The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916 Page: 71
452 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Local Government in the Spanish Colonies
the Spanish towns of the Indies was to be sold at auction in the
prescribed manner, consideration being had for the most capable
person and especially for the first settlers and their descendants.'a
The income from the sale of municipal offices belonged to the
crown,'4 not to the pueblo, and the details of sale were in the hands
of the officials of the real hacienda,5 who made a report of the same
to the proper minister." The ordinary conditions of the office
were implied when the office was sold,l7 and any special conditions
or changes had to be specified in the title, no matter whether the
changes were due to the buyer or to the government, as for instance,
if a buyer was under age and intended to have the office filled by
his father or uncle.'18 Merit rather than price was to determine
the successful bidder.9 In this connection it was required that
the successful bidder must meet the approval of the magistrate
(justicia).20
The office to be sold was advertised for sale every week by the
governor with the assistance of the fiscal.21 Once sold, no allega-
tion of deceit or misrepresentation could be made by either the
vendor or the vendee.22 During the acceptance of bids no prom-
ises were to be made by the officials having charge of the sale,28
although the fiscal of the audiencia and the officials of the real
hacienda of the district were to inform themselves extrajudicially
as to the value of the office to be sold, in order that the real hacienda
might not be defrauded.24 A report of the evaluation and sale of
an office was to be given to the council by the governor. In the
Audiencia of Guadalajara an oidor (judge) was appointed by the
viceroy to look after the evaluation, and sale of offices through the
instrumentality of the officials of the real hacienda in the various
localities. The credentials of office were issued by the viceroy
himself.25 The royal revenue was evidently the chief consideration
in the sale of these offices, many protestations to the contrary not-
withstanding. Thus it was provided that although a city as a
corporation might buy an office, the office in question had to be
held under the name of some individual who would in time die or
188:20:7, 1620. 148:20:1 and 23, 1522 to 1645. 168:20:23, 1636, 1638.
168:20:15, 1631. "8:20:9, 1609. 188:20:25, 1619, 1620.
lo8:20:8, 1607. "8:20:6, 1581. '18:20:13, 1595.
228:22:12, 1602 to 1627. 288:20:10, 1617. "8:20:14, 1663.
"28:20:23, 1636, 1638.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916, periodical, 1916; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101067/m1/80/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.