The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916 Page: 86

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

the decisions of the alcalde ordinario lay to the governor, and if
the rancheria was within two jurisdictions, the appeal went to the
governor of the province of which the alcalde ordinario was a
citizen.51
The cabildo was to elect a receptor y mayordomo every year from
among the boat owners. It was his duty to collect the fines and
condemnations of the court, as well as the taxes imposed by the
cabildo, and disburse the same with the advice and under the war-
rants of the alcalde and diputados.52 The cabildo, determined the
taxes to be levied and then the alcalde ordinario gave the orders
for their collection." The assessment of taxes was on the basis of
property wealth and not on the number of negro fishermen that
each boatman had. Appeal to the governor was the only recourse
from this assessment."
Negroes were not to be sent to the rancheria except on business
or to serve there, and to enforce this law the alcalde ordinario was
empowered to inflict arbitrary punishment on slaves thus entering
the rancheria." No one was allowed to bring merchandise to the
rancheria or deal in pearls, because this rendered unstable the price
of pearls and caused loss to the royal exchequer through failure to
pay the fifths (quintas).6"
The boat owners were forbidden to have a mayordomo or boatman
who was not armed according to law, and the alcalde was authorized
to visit the houses when he pleased to see if they had the required
armament."7 Individual boat owners were forbidden to go out and
settle alone without special license from the alcalde mayor.58 Even
Spaniards who were not boat owners or property owners there were
forbidden to go to the rancheria."5
INDIAN PUEBLOS: REDUCCIONES
If the Spanish municipality in America was a bad admixture of
seigneurial, local and realengo jurisdiction, the government of the
614:25:9, Felipe II. 524:25:6, Carlos II. "4:25:12, 1594.
"44:25:13, Felipe II. "4:25:24, Felipe II. 684:25:23, Felipe II.
"4:25:27, Felipe II. This was to guarantee preparedness for fighting
off the corsairs who were particularly bad in the Cumana region.
584:25:20, 1609. The insecurity of individual settlements was the cause
of this law. The ruthless pearl fishers aroused the hostility of the Indians
and were a tempting prize for corsairs.
"94:25:22, Felipe II.