Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 3.djvu/492

450 >795' April.

The neareft filver mine to St. Jago is at the diftance of about feven leagues, and the nearefl; gold mine is to the north-eafl. of the city, at the diftance of about thirty leagues.

The value and importance of this rich country to Old Spain is fully exhibited in the feveral ordinances, rules and dirc6lions, which, from time to time, have been ifTucd to the Intendants of the provinces, and enforced by the fuprcme council of the Indies, at the ex pi efs command of His Catholic Majefly. Thefe arc comprehended under diftinft titles, or heads, as they have reference, or apply to, the ecclefiaftical or civil government of the kingdom. The principal obfervanccs are thofe rcfpefting the tenths and contributions for the endowment of the churches, and the fupport of the religious orders; the colleftion of the public revenues, the appropriation of the royal eftates, the adminiftration of juftice, the regulation of the internal police, and the delegation of powers and authority in the evi^nt of foreign wars or domeftic infurre6lions.

I was fo fortunate as to obtain a tranflation of moft of thefe rules by which the archbifliops and chief officers of ftate regulate their conduft ; and as it does not appear to me, that I can fhew the rigid attention which is, and has ever been, paid by the Spanifh court to the interefts of the;e wealthy eftablilhments, fo well, as by quoting fome few of the royal commands, I have extra6led three for this purpofe. " Number 150.

" By the Bull of Alexander the Vlth, dated the 16th of november, 1501, and confirmed fince by fuccelTive fupreme pontiffs, the Tenths OF THE Indies belong to my royal crown, and half of a year's falary on the benefices conferred by me ; with full dominion, abfolute and irre- vocable, to affift the churches with a fufficient fum annually, for the decorous maintenance of the divine law, and for a competent falary to the prelates and other minifters of the holy gofpel, who ferve at the al- tar. In virtue of which, the fundamental difpofition of the ritual has been promulgated, that thefe obje6ls may be duly fulfilled. My crown remains under the obligation of fupplying, at the expence of the reft of the rents of its patrimony, the fum deficient to which thefe, annually, may 2 not