The Governor (1719) on Other Officials’ Abuse of Their Power

THE GOVERNOR (1719) ON OTHER OFFICIALS’ ABUSE OF THEIR POWER

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Governor Antonio de Benavides, Florida to H.M., March 4 of 1719.

AGI 58-2-4/22. Santo Domingo 854 in the modern system. (Photocopy print from microfilm, presumably.

I did not note its source). 4 pp.

Sire

In the despatches of August 12th and 15th of the past year of 1718, I have given account to Y.M. of having suspended the sergeant-major Don Juan de Ayala and the Treasurer, Don Joseph Pedrosa from the exercise of their post (plasa) because of having proved (Justificado) and of being certain the excesses they committed in this presidio in the way of trade (comercios) and other abuses much in disservice of Y.M., benefiting from (disfrutando) the royal treasury for many years from (a) and oppressing (tiranisando) these poor soldiers and widows who lost their husbands in the royal service, giving a leave of absence (or furlough-licencia) to the veteran soldiers of more service in order to remain with their salaries and to give their positions (sentarles plasa) to the American-born ones (criollos) in order to be more absolute, drawing

(librando) in New Spain eighteen thousand pesos every year of the delayed salaries that Y.M. has ordered that there should be paid to these unfortunate ones (ynfelises) and to widows (abiudas), without up to now having given them the least (meno-sic) discount (desquento) of this money, purchasing the salaries alluded to for very little or nothing without conscience nor fear of God, nor obedience to the royal decrees of Y. M. and supposing, Sire, that the said Don Juan de Ayala and don Joseph Pedrosa have a quantity of money in bills of exchange (Libransas) for these delayed salaries. It appears unjust to me that they should collect it

(lo cobren) with its being money usurped from these poor little fellows (pobresitos) who have won it (lo anqariado) with their blood and from the widows whose husbands the heathen Indians have killed, leaving them burdened with daughters without having the means with which to maintain them and having new motives on account of which (Para que) the aforementioned Don Juan de Ayala and don Joseph Pedrosa be removed from this Presidio to the city of la Havana. That he should execute it (lo execute) because of the scant satisfaction that I have from them and the / p. 3 partiality they have always had with the Englishmen of la Carolina and other understandings (ynteliJencias), particularly Don Juan de Ayala. That everything is

1 JOHN H. HANN COLLECTION AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA / COPYRIGHT 2005 JOHN H. HANN established (todo consta) by way of a letter that I have written to him, done (echa) in this (en este) and the rest of the reports (los demas Ynformes) that I am making on this occasion. Y.M. will order that which satisfies his royal pleasure and service. May God preserve (D.s g.e) the Royal Person of Y. M. (L.C.R. P de) as Christendom requires. St. Augustine of Florida and March 4 of 1719.

Dn Antonio de Benauides

CERTIFICATION BY THE NOTARY, St. Agn and June 10 of 1719

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Gov. Antonio de Benavides

AGI 58-4-2/24 (Santo Domingo 854 in the modern system) (Photocopy printout)

The Notary for the Public and for the Government, I certify for continuation (ai ContiuazOn) of this decree what causes the sergeant-major Don Juan Márques Cabrera had for, before his term of government had finished, having absented himself to the City of la Havana, as also how many (quanttas) de Rtandas (?) they placed in the conclusion (termino) of his residencia for the fieldmaster Don Diego de Quiroga y

Losada and how many charges (Cargos) resulted for him from the secret one; and it is evident to him (Sile

Consta) from what causes there arose these deoRcandas (?) and charges and ultimately if it is evident to him that they are enchained (estar encadenados) in relationship (parentesco) to some persons of those constituted at present in employments and if these have some sons friars (frailes) in this Province, all summarily (? Por maior) in accord (segn) that by way of the papers pertaining to his occupation (oficio) it will be established.-

Dn Antonio de Benavides

Certification [In the margin]

I the Ensign Juan Solana, notary for the Public and for the Government of this city of St. Aug.n of

Florida in virtue of the decree above I certify and swear in the part where it is appropriate to the señores who see the present / how, by way of the Residencias, disputes (pleitos) and petitions (demandas) that remain in my possession and office, discussed (Conttroberttidas) against the governorr that the decree he mentions, it is evident and appears that the motives the sergeant-major Don Juan Márques Cabrera, who

