The King -- Inasmuch as by my Council of Castillel. I have decided to vsue for these Kingdoms, on the

Transcription

1 The King -- Inasmuch as by my Council of Castillel I have decided to vsue for these Kingdoms, on the eighteenth day of September of the year one,thousand seven hundred and sixty-six, the Royal Cedule of the following tenor. I, Don Carlos, by the grace of God King of Castille, of Leon, of Ar` agon^ of the two Sicilies, of Jeruzalem, ^.. of Navarre, of Granada, of Toledo9 of Valencia, of Galicia, of Majorca' of Seville, of Sardinia, of Cordova, of Cosica, of. Murcia., of Jaen, of the Al:garues' of Algecira, of Gibraltar, of the Canary Islands, of the East and West Indies, rslands of firm land of the Ocean Sea,, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, of Brabant, and Milarz, Count of Asburg' of Flandes, of Tirol, and of Barcelona, Lord of :.:.Biscay, and of Molina, etc. -- To those in my Council, Presidents, hearers of my Audiences, Majors of my house, Court, Chancel.ries, and to all magistrates, assistants, Governors' Main and f3rdinary Majors, and any one Judge and Justices of these my Kingdoms, and Lordships, royal patrimonies, like the Lordship of Abadengo, to the ones that are and to the ones ths.t will be from now on, and to each one and any one: Know, that by Royal Decree on the f.oizrteenth of this month I presented to the Council the following:

2 The good example of the secular and regular Clergy spreads to all of the body of the rest of the subjects. In a Nation as religious as the Spanish, love and respect to the Sovereigns, and to the Royal Family, and to the Government:, is an obligation dictated by the fundamental Laws of the State, and taught by the Divine Laws to the subjects as a serious matter of conscience. From here arises that the ecclesiastics9 not only in their sermons, spiritual exercises and devout deeds, should teach to the People these principles, but also and principally should abstain lv themselves //in,all occasions and in all conversations of deprecative exclamations and gossip about the people of the Government that contribute to inspire hatred against them, and might give occasion to bigger excesses, a crime which is estimated as perfidy or.treason. Law 77. titl. 26, book 8, of the Recopilacion' in order to avoid such excesses, established by the Lord Don Juan the first, of the glorious memory. A solemn Law in the Courts of Segovia with.the assistance of the Ecclesiastic branch, which was repeated by his son Lord Don Henrique the third, and it is in the Law, 3, titl. 4, book 8, of the same Recopilacion which among other things states: " We request and command to the Prelates of our

3 King that if a friar, or cleryman, or hermit, or " any other religious member defers, (that is " against the King, Royal people, or against the " State and Government) he should be seized and " sent to us imprisoned. For this reason, so that no abuse is committed in good faith by the seculars, the respect that the Catholic religion inspires, should be given to the throne.; and no person dedicated to God by his profession, should dare to disturb through such means the feelings and public order by interfering in government matters far remote from his spiritual ministry. For true knowledge and in full royal power, with mature deliberation and determination, I have determined for my Council to send circulars with my orders to the Bisha.ps and regular prelates of these my Kingdoms, in accordance to the referred chapter of the cited law 3, titl 4, book 8, taking all of them care of its exact and prompt fulfi"llment,. since I would consider myself unserved at the most minimum omissi.on. And equal prevensions should be given to the Justices' so they will be on the look out to advise 2 the Prelates, and if they notice care//lessness or negligence on their part, sufficient information should be received about the ecclesiastic people that obliged

