Chapter 1490 - Governor's Authorization

Governor Juan Salamanca had not expected such an answer. He could not help but start, like a soldier feeling a heavy blow strike his armor. At least one point in Weiss's words was indisputable fact: vultures and crows large and small were now circling the millions in Sanabria's estate. Nearly every imperial subject from Macau to Manila was busily filing suit against the dead man; no matter how absurd or laughable the charges appeared, they were grandly inscribed into dossiers presented before the Royal Prosecutor. Everyone wanted to tear a piece of flesh from the corpse of the colony's former wealthiest merchant, still dripping with fat. The Governor was no exception.

"Accusations against Sanabria must undergo trial by the Royal Court before guilt can be determined." Seeing his attempt to put the visitor on the back foot largely failing, the Governor sought to gloss over this topic as swiftly as possible.

"He was guilty, and he has already been convicted. You have already exercised the power of justice on behalf of His Majesty the King by confiscating his ill-gotten gains."

"Where did you hear such nonsense? The government is merely detaining the suspect's property pending court trial."

"And who would send temporarily detained property—such as Sanabria's merchant ships and yachts—to the Royal Dockyard for repairs, simply so that victims might receive brand-new compensation? This I witnessed with my own eyes." Weiss answered with composure. "Your Excellency, all you lack now is a proper trial in absentia. Dead men raise no objections."

"Merely a temporary requisition—the colony has urgent need of combat-ready vessels." The Governor finally decided to abandon this topic. He tugged the bell rope to summon a servant. "Fetch something to drink. No—not wine. Bring Australian water."

A servant in white uniform entered bearing a wooden tray that held two glass bottles sealed with wire and corks, accompanied by two silver cups. The bottles were beaded with large droplets—clearly fresh from an immersion in well water.

"You do not mind this small luxury, I trust? I personally disapprove of drinking alcohol during working hours." The Governor's tone softened into something approaching cordiality. "In such blistering heat, such cool refreshment is exceedingly rare. Perhaps to you, it means nothing at all."

Weiss smiled noncommittally. He did indeed disdain this "luxury Australian water"—nothing more than common salt soda water from Lingao, available even to moderately successful naturalized laborers seeking to slake their thirst during breaks. Stupid miser. Ignorant Spanish pig, he critiqued silently.

"Even such modest pleasures must be rationed, for we face compelling difficulties. Colonial finances have always been scarce, yet at present we must increase expenditures on military engineering. Indulgence is a luxury we cannot afford." The Governor made his pivot, seeking to regain the offensive. "Certain behaviors of yours here are therefore ill-timed. Now Manila's wealthy take you as their model in everything—from fashionable garments to ornate carriages. All that is well enough. But your manner of decorating washrooms is entirely inappropriate: using expensive porcelain as chamber pots, even constructing special pumps to flush away filth. Should the entire colonial nobility adopt this practice, how much money will drain from the colony? Simply unimaginable."

"Not merely money—even the filth flushed away by your water pump has value now. We must collect it to make saltpeter, as the English treat pigeon dung. Sanabria was guilty, yes—but we cannot find an agent to replace him who can purchase Indian saltpeter for the government at fair prices. Now we must either devise our own solution or endure exploitative prices from the Indians. Perhaps you have the means to help His Majesty's colonial government escape this predicament. We are all obligated to serve God and His Majesty—is that not what you told Mr. Osvaldo?"

"Of course I can." Weiss narrowed his eyes, and the smile on his face finally curdled into open mockery. "I fear it is far more than you imagine."

"I do not take your meaning." The Governor's astonishment was genuine.

"Consider: why does a coarse porcelain bowl, used by some Chinese village farmer squatting in the mud to drink tea, arrive on the King's table after crossing oceans to Europe? In Madrid, no fabric commands a higher price than Chinese silk. Yet I have seen those Australians entrenched along the Chinese coast use silk of identical quality to wrap gunpowder for cannon charges. Every shot they fire would make a merchant from Acapulco or Seville weep with anguish. Demand creates value, and distance multiplies it. By the same logic, Bilbao iron and Mexican copper transported to the Philippines command prices rivaling gold and silver. True, shipping iron and mercury from China or saltpeter from India covers a shorter distance—but as you have witnessed, these pagans possess no conscience whatsoever, exploiting honest Christians to an unconscionable degree."

