Our Lord protect Your Lordship's life many years. servant kisses your hand. Dom[ing]o Cabello

Transcription

1 68 Our Lord protect Your Lordship's life many years. Bahia del [E]sp[iri]tu S[an]to, June 10, Your Lordship's most devoted and faithful servant kisses your hand. Lord Commandant General Cav[all]ero de Croix Dom[ing]o Cabello 2v // [Blank] [A.L.S., 1-2 pp., 6/10/1780]

2 69 Cross] Number 239: The governor of the province of Los Texas makes known to Your Lordship [the My dear Sir: This [letter] is in consequence of the authority following]. In consequence which Your Lordship has been of the authority which you have been pleased to grant him in your order of August 19th of the proximate past year, whereby he may permit the exportation of cattle to the province of La Luiciana to the extent he deems advisable and.in accordance'-with other provisions set forth [in the order], he has issued a permit to export 1500 head; and he,has established a duty of two r[eale s per head, this duty belonging to His Majesty. The governor details the manner in which he has implemented this program, and he hopes to know whether these measures pleased to grant me in your order of August 19th of the proximate past year, whereby I may permit the exportation of cattle to the province of La Luiciana to the extent I might deem advisable, informing Your Lordship of whether it would be appropriate'to impose a reasonable and moderate duty on each head exported; duties so realized would be used for expenses lv of militiamen; // and, in the event a duty were deemed advisable, I should advise Your Lordship of regulations I believe to be most expedient for its collection,

3 70 merit the approbation of management, and disposition Your Lordship. [MS: 4 words blotted out]. I now inform Your Lordship that from the date of my official letter number 129--in which I answered the afore-mentioned communication--to the present, no mo.tive for expediting this matter had arisen; thus, it did not seem appropriate to bother Your Lordship about this matter until some case arose wherein I should have reasen-te to inform you of events, [MS: 4 words blotted out] in keeping with the spirit of what is contained in Your Lordship's afore-cited order. It has now come to pass that Marcos Hernandez, resident of 2 this presidio, has appeared before me to ask for a permit to // [MS: 1 line blotted out] drive one thousand five hundred head of cattle [MS: 2 lines blotted out], purchased from El [E]sp[iri]tu Mission, to the province of Luisiana. On May 30 last I decreed that he be granted the permit under the following conditions: that for the exportation of said cattle he pay two rr[eale]s per head, duty for His Majesty; that no cattle exported be from pasturelaiaels the pasturelands of which the residents of Bejar and the aforenamed mission are both claiming ownership, the dispute still being under litigation in Your Lordship's superior tribunal; and that he make known the time at which said cattle would be rounded up, in order that I might appoint someone to go out to inspect and courit

4 71 the herd and report to me. Based on the report forthcoming, 2v Hernandez is to pay the afore-stated // duty of two rr[eale]s per head, and the corresponding permit will be issued. And these proceedings being proper in all respects, they, along with the 375 P[eso s--the amount of the aforestated duty--will be placed in the three-key chest that was constructed by order of Your Lordship, as soon as I return to Bexar, where the chest is located [MS: 2 lines blotted out]. In this matter Your Lordship will be assured that I do not lose sight of your dispositions. In view of the many 3 expenses that must be met in exportingthese cattle, // and considering the many beasts that may be lost in the long journey which must be made from this province to La Luiciana,. the imposition of this duty of two rr[eale s per head seems to me to be a very reasonable measure. Your Lordship, in consideration of all the foregoing, will be so kind as to command of me what may be to your greater pleasure in this matter. I shall believe that--whenever there is some exportation of cattle--the total funds from this duty will not fail to increase. Together with the amount of money that has accu.- mulated from^the duty on mezguenas equines and bovines, regular increases will be seen in this account. Upon my return to Bejar, after I.have discharged my principal duties,

5 72 I will draw up an accounting which I will transmit to Your Lordship in order that you might examine it and dispose as 3v you may see fit. // With regard to the regulations which Your Lordship leaves to me to formulate for the expedient collection, management, and disposition of this measure [the duty], it appears to me that, for collection and management, the preparation of judicial proceedings is a very good method for recording the exportation [of c attle] and the collection of duties. Proceedings would be kept in the same chest as the money, and [MS: 2 lines blotted out] in the first mail of each coming year a formal accounting of what this [revenue] branch, including revenue from [the duty on] mesguena.s equines and bovines, has produced during the course of the preceding year would be sent to you.. Under this entirely lawful procedure, Your Lordship could each year be so kind as to advise disposition of the sum on deposit in the chest. All of the 4 foregoing can be // set forth in a formal instruction, and if Your Lordship wishes, I will formalize it and send it to you for your approval; it might then serve as guide and legal regulation for the administration of this fund, with the understanding that only Your Lordship will have authority to [MS: T word blotted out] decide its disposition. In any event, I am hopeful Your Lordship will be pleased to advise me of your thoughts concerning the manner [MSSS: 4 wor,ds

6 73 blotted out] in which I have handled this matter, in order that I may know whether I have succeeded [MS: 2 words blotted out] in fulfilling the goal of Your Lordship's intentions. Our Lord protect Your Lordship's life many years. Bahia del [E]sp[iri]tu S[an]to, June 11, Your Lordship's most devoted and faithful servant kisses your hand. Lord Commandant General Cav[aller]o de Croix Dom[ing]o Cabello 4v // [Blank) [A.L.S., 1-4 pp., 6/11/1780]