Date published: 1981-01-01
Source:
The King?s Coffer (ID83)Author: Bushnell, Amy (ID32)
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#http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00014878/00001#Content id: 568
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1601-01-01 - 1601-12-31
SA's royal officials filed complaints on the governor
The governor understood that if he dissolved the cabildo the treasury officials would report his mismanagements in detail throughout his stay. A common letter of complaint began: “The governors pay little heed to the royal officials and we have no preeminences nor rights of intervention, nor are we allowed our authority as regidores.” At this point the officials filled in their specific grievance “The governor is consenting to trade in this city with Portuguese and Frenchmen,” or “The governor is forcing us to sign prepared libranzas.” Then they attached the standard conclusion:
“In all the cases that arise, whether in matters of the exchequer, the city or conversions, he takes action apart from us, and if we present the objects that occur to us he says that we have no intervention whatsoever, and if we ask for this in writing he refuses it, abusing us and speaking disrespectfully to us and threatening us if we do not go along with his opinions.” [Note 80: Juan Menendez Marquez 4/13/1601; Bartolome de Arguelles, Francisco Ramirez, Francisco Menendez Marquez, and Juan de Cueva, 6/2/1627, with reply to the fiscal of the Council 1/12/1628]
Perfunctorily the Council would warn the governor to treat the royal officials well and not to place hindrances in the way of their work, then would file the regidores’ letter with the other complaints awaiting his residencia.
(Bushnell KC)
Cross references
No cross references.