"In fact, this colony you govern relies excessively upon trade with the Chinese. To date, the Philippines possesses no industry sufficient for self-reliance, serving merely as a negligible middleman in the long journey of Chinese goods to the Americas and the Imperial homeland. This benefits neither your achievements nor the well-being of colonial subjects. You intend to force people to scrimp and save, hoarding every peso for defensive works. But if this breeds universal complaint—if the people conclude the colony cannot bring them happiness or peace—what purpose do additional cannons and warships serve? Enemies do not always come from without."

"You speak truthfully," the Governor acknowledged with a nod. Weiss had identified a potentially dangerous situation. Every Philippine Governor faced a special court investigation presided over by his successor upon leaving office; accumulating too many enemies was unwise. "But is there any alternative? At present, even transporting subsidies from the Americas has become perilous."

"To maintain a colony and make it flourish, the optimal path is establishing self-sufficient industries. Have you not already begun? You permitted the Chinese to leave the Parian to engage in agriculture and horticulture, and to open factories outside Manila." Seeing the Governor about to interject, Weiss raised a hand to forestall him. "Good factories are geese that lay golden eggs. This is the Australians' secret to wealth: they open factories, assembling Chinese porcelain and water pumps into chamber pots, and the Chinese gladly pay ten times the price to buy them. Naturally, building factories and manufacturing machinery requires substantial quantities of metal. But did God bestow the Philippines upon His Majesty as a barren desert? You have already found gold in Baguio, discovered mercury in Palawan—surely this fertile land must also contain copper, iron, lead, tin, and all the materials we require? Including, I might add, the saltpeter you so frequently mention."

"You have confidence in this?"

"The source of my wealth is no secret: excavating gold mines in Kelantan, discovering diamond deposits on islands near China. Among my subordinates are some Chinese who rank among the finest mining technicians anywhere. Their families have worked the mines for generations—no one excels them at locating veins and sinking shafts. Their techniques for using specialized machinery to prevent mine flooding are without equal. Grant me your approval, and I will order them to begin work immediately."

Juan Salamanca tapped his armchair's armrest lightly with his fingers. Weiss saw that his rhetoric had taken effect and fell silent, moistening his throat with salt soda water while waiting for the other man to speak.

"Mr. Vananois, your proposal is undeniably valuable." The Governor pondered for a moment. "I merely wish to apprise you of certain realities. You have not resided in the Philippines long; you may not know that the inland mountain regions of this colony remain largely untraversed, places where untamed savages roam freely. Although the entire Philippine archipelago belongs to His Majesty's domain, south of the Visayas, fierce Malay pirates and bloodthirsty Moro pagans lurk everywhere. The army must prioritize defending Manila and other vital cities; the government cannot withdraw already overstretched troops to protect your mining engineers."

"That poses no difficulty. I am a trader engaged in profitable commerce, but I am also a soldier. I command a small force of Christian warriors—few in number, but elite and loyal enough to protect any mining enterprise. Nor need you provide ships, for my Esmeralda can transport mining personnel and equipment. What I require is this: first, my men must enjoy freedom of legal movement throughout the colony when surveying terrain and searching for veins—whether along the coast or inland. They are laboring for the colony's benefit and should not receive the sort of rude treatment Mr. Brambilla has shown them. My personnel must have the right to carry necessary weapons to resist attacks by savages and pagans—this spares the government the necessity of deploying force. Finally, where mining operations require it, should the government approve my hiring local coolies—or directly capturing savages and pagans as slaves—that would be ideal."

"Very well. Have you any further requests?"

"Regarding the proceeds from privately invested mining operations, and the relevant legal provisions—"

"According to laws currently in force in the Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru, private mine owners must pay the Royal Fifth to His Majesty's government." The Governor picked up several slim volumes and leafed through them. "However, the Philippine colony presently has no precedent for private investment in mining. If you do indeed extract minerals the government requires, I possess the authority to exempt your mining tax as a reward—provided you agree to sell all extracted ore to the colonial government."

"At a price acceptable to both parties," Weiss said. "Oral agreement or written contract—either is acceptable to me."

"You have rendered us considerable assistance. I shall instruct the secretary to prepare the official documents immediately; you will have your pass very soon."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. As Weiss rose to take his leave, he heard the Governor say: "Thank you most kindly for your gift, Count."

"Your Excellency, now you understand. What I can provide is far more than you imagined."

(End of Chapter)