Documents pertaining to the Compañía de Filipinas
Documents relating to the management of the Compañía de Filipinas, including a letter to Josef Gálvez from the Company directors, and an abstract of the proceedings of the first Junta General. The letter, dated July 27, 1785 in Madrid, from directors Vicente Rodríguez de Rivas, Manuel Francisco de Joaristi, and Gaspar Leal to José de Gálvez, minister of the Indies, acknowledges receipt of Gálvez's order to the president of the Contratación de Cádiz for the transfer of 12 million reales from the funds of the Temporalities of the Indies to commissioners of the Company, Ignacio de Jurbituaga and Domingo Esteban de Olza. Of this amount, 6 million reales will be paid in accordance with Gálvez's order to the five principal guilds as a discount when they present themselves with the order of the Conde de Floridablanca, with the balance deposited in the Company treasury. The abstract of the proceedings of the first Junta General of Sept. 9, 1791, March 6-20, 1792, and July 16, 1793, presided over by Bernardo de Iriarte, minister of the Consejo de Indias, was compiled to inform shareholders and the public. The king, Charles IV, approves the committee recommendations at the meeting of July 16, 1793; and grants privileges to the Company which include exclusive right to the trade in muslin and other fine cotton textiles from Asia; rights to establish stores from which to sell these imported goods, either wholesale or retail; lower import duties of 5% on Asian goods; designation of Manila as a duty-free port; exemption of tax on Company earnings that are reinvested for further development of the Philippines; direct trade between Spain and India and China; right to maintain trade in Asian goods with Peru, Buenos Aires, and Guatemala during wartime; special protection for the Company from the governor of the Philippines; and extension of the charter to 1820. A balance sheet follows, showing Company assets and profits, as of Oct. 31, 1790, as well as payment of shareholders' dividends of 5%. Changes in Company officials are noted, and there is a list of current officers.