4 because of their status, are liable to incur into the mentioned excesses, and to submit it to the President of the C:ouncil so that a prompt and convenient remedy is put to it, with the understanding that these denunciations will be severe, and the names of the witnesses will be present before the Council, and without.,delay, orders or convenient provisions will be sent, and a copy of them will be left in my hands. At San :'::Yldefonso, on the fourteenth day of September of the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six. To the President of the Council And having been published by the Full Council on the sixteenth day of the.present month, it was agr,eed on its completion and expedition by this my Letter. For which I entrust my Reverend Archbishops and Bishops, Priors of the Orders, Deans and Chapters of the Motropolitan Churches^ and Cathedrals of Vacant-Seat, Visitors, Provisioners, Vicars and Prelates of the regular orders, to observe this my Royal resolution and to agree on their part to its effective fulfillment in all of these my kingdoms and lordships, without permitting under any excuse its lack of completion to thus harmonize with my royal servicee And I command to those of my Council, Presidents,

5 heares' Assistants, Governors, and.other Judges, and Justices of these my kingdoms, to keep and fulfill in the same manner my mentioned royal determination, in so far as the part pertaining to them ^r1thout contra- 2v dicting //it, nor permitting inany manner its nonobservance. And on the contrary, for its. complete fulfillment they shall give and do all the required forethought because this.is my will. And that on theprinted transcription of this my Letter, signed by Don Ygnacio Estevan de Ygareda my oldest secretary of Chamber and of the Government on my Council' should certify that the original was dated at San Yldefonso on the eighteenth day of September of the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-gix. I, the King. I:' Don Andres de Atumerdi, Secretary of the King our Lord, hfade this to be written by His Command. The Count of Aranda. The Marquis of Monte Nuevo. Don Joseph Herreros. Don Luis de Valle Salazar The Marquis of San Juan de Taso. Certified. CC. l-2v in E ,

6 Don Nicolas Verdugo present Main Chancellor. Il Don Nicolas Verdugo, and upon agreeing on its equal observance in my domains in the America and the.philippine Islands, so it will be known by all my subjects, ecclesiastic as well as secular that live in them, and that under no excuse argue ignorance, have determined, upon consultation of my Council of the Indies on the thirtieth day of January of last year, its publication and fulfillment. For that reason T order and command my 'Viceroys of Peru, New Spain, and New Kingdom of Granada, to the Audiences and attornies of those districts and the one of the Philippines, to the Governors and Justices of them, and adjacent Islands, and request and entrust 3 my Reverend Archbishops, reverend Bishops //and Chapters, to the Provincial and other Superiors of the Religions, that they publish, fulfill, keep and make fulfill the content of this prescribed Royal Cedule, without allowing any of their subjects of any rank or condition' to exceed themselves, publicly or s6cretly to talk, to express or to gossip against the Government, practicing in case of violation what is provided in it, because thus it is convenient to my Royal service. Given at El Prado on the nineteenth day of March of the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight. I, the King.

7 By command of the King our Lord -- Thomas Mello So that in the.kingdoms of the Indies be fulfilled and observed the content of the Royal cedule written to the tecul.ar and regular ecclesiastics so that they abstain themselves from denunciations and gossip against the Government with the rest call that is, mentioneda 2v-3 in E z;

8 In the Royal Presidio of Our Lady of Pilar of Los Adaes, on the twenty-one days of the month of January of the year^ one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine. of Calatrava, I, Don Hugo Oconor, knight of the Order of the ^.c^ ^ Su-e^ of America, Governor of this Province of Texas, upon seeing the precep-jding hoyal dedule, C. in h., issued by His Majesty (May God Guard rhim,), standing and uncoif, I, the said ggovernor got it in my hands and as a sign of my due obedienc:e to the sovereign commands, kissed it, and put it upon my head, and in which attention, being indispensable precise that its 3v content should have the,effective// and punctual fulfillment required, command the remittance of the original te the judges and justices of this province so each one of them puts down their obedience leaving testimony,in the respective archives, and this done, return it. Thus I provided, ordered and signed with my attesting witnesses with whom I act for lack of a notary, public or royal. In witness whereof' I certify: Hugo Oconor Witness: Witness: Juan Antonio de Auze y Amaya Joaquin Ruiz,C 3-3v in E ,

