men who are lacking in the virtue and good example so necessary to
all in these regions; and especially to those who should serve as
magistrates, and hold offices in this country, where the Divine
Majesty and your Majesty can be so well served, in case men fill
those offices with some little uprightness and decency of life.

In what pertains to and in what I say upon the subject of deputies
and to giving them a salary in addition, that is in case it is your
Majesty's pleasure to have such officers. But it would be better not
to do this, for it means two alcaldes-mayor and two notaries in one
jurisdiction, since each of those officers has his deputy and other
officials, all of whom have to eat, or rather to rob. Of a truth,
it will be sufficient for the alcalde-mayor alone to be rewarded
and to live commodiously in his office, if he does his duty. But if
he does not do his duty, and has in addition a deputy and officials,
and both have friends, all this is showered down upon the Indians, and
they pay it, with their sufferings, because they have to supply the
sustenance and gain of all. It would be much better for all that, if
two hundred pesos are required for the needless deputies, one hundred
of this amount should be given to an honest alcalde-mayor, while the
other hundred would be saved for your Majesty's treasury. Above all,
the great evils would be done away with which result from having
deputies among a harassed and wretched race--and that, too, in so
narrow jurisdictions that the alcalde-mayor is able to visit them
alone, and go now to one part, and again to another. This would produce
greater ease and convenience for the Indians for various reasons, which
are not here stated in order not to prolong this subject. Therefore
I conclude it by saying that the dismissal of the deputies, and the
reduction of the number of alcaldes-mayor and corregidors, are most
necessary for many reasons. There is only one objection that might be