears to have been incorporated after the above-mentioned San Joseph; and the good relations that the governor claims to have with the archbishop can not serve to relieve the former of blame, for he ought to have good relations with him within suitable limits, and not with total abandonment of the rights which are entrusted to him. I have resolved, by virtue of what is contrary to my royal intentions, as is the above-mentioned spoliation and expulsion, not to pay any heed to the complaint of the said prelate; to approve whatever you have done in the particular under discussion; to order and command the present governor and captain-general of those islands, and to charge the said archbishop (as is done by despatches of this date) that they shall in the future leave things in the condition and state in which they existed before the above-mentioned innovations were made, and that the collegiates must go to take their studies to the university of Santo Tomás of that city; and to inform you thereof (as I do) for your intelligence. Thus is my will. Given in El Pardo, March twenty-one, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one.

I the King

“By order of our king: