Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 11).djvu/25

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ORDINANCES ENACTED BY THE AUDIENCIA OF MANILA (concluded)


An act ordering the alcaldes-mayor and their officials to observe the royal tariff.

In the city of Manila, on the seventh of January, one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas, in the collection of taxes by the alcaldes-mayor of the provinces of these islands, and by their notaries and officials, there is great excess and disorder, from failing to observe his Majesty's royal tariffs, whence arise many difficulties and obstacles to the service of God our Lord, and of his Majesty: therefore, to remedy these evils, they ordered, and they did so order, that all the alcaldes-mayor, both now and henceforth, in all of the provinces of these said islands, shall observe and cause to be observed the royal tariff of his Majesty and his royal Audiencia; and, in conformity with it, shall levy and cause to be levied the taxes to them appertaining, as also shall their notaries and officials—levying on the natives a third less than on the Spaniards, according to the declaration thereof in the said tariff; and that each one of them shall have a copy of this tariff. They shall neither use nor levy the said taxes by any other tariffs, under penalty of a fine

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