VIII, D, 3 Salt: Carriedo y Peredo 177 



the hospitals of San Lazaro and San Juan de Dios." Its forma- 

 tion was probably inspired by the exhaustive report, issued 

 on June 23, 1797, by Angel de la Fuente, as a member of the 

 board of secret revenues, with regard to the Jesuit funds.^' 

 As soon as it had been regularly organized, it proceeded on 

 November 6, 1806, to request the city authorities to hand over 

 the capital of both "obras pias" with the corresponding papers." 

 For a year and a half the city, with characteristic dilatoriness,^* 

 resisted this demand, until they were finally forced to obey a 

 peremptory order that compliance must be made within eight 

 days, and a grudging transference was accordingly made on 

 March 28, 1808, with meager information as to the state of the 

 funds.'® The city at once combined with the merchants' asso- 

 ciation, the four orders of friars, and the Confrateniity of the 

 Holy Pity, which was responsible for the administration of 

 many "obras pias," and appointed Jose Casal and Manuel CAlle- 

 jas as their representatives on a deputation which laid the whole 

 matter before the home government in Madrid. As a result 

 of this, they were finally permitted to retain their privileges, 

 and the money was returned on June 6, 1809.*° These troubles, 

 naturally, checked to a certain degree the normal increase of the 

 fund, but when it was handed over to the board of consolidation 

 in 1808 it amounted to 32,187.50 pesos, nearly three and one- 

 half times as much as it had been in 1765. The total amount 

 was made up as follows: 



Item. Pesos. 



Loan to insular government 16,705.00 



Loans to private individuals 3,066.81 



Amount owing from estates of Jose Garcia and 



Luis Varela 4,050.92 



Cash on hand 8,364.77 



Total 32,187.50 



All this, save the amount due from the estates, was recover- 

 able." 



Prior to 1815, the fund was increased by loans made at in- 

 terest to those who wished to trade either on the Acapulco galleon 



"Actas de Manila (1807), 174. The hospital of San Lazaro was 

 established in 1578 by the Franciscan friar, Juan Clemente. It was 

 transferred to its present location in 1784. It was supported by a tax on 

 stamped paper, an "encomienda," a yearly contribution from the merchants, 

 and certain "obras pias" in its possession. 



"•Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1907), 51, 57, note 20. 



"Actas de Manila (1806), 256. 



"Ibid. (1808), 120-121, 124-128, 130-131. 



"Ibid. (1809), 56. 



"Ibid. (1811), 45-47. 



"Mas y Otzet, Carriedo y sus obras (1882), 57. 



