Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/451

Rh the councils of Castile, the inquisition, órdenes, and hacienda or exchequer, to which were also invited several distinguished theologians who took part in the deliberations. Of the eleven members constituting this council, ten cast their votes for the annulment of the compromise, and thus it was declared in the royal decree of December 4, 1766. The Jesuits were then required to pay thereafter one per decem upon all the produce of their haciendas, ranchos, and ingenios, or sugar plantations.

The society of Jesus on the 31st of August, 1750, had in the province of New Spain, which included Guatemala, Cuba, and Florida, 625 members, of whom 382 were ordained priests. About one half of them were natives of America, and the larger portion of the latter were born in Mexico. In the summer of 1767, when disaster overtook the society, there were in the province of New Spain 418 priests, 137 escolares, and 123 coadjutors, making a total of 678, of whom 464 were natives of America, 153 from Spain, and 61 foreigners. The society had in the province one casa profesa in the city of Mexico, 23 colleges, one house of probation, eight convictus et seminaria, and five residences. It had taken root in every province of the country, controlling 103 missions with 104 priests, besides one visitador-general of missions and his associate. In 1766 the provincial, Father Francisco Ceballos, had, after due