| DURING THE SPANISH
REGIME
During the Spanish
Regime in the Philippines, stamped paper and, subsequent to 1854,
adhesive stamps of all kinds were sold to the public by a person who was
licensed for that service by the Government, and who for his services,
usually received a commission of two percent of his sales of stamps
and stamped paper. This person was referred to in the Laws of the
Indies as a RECEPTOR (Receiver), as an EXPENDEDOR (Seller) or, subsequent
to 1830, as ESTANQUERO (one who operates an ESTANCA). The room or
building where the stamped paper and adhesive stamps were sold was variously
called a RECEPTORIA (Receivers Office), an EXPENDIO (Selling Office), an
EXPENDEDURIA (Selling Office) or an ESTANCA (shop where Government
monopolies were sold).
Prior to 1683 there
were several other government monopolies in addition to the manufacture
and sale of stamped paper and adhesive stamps. Among these government
monopolies were: The manufacture and sale of gun powder; the sale
of playing cards; the manufacture and sale, at different times, of several
different alcoholic beverages; and, most lucrative of all, the manufacture
and sale of tobacco.
The same person who
was licensed to sell stamped paper and adhesive stamps also sold the products
of any other government monopolies which might be in effect at the time.
During the nineteenth century, the Government monopolies were abolished,
one after another, until in 1883 the tobacco monopoly was abolished, leaving
stamped paper and adhesive stamps as the sole articles to be sold by the
ESTANCAS. This so greatly decreased the volume of sales, and
hence the income, of the ESTANQUEROS that it became difficult to find persons
who were willing to accept the responsibility for the sale of stamped paper
and stamps in the smaller towns. Prior to 1860 and during the
decade between 1880 and 1890 there were many towns in which no one was
authorized to sell stamped paper and adhesive stamps to the public.
This resulted in considerable inconvenience to the residents of such towns,
who were compelled to journey to the larger towns in order to purchase
stamped paper and adhesive stamps.
The following decree
governing the appointment of EXPENDEBORES appears on pages 118-120 of Legislation
de Efectos Timbrados, published in Manila in 1893:
| General Superintendency
of Finance of the Philippines.
Manila, August 1,
1890
.
In view of the
reasons expounded by the Central Administration of Lotteries and Stamp
Assets, and making use of the authorization conceded in Article 1 of the
decree dictated by the General Government of these Islands on the
14th of December of 1862, this Superintendency order the following:
1. All the EXPENDEDURIAS
of Stamp Assets of the Archipelago will be granted, effective from the
date of this order, after an announcement of the vacancy has been made
in the official Gazette when they are in Manila, and in the customary manner
when they correspond to provinces.
2. The proposals
which in the future are formulated for the appointment of official EXPENDEDORES
of Stamp Assets will be limited to the following qualifications:
a. That
of being Peninsular Spaniards, wives or orphans of the same;
b.
Licentiates of the Army, their widows and orphans;
c.
Persons who have held public offices in the provinces or in the villages;
and
d. Spanish-Filipino
mestizos who do not possess any of the previous qualifications. [1]
3. The Administrators
of Finance will remit, with their recommendation to the Center of
Lotteries and Stamp Assets, all the petitions which are presented to them
soliciting these positions, after being informed by the Gobernadorcillo,
[2]
parish priest and the Head of the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), [3]
to the end that said Center may make the appointments.
4. All vacancies
that occur in Manila will be left unfilled until the EXPENDEDURIAS are
reduced to fifty, without counting those (which are) Special, which will
be distributed conveniently for the best service of the city.
5. The sale of Telegraph
stamps is left exclusively in the charge of the Special EXPENDEDURIA and
its five branches established in all telegraph stations of the Capital,
and only to the provinces in which there is a telegraph will this class
of stamps be released in quantity sufficient for the service of the same.
6. Whatever orders
this Superintendency has dictated with reference to the EXPENDEDORES of
Stamp Assets, as long as they are not in conflict with that (which is)
ordered in the present decree, remain force........... FERNANDEZ. [4] |
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