Chapter 301: The Governor-General's Authorization

Governor-General Juan de Salamanca did not expect such a reply. He was taken aback, as if a soldier had been struck a heavy blow on his armor. At least one point in Weiss’s words was true: vultures and crows of all sizes were now circling around Sanabria’s million-peso fortune. Almost every subject of the Empire from Macau to Manila was busy accusing him. No matter how absurd the charges seemed, they were all solemnly written into the case files and presented to the royal prosecutor.

Everyone wanted to tear a piece of flesh from the greasy corpse of the former richest merchant in the colony, and the Governor-General was no exception.

“The accusations against Sanabria must be tried by the Royal Court before he can be convicted.” Seeing that his goal of striking at his opponent had more or less failed, the Governor-General wanted to brush past the topic as quickly as possible.

“He is guilty, and he has already been convicted. You have already exercised the power of justice on behalf of His Majesty the King and confiscated his ill-gotten gains.”

“Where did you hear such nonsense? The government has only seized the suspect’s property pending trial.”

“Who would take temporarily seized property, such as Sanabria’s merchant ships and yachts, to the royal shipyard for repairs, just so the victims can receive brand-new compensation? I saw this with my own eyes,” Weiss replied. “Your Excellency, all you lack now is a perfect trial in absentia. The dead cannot argue.”

“It is only a temporary requisition. The colony is in urgent need of ships that can be used for combat.” The Governor-General finally decided to abandon the topic. He pulled the bell cord and summoned a servant. “Get something to drink. No, not wine, get Australian water.”

A servant in a white uniform from the Governor’s Palace brought in a wooden tray with two glass bottles sealed with wire and wooden stoppers, and two silver cups. The glass of the bottles was covered in water droplets of all sizes, presumably just taken from a well.

“You don’t mind this little luxury, do you? I personally disapprove of drinking during business hours.” The Governor-General’s tone became friendly and gentle. “In such a hot place, such a cool enjoyment is so rare. Perhaps in your eyes, it’s nothing at all.”

Weiss smiled without comment. He did indeed disdain the “luxurious Australian water,” which was just the commonplace salt-and-soda water of Lingao, something even a slightly better-off naturalized worker could buy to cool off and quench their thirst during a break. “Stupid miser, ignorant Spanish pig,” he cursed inwardly.

“Even this small enjoyment must be restrained because we have no choice. The colony’s finances have always been scarce, and now we must increase spending on military engineering. We cannot indulge in pleasure,” the Governor-General said, trying to switch to another topic for a counterattack. “So some of your actions here are inappropriate. Now the rich in Manila are all following your example, from fashionable clothes to gorgeous carriages. That’s all well and good. But the way you decorate your washroom is too inappropriate, using expensive porcelain as a toilet bowl and even creating a special pump to flush away the waste. If the nobles of the entire colony were to follow suit, how much money would the colony lose? It’s simply unimaginable.”

“And it’s not just money. Now even the waste you flush away with your pump is precious. We have to collect it to make saltpeter, just as the English do with pigeon droppings. Yes, Sanabria is guilty, but we can’t find an agent to replace him who can purchase Indian saltpeter for the government at a fair price. Now we either have to find a way to solve the problem ourselves, or we have to endure the high prices of the Indians. Perhaps you have a way to help the government of His Majesty the King’s colony out of its predicament. We are all obligated to serve God and His Majesty, isn’t that what you said to Mr. Osvaldo?”

“Of course I can,” Weiss squinted, the smile that had been on his face finally turning into a sneer. “Probably a little more than you imagine.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” the Governor-General said, stunned.

“Please think about it. Why does a coarse porcelain bowl that a Chinese peasant uses to drink tea in a mud hut get sent to the King’s dining table after being transported across the ocean? In Madrid, you can’t find a more expensive fabric than Chinese silk. Yet I have seen those Australians who occupy the Chinese coast wrap gunpowder for loading cannons in silk of the same quality. Every shot they fire could make a merchant from Acapulco or Seville die of regret. Demand creates value, and distance multiplies value. By the same token, the price of iron from Bilbao and copper from Mexico is comparable to gold and silver when transported to the Philippines. Indeed, compared to this, the journey to transport iron and mercury from China, and saltpeter from India, is much shorter. But as you have seen, these heathens have no conscience and exploit honest and kind Christians to an outrageous degree.”

