Only that which has
hitherto been done surreptitiously will be done openly in the future,
to the benefit of the royal treasury. The higher and lower officers
of the galleons will content themselves with the emoluments of their
offices, which are those that they are enjoying for this. Will your
Majesty have this matter considered very closely; for here, to one
who has the matter before him, it is a clear case.
In the port of Acapulco, your Majesty has three royal officials, who
are present from the time of the arrival of these ships until they
have once more set sail. In the despatching of the vessels they look
as much to their own comforts as to the service of your Majesty. They
make friends among the registrars, and shut their eyes to the money
that is wont to be sent on commission. The governors are powerless to
remedy this from here. I think that your Majesty can dispense with
all these three positions; and that, besides saving their salaries,
your Majesty will be much better served if, at the arrival of the
ships, your Majesty order that the castellan and the alcalde-mayor
of Acapulco do not permit them to discharge their cargoes, and that
an accountant-in-chief of the bureau of accounts be always sent from
Mexico on the first of December to attend to the unlading; and that he
be accompanied by the alcalde-mayor of Acapulco, or by the castellan
of that fort.
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