Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 11).djvu/317

were lost in the year one thousand six hundred in the ship "Santa Margarita" should be for your Majesty's account—because, since the debt was contracted in the Sevilla House of Trade, the payment should be there; and the said Don Francisco Tello must run the risk as far as that. They also decided that what was ordered in the aforesaid royal decree of the thirteenth of September, ninety-five, was that each year three thousand ducados should be deducted from the salary of Don Francisco Tello, which were to be sent each year; and, as he failed to pay in the years ninety-six, ninety-seven, and ninety-eight, for the rest of the time it came about that eight thousand pesos were sent each year. It was thus that the aforesaid eight thousand pesos were lost which were going in the said ship "Santa Margarita;" whereas, if the aforesaid royal decree had been followed and three thousand ducados sent, no more than that sum would have been lost.

The governor gave me authority to follow up the matter, and I asked from him an order of execution for the whole sum, with the assurance that I would receive on account whatever seemed lawfully to have been paid; it was given to me on the person and goods of the aforesaid Don Francisco Tello, but property was not found to the value of four hundred pesos. He opposed the execution, saying that he had paid in Sevilla with the income of his family estate, together with what he had paid here, all the balance that was due. I replied to this that this did not appear, from the aforesaid royal decree of January, one thousand six hundred, and that a forced sale would have to be made for the amount that was therein ordered—not taking account of the payments that