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Montiano was relieved of replacing the lost emergency fund
Source: The Governorship of Spanish Florida #122
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In October, 1740, the Council modified this order. Believing it was an undue hardship on Montiano to force him to repay money spent by Moral in 1735, the Council ordered the viceroy of New Spain to send an additional 12,000 pesos to Florida. The provision for the three-key chests, however, was retained, with the two treasury officials getting special authority to check the governor’s misuse of the fund. If the governor used the money for purposes that did not qualify as colonial emergencies, the accountant and treasurer were sworn to warn him “one, two, and three time.” If he persisted in this illicit spending, they were to inform the king. [Note 82: Consejo 10/22/1740] Relieved that he did not have to reintegrate the 12,000 pesos into the treasury, Montiano approved of the new plan in April, 1742. [Note 83: FL royal officials to king 4/20/1742] The 12,000 pesos, like the building fund, served the colony in time of need. The extra pesos and supplies lying conveniently at hand in Saint Augustine sustained the colony when the subsidy failed to arrive and provided necessities when emergencies occurred. The governor had no other recourse than to use the funds available in his treasury. In the end the king and the Council of the Indies grudgingly countenanced the losses but not without half-hearted attempts to get the money back or to regulate the distribution of emergency funds. For the most part, however, these efforts were fruitless. (Tepaske GSF)
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