“In fact, this colony under your jurisdiction is too dependent on trade with the Chinese. So far, the Philippines has no self-sufficient industry and only plays an insignificant role as a transit point on the long journey of Chinese goods to the Americas and the mother country. Undoubtedly, this is of no benefit to your achievements or to increasing the welfare of the people of the colony. You plan to force the people to scrimp and save, saving every peso to strengthen the defense works. If this leads to their resentment, and they believe the colony cannot bring them happiness and peace, what is the meaning of adding more cannons and warships? The enemy does not always come from the outside.”

“You are right,” the Governor-General nodded, acknowledging the potential danger Weiss had pointed out. Every Governor-General of the Philippines had to undergo a special court investigation presided over by his successor upon leaving office. Offending too many people was not a good thing. “But is there any other way? Now even transporting the subsidy from the Americas has become a dangerous task.”

“To maintain a colony and make it prosper, the best way is to establish a self-sufficient industry. Haven’t you already done so? You have allowed the Chinese to leave the Parian to engage in agriculture and horticulture, and you have also opened factories on the outskirts of Manila.” Seeing that the Governor-General wanted to say something, Weiss raised his hand to stop him. “A good factory is a goose that lays golden eggs. This is the Australians’ magic weapon for getting rich. They open factories, assemble Chinese porcelain and pumps into toilets, and the Chinese are willing to pay ten times the price to buy them. Of course, building factories and manufacturing machines requires a large amount of metal. But did God give the Philippines to His Majesty as a barren desert? You have already found gold in Baguio and discovered mercury in Palawan. Is this fertile land not hiding copper, iron, lead, tin, or everything we need? For example, the saltpeter you have repeatedly mentioned.”

“Are you certain of this?”

“The source of my wealth is no secret. I have mined for gold in Kelantan and discovered diamond mines on an island near China. Among my subordinates are some Chinese who are the best mining technicians. Their families have been mining for generations. No one is better than them at finding mines and excavating shafts. They are unique in their use of special machines to prevent mines from being flooded. As long as you give your approval, I will immediately order them to start work.”

Juan de Salamanca gently tapped the armrest of his chair with his fingers. Weiss saw that his words had had an effect, so he paused to wet his throat with salt-and-soda water and waited for the other to speak.

“Mr. Vilanova, your proposal is undoubtedly very valuable,” the Governor-General said after a moment’s thought. “I just want to point out some circumstances to you. You have not been in the Philippines for long. You may not know that the interior mountainous areas of this colony are still largely unexplored, a place where untamed savages run rampant. Although the entire Philippine archipelago belongs to His Majesty’s colony, south of the Visayas, it is scattered with ferocious Malay pirates and murderous Moro infidels. The army must first protect Manila and other important cities. The government cannot spare the already stretched forces to provide protection for your mining engineers.”

“That is not a problem. I engage in profitable commerce, and I am also a soldier. I have a small but sufficiently elite and loyal force of Christian soldiers to protect the mining enterprise. You do not need to provide ships either, because I can have my Esmeralda transport the mining personnel and machinery. What I request is, first, that when my men are surveying the terrain and searching for mineral veins, they must have the freedom to move legally throughout the entire colony, both along the coast and in the interior. They are working for the welfare of the colony and should not be treated with the kind of disrespect shown by Mr. Brambilla. My personnel have the right to carry necessary weapons to resist the attacks of savages and infidels, thus saving the government the need to use force. Finally, if the mining project requires it, it would be best if the government could approve my hiring of coolies on the spot or directly capturing those savages and infidels as slaves.”

“Very well. Do you have any other requests?”

“Regarding the profits from private investment in mining, and the legal provisions…”

“According to the laws in force in the Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru, private mine owners should pay a one-fifth tax to His Majesty the King’s government.” The Governor-General picked up a few thin volumes and looked through them for a while. “However, there is currently no precedent for private investment in mining in the Philippine colony. If you do indeed discover minerals that the government needs, as a reward, I have the authority to exempt you from the mining tax, as long as you promise to sell all the extracted ore to the colonial government.”

“At a price acceptable to both of us,” Weiss said. “A verbal agreement or a written contract, I will accept either.”

“You are truly a great help to us. I will immediately instruct my secretary to write the official document. You will receive your pass very soon.”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. As Weiss rose to leave, he heard the Governor-General say, “Thank you very much for your gift, Count.”

“Your Excellency, you now see clearly. What I can provide is much more than you imagine.”