2 JOHN H. HANN COLLECTION AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA / COPYRIGHT 2005 JOHN H. HANN was governor of the province of Honduras and of this presidio, to absent himself from it; in a galliot the thirteenth day of April of six hundred eighty seven to the City of la Havana, with this government being prolonged because of his great merits and services were the cause that he was alleging in his writings and defences; that the clerics and friars had conspired against him and others of their relatives in not having wanted to hear his confession, although he asked for it in order to fulfill the annual precept, because of the which absence from the government that he carried out (hiço), when he returned to it after three months more or less, he was imprisoned. And in his residencia and investigation he made, his faults (sus tachas) from witnesses because of the most of them being relatives; And nonetheless they carried him off to Spain imprisoned.= And with respect to the petitions (? demandas) that were made in his residencia before the fieldmaster Don Diego de Quiroga y Losada, there were thirty-five lawsuits (pleitos) and the charges that resulted for him from the secret one were nineteen. And the motive and causes for the one and the other originated (provinieron), it is evident (Constta) from the allegations pertaining to his Residencia and claims

(demandas) that the governor was making, because I acted (actuo) against various persons established

(Constituidas) in political and military employments and in the last days of his government he placed a proprietary accountant of the Royal Treasury imprisoned in the Royal Fort because of not having aided him

(no aver le socorrido) during nineteen months [in] the position (la plaça) with the collection of the situados being under his charge and having given the order that for the year (al año) he should make three remittances of foodstuffs, for the omission of which the presidio and Royal warehouses, for not having the wherewithal in them for issuing rations to the soldiers during three months, quartering it (alojando la) in the houses of other soldiers, owners of the harvest (cosecheros).= He also imprisoned another situador because he had just finished (acabado) collecting his situados. He remained for seven years without coming to the presidio even though he was sent orders that he should carry it out (lo ejecutase) and, notwithstanding that, seen around Apalache, aided from it, Governor Don Laureano de Thorres put him imprisoned (lo puso preso).= He also imprisoned a retired sergeant-major because, after having sent him as commander (cavo) of a frigate belonging to the King in search of provisions, with soldiers and an order in writing so that he would turn aside (desViase) all the vessels and penalty (pena) of the life, he found himself (echase en Riesgo) in risk of being surprised (? Sopresado) [of throwing ?] the chest (cajon) of bundles of letters (pliegos) of the King / p. 3 into the water and without firing one pistol, they captured

And notwithstanding his having come with the said Governor Don Laureano, he put him under arrest.= He also apprehended a retired adjutant, commander of a frigate because, after having sent him in search of provisions, he was shipwrecked. And after his having been brought to la Havana, the commander did not return to the presidio; but rather he set sail, without any order at all for the port of Campeche and passed on from there to Veracruz. On his return the governor carried out (ejecutto) the imprisonment on his person of the said adjutant. And lastly he arrested a treasurer of the Royal Treasury and he sold off his house at auction and [his] possessions, and for the rest of the eight thousand pesos, he imprisoned him. The which five subjects were all decorated persons with many relatives. And soon after the said Governor Don

Laureano took possession, he released the four of them from the imprisonment and he left the said sergeant-major, who remained imprisoned for seven years and he got out in the time of the Governor Don

José de Çuñiga with his case concluded [being] sentenced by the Royal lawyerr of la Havana for five hundred ducats of silver.= And while (enquanto) there are some persons at present established

(constituidos) in employments who are relatives, it is evident and public knowledge and notorious that the

Royal Officials, two captains of infantry, the one of the cavalry, the one of the artillery, and the head officer of the Countinghouse were all linked with close (?) (esttre n s) (?) relationships (parentescos) and from these there proceed many other subjects (Sujettos), all relatives and of these the three of the ones named have sons friars from this province, all the which I am able to certify and it is established by the papers that remain in my possession and office to which I defer (me Remito) and by way of (por) what is public and notorious, which I certify and at the command of his lordship I sign the present on the fourteenth day of the month of June of this year of seven hundred and nineteen, written on common paper because the stamped variety does not circulate in this presidio.=

Juan Solana

notary for the public and for the government

John H. Hann

August 23 and 24, 2005

Bureau of Archaeological Research