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jewelry from Spain, that these artificers should be tolerated, provided they observed the ordinances made for their government. But notwithstanding the above-mentioned laws and ordinances, nearly the same difficulties are experienced as in Peru, from its not being possible to exercise equal vigi. lance, in all the numerous towns of that country. Old silver, that is to say, such as has already paid the duty, is entered in a book, called the Libro de remaches, that it may not be liable to be charged a second time. But with respect to services, or separate pieces of plate, it has been found necessary to relax considerably. The zeal of the viceroys has gone no farther than the promulgation of an edict, issued by Count Fuenclara in the year 1745, allowing wrought silver to be brought in to pay the duty, free of penalty; from which measure the revenue has derived considerable benefit, as it also has from the order issued to the royal, public and provincial notaries, to bring in to be stamped, all such wrought silver seized upon executions or sequestrations, or enumerated in inventories, as should not have paid the duty; an order which it will be very important to renew from time to time.

34. But according to Escalona, who cites Lasarte and others, the silver used in the pontifical ornaments of the archbishops and bishops, and such as is employed for the service of the church, is exempted from the payment of the duty, (in analogy to its exemption from the duty on sales‡); this not being in opposition to law 5, tit. 10, book 8, of the Collection of the Indies, which orders the fifth to be levied on the gold and silver, raised by working on holidays or at any other time, though appropriated to the use of a church, monastery or ecclesiastic; for charitable gifts of this kind must be so limited. as not to prejudice the revenues of the crown; and if these institutions interfere in the working of the mines, they must submit to the royal charges, such as the fifth, or tenth; and such is the tenor of the law and the authorities, in reference to cases of this description. §

35. Upon this point, we may notice an order, dated the 8th of Nov. 1681, directed to the audiency of Mexico, wherein his majesty approves the ori. ginal and reviewed decrees of the 26th of April, 1679, and 22d of Jan. 1680; under which, 328 marcs, 4 ounces, and 4 tomins of unwrought silver, found among the property of Fray Thomas Monterroso, bishop of Oaxaca, deceased, were confiscated. And with respect to 416 marcs, 5 ounces of wrought silver, which had not paid duty, found amongst the same property,

* Laws 47, 48 and 49, tit. 10, book 8, Collection of the Indies.

↑ Law 13, tit. 7, book 8. Collection of the Indies. Escalona, in his Gazophil. lib, 2, p. 2, cap. 1, n. 18.

Escalona, Gazophil. real de el Peru, lib. 2, p. 2, cap. 1, n. 17. Lasarte, de decima renditionis, cap. 19, n. 60, cum. Barthol. et aliis.

Cap. abbates, de decim. cap tributum, 23. q. 8. Auth. item prædium, Cod. de sacros. eccles L. