The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916 Page: 73
452 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Local Government in the Spanish Colonies
the office did not secure confirmation within the time limit, he must
pay one-third the original value of the office to the real hacienda
or else give up the office and receive back only two-thirds of the
price that he paid for it.1o The buyer or seller (comprador or
renunciatario) of an office had to secure a commission from the
viceroy or governor within four months in order to exercise official
authority. These commissions served as credentials until confirma-
tion by the Council of the Indies could be secured.11
THE CABILDO
The officials of the cabildo must be land owners of the town,12
and the viceroy and governor were forbidden to appoint officials
ad interim to the cabildo in the absence of its proprietary mem-
bers.18 In the capital city, if the governor or his lieutenant (ten-
iente) did not appear at the meeting of the cabildo, the alcalde ordi-
nario must act as chairman and the session proceed as usual.14 The
meetings were to be held in the town hall and no place else except
under urgent necessity, and after summoning all the members.15
Under no pretext could the governor have the cabildo meet in his
house or let any military minister interfere with that body.'6 When
the governor was in the cabildo his teniente could not enter.77 The
governor had to see that no regidor served in the regimiento with-
out proper authority.'8 When the cabildo was considering a ques-
tion of personal interest to some one of its members, that member
had to absent himself at once and stay away until the question
was settled.'9
The cabildo also had judicial functions. Cases involving no
more than a hundred dollars went from the alcalde ordinario to
the cabildo on appeal, and this body could exercise jurisdiction in
cases up to a hundred and fifty dollars.20 Appeals from the fieles
executores, functionaries akin to probate judges, went to the cabildo
if the fines did not exceed seventy-five dollars, otherwise they went
to the audiencia.21 Such cases involving no more than a hundred
dollars did not admit of appeal or petition to the audiencia from
108:22:7, 1606. 18:22:3, 1606 to 1640. 124:10:22, 1618.
"14:8:8, 1637, 1656. 144:9:5, 1540. 14:9:1, 1528 to 1572.
"4:9:2, 1538 to 1642. 174:9:3, Felipe IV. 184:9:2, 1538 to 1642.
04:9:14, 1525. "5:12:17, 1538 to 162 "5:12:19, 1590, 1596.
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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/m1/82/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.