9 In the Royal Presidio of San Agustin de Aumada, on the seventeenth day of the month of February of the year.orne thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, I, Don Melchor Af.an de Ribera:, Captain of Infantry, C- K edi^1'q" r S Major Assistant of the Ma4Gg &L^'of America, and provisional captain of this above-mentioned presid.io, having received in my hands today about four in the afternoon the royal cedule issued by His Majesty (May God Guard h..im.,), and remitted by the Governor Don Hugo Oconor, standing and uncoif. I,,said Captain got it in my hands and as a sign of my due obedience to the sovereing commands,.., kissed it and but it upon my head and by virtue of the orders given to me, I published it before my Company with the accustomed solemnity of oommand, and took testimony of it to the letter which was filed in the:archives of my charge. And so to be of record, I signed. it in this said presidio, day, month and year wfth my attesting witnesses Z,rith whom I act, as, delegate judge for lack of a notary, public or royal, of which there is none a s. prescribed by the law and on this common paper for lack of stamped. In witness a.rhereof, I certify: Melchor Afan de Ribera Witness: 4Franeisco de la Portilla Pacheco Witness:// Nicolas de Villafuerte,C. 3v-4 in E ,

10 In the Roya1. Presidio of t,- Bahia del Espiritu. Santo, on the twenty-eight day of the month of February of the yearaone thousand.seven hundred and sixty-nine, I, Don Francisco Thobar, Captain and Major Justice of the sa4residio received the prece=^^ding royal cedule, I.,- issued. by HEis, M,ajesty, (May God Guard him,), standing and uncoif,.. I1 rsaid Captain got it and kissed it as a sign of my due obedience to the sovereign commands and by virtue of the order sent to me, I published it before my Company, acting according to the accust omed solemnity of command being also present the people of this small neighbor:hood. And I took testimony of it to the letter, which. was filed in the arehive of my charge,,m And so to be of record, I signed it in the mentioned presidio, day, month and year with my attesting witnesses, with whom I act as recelotoria. In witness whereof, I certify: co Fran Thobar Witness: Witness: Joseph Ignacio ONeale Joseph Gutierresa 4C. 4 in E ,

11 In the Royal Presidio of San Antonio de Bexar Villa of San: Fernando, on the twenty-one days.of the o^ month of March of the yeara one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, I, Don Luis Antonio Menchaca, Captain of the said royal presidio and major justice of the said Villa, upon seen the prec '_' ding royal cedule, issued by His Majesty,(May God Guard him,), and remitted by the. Governor of this province Don Hugo Oconor, standing and uncoifw I, said Captain got it, kissed it and put it upon my head as a sign of my due obedience to the 4v sovereign commandsl and by virtue of the// order sent to me, I published it, acting to the accustomed solemnity required to all parts. I took testimony of it to the letter, which was filed in this archive of my charge' returning the original as provided. And so to be of record, I signed it in this presidio on the mentioned day, month and year with my attesting witnesses,?rrith whom I act as recentoria for lack of notary, public or royal, and on this common paper for lack of stamped. In witimess whereof, I certify: Luis Antonio Menchaca Witness: Witness: Joseph Antonio Bustillos y Zeballos Luis Mariano Menchaca,C. 4-4v in E i766,

12 12 Agrees with its original which is remitted to the Governor of this province as ordered,where I, Don Luis.Antonio Menchaca, Captain of this i,!oyal presidio of San Antohio dd Bexar, major justice of the Villa of San Fernando, had it copied, and present to see it transcribed, corrected and adjusted were Xabier Seguin, Santiago Luran and Pedro Flores, residents of this Panel presidio of San Antonio of Vexar.A On the twenty-fifth day of March of the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, acting as delegate judge with my attesting witnesses for lack of notary, public or royal, and on this colnmon paper for lack of the prescribed. In witness whereof, I certify: Luis Antonio Menchaca (Rubric) Witness Luis Mariano Menchaca (Rubric) Witness Joseph Antonio de Bustillos y,zeballos (Rubric) ^CC: 4v in E ,