and the provincias internas. The comandante de marina had, on his part, erected batteries along the coast for protection against pirates.
Before concluding this review of the military establishment in Mexico let us examine the other branches connected with the service. The pay department had been in charge of the oficiales reales till December 1786, when a royal ordinance intrusted the whole financial business of the army to military intendentes, and to the provincial intendentes within their respective provinces.[1] The total expenditure of presidial and other forces, transportation, etc., including the presidios of the Philippines, and naval vessels on the Pacific and elsewhere, paid out of the Mexican treasury, was, in 1758, 882,227 pesos.[2] In 1765-6, after the organization of the military forces, the yearly expense was 626,776 pesos.[3] The outlay
- ↑ Intendentes, Real Ordenanza, 347-407.
- ↑ Certif. de las Mercedes, MS., 33-56.
- ↑ Comandante-general’s pay, $18,000; three mariscales de campo, $24,000; engineers, $5,800; detached officers, $13,620; 4 aides de camp, $2,424. The rest went for pay and allowances of the organized bodies of troops. Rivera, Gob. Mex., i. 402. A royal order of January 17, 1791, made clearer a former one of August 6, 1776, in the sense that all pay and allowances of officers serving in America should be in pesos fuerles de América (eight reales de plata to each peso); those coming from Spain to have their pay reckoned from the day of leaving port. Back pay due in Spain and made good in America to be at the rate of Spain, calculating each peso fuerte at two escudos de vellon. The Spain rate to be allowed any officer of America who was in Europe on leave, or for any other purpose. Ordenes de la Corona,MS.,vi. 63-64. Under various royal orders, officers of the army, below the grade of general, who had held military governments in America by special royal appointment, not at their solicitation, were to be retained with the pay of their rank, and if possible employed; but if no longer needed in America were allowed 12 months' extra pay of their grade. General officers were excluded from that benefit, because when not in actual command or office they were allowed their full pay en cuartel. Id., 75-78. Under a law of 1781 men of the rank and file who had served 25 or 35 years, and continued in the service, received not only the allowances awarded to shorter terms, but also the full pay of their rank. Drummers, filers, timbrel players, and trumpeters who had served 35 years could not obtain the brevet of alférez, but in lieu thereof they received $1438. All such allowances ceased when the men were promoted to officers; this under a royal order of February 1, 1788. Other laws favored veterans who reënlisted. A regulation of 1810 established the extra allowance of 11212 reales per month and the grade of first sergeant for privates honorably serving 30 consecutive years, and the brevet rank of lieutenant with a retired pension of 260 reales monthly for those who served honorably 40 consecutive years. Still another royal order of July 8, 1811, permitted the latter to continue in service if they were able-bodied. Mex. Cuad. de Formularios, 40.
