the viceroy if his Majesty desired a large revenue from them, but to the visitador should be given the entire control.[1] He also boldly asserted that there was a manifest lack of integrity in the officials which unfavorably affected the royal treasury. The evidence appeared in the fact that the crown from upwards of 440,000 Indians drew only about 160,000 pesos yearly, and he was sure that more than 300,000 pesos remained in the hands of certain officials. To support this assertion he mentioned a case in point that concerned him personally, by which he lost heavily every year.[2] Besides the savings from vacant corregimientos there were the quitas, or four months' pay out of every sixteen served, much of which was taken from those who rendered service, to give to others who did nothing. The fund was thus exhausted, and the really needy got no relief The king's orders on the distribution of moneys appropriated by him were not faithfully obeyed, and hence the numerous complaints. Only the old conquerors and their sons received money on the treasury drafts.
Valderrama sought to correct these abuses, and wrote the king, February 24, 1564, of the treasury officials having notified him that the first outgoing fleet would convey to Spain but a small sum of money, and they would have certainly carried out their original intention but for his timely arrival; in consequence of which, it would take away a larger amount than ever before, namely, not less than 40,000 marks of silver.[3] Nor did the visitador in his reports con-
- ↑ Of course he gave plausible reasons, to wit: the viceroy had so much to attend to in governmental, judicial, and other affairs, that he could not bestow the proper care on the finances. Cortés, Cartas, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., iv. 452, 461-2.
- ↑ Detecting in one of his towns a deficit of about 8,000 pesos a year, he inquired into the matter, and learned that 400 or 500 pesos had gone to the friars, and the remainder had been consumed in drinking by chiefs, alcaldes, and regidores. Id., 441-2. The veedor, Santander, had in 1557 reported that the revenue was defrauded to the amount of 1,000,000 pesos, and that another million went abroad, carried away by foreigners. Santander, Carta, in Col. Doc. Inéd., xxvi. 343.
- ↑ In this connection he urged the prompt remittance of quicksilver, which was much needed to keep the mines productive; then money would circulate,
