Carta régia (cópia) de D. João IV, rei de Portugal, ao Senado da Câmara de Macau, sobre o pagamento de 5% sobre as fazendas que entrarem em Macau, a título de donativo, para a manutenção do presídio.
This letter from the Senate of the City of Macao, dated 20 November 1646, is addressed to the King of Portugal. The document details the city’s critical provisioning difficulties, which cannot be alleviated by the Treasury in Goa due to its current constraints. In response, the merchants of Macao, a...
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| Format: | Manuscripts |
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| Published: |
1646-11-11
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| Online Access: | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/MP3D3MSE/viewer_MP3D3MSE.html |
| Summary: | This letter from the Senate of the City of Macao, dated 20 November 1646, is addressed to the King of Portugal. The document details the city’s critical provisioning difficulties, which cannot be alleviated by the Treasury in Goa due to its current constraints. In response, the merchants of Macao, acting as loyal vassals, have consented to a voluntary five per cent duty on all goods entering the port. This levy is to be applied to the sustenance and defence of the city and its inhabitants for the duration of the suspension of trade and commerce with Japan. The letter, written by Secretary Afonso de Barros Caminha and signed by João de Barros, conveys the King’s trust in the Senate’s zeal for his service. The document provides primary evidence of colonial fiscal policy, local commercial agency, and the economic impact of the cessation of Japanese trade on the Portuguese settlement of Macao in the mid-seventeenth century. |
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