Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 11).djvu/51

An act decreeing that the officials of this royal Audiencia shall give bonds at the beginning of every year, and that likewise, they shall give them for the time during which they have already held office.

In the city of Manila, on the twenty-first day of January, one thousand five hundred and _ ninety-nine, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia and Chancilleria of these Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas, in order to conform to the decrees and provisions of his Majesty, and to be just with the parties entering suits, the officials of this royal Audiencia are under obligation to give bonds that they will undergo residencia for the right exercise and discharge of their duties, at the beginning of each year: therefore, because hitherto they have not given bonds for the time while they have exercised their said offices, and because they should give them, both for the aforesaid time and for the future, they resolved and ordered that the commissioners of examination, attorneys, assessor of taxes, collector of fines, deputies of the alguazil-mayor, and the prison warden of this court, shall each one of them, within fifteen days after being notified of this act, give safe and reliable bonds, before the undersigned clerk of court, that they will undergo residencia for the use and exercise of their offices, and pay everything which may be adjudged against them in the matter, and also in the suits which may be instituted against them. They are also warned that after the said term of office has expired, they shall exercise the said offices no longer, which shall be immediately declared vacant, and other persons appointed thereto. Likewise, within the said term and under the said penalty, they shall give bonds for all