Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/652

gling on the Pacific coast bore a fair proportion to that carried on at Atlantic ports.

Communication between New Spain and the Philippines existed at an early date, and during the latter part of the sixteenth century a vessel yearly left Acapulco with supplies for those islands.^[1] This opened a way for trade; Chinese silks and goods were brought to New Spain by the returning ships, and an exceedingly thriving commerce might have been developed.^[2] But Spain soon became alarmed at the prospects; traffic with the Philippines rapidly increased and affected Spanish commerce; so a law was passed in 1591 allowing the colonists of the islands to import goods into New Spain, but excluding merchants of the latter country from return traffic with the Philippines.^[3] Moreover, only a limited amount of Asiatic merchandise was permitted to be shipped to Acapulco.^[4] But even this restriction did not satisfy the merchants of Seville, and in 1610 the consulado of that city petitioned the king to close all direct trade between New Spain and the Philippines. Their petition, however, was not granted.^[5]

For more than a century these regulations remained in force, but were as little acceptable to the merchants of the Philippines as to those of New Spain. Disputes as to the valuation of cargoes for the collection of the customs, evasion of the duties, and violation of the law in respect to the quantity of merchandise introduced were the consequence.^[6] Owing to the rep-

1. Mancera, Instruc., in Doc. Ined., xxi. 488-9.
2. The colonists of the Philippine Islands were allowed to trade with China and Japan.
3. Recop. de Ind., iii. 522-3.
4. The Manila merchants were allowed to send annually only two ships, of 400 tons each. The value of the merchandise with which they were freighted was limited to 250,000 pesos, the returns of which, principal and profit, were not to exceed 500,000 pesos in specie. Id., 524, 526; Descrip, de Amer., MS., 106. The arrival of these vessels was attended with great activity. At Acapulco a great fair was held, to which flocked merchants and traders from all parts of New Spain. All this has before been noticed in another connection.
5. The king consulted the conde de Montesclaros, viceroy of Peru, who advised his Majesty against the measure. Montesclaros, Carta, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, vi. 298-314.
6. Philipinas, Hist. Com., 28-9. The law was repeated in 1697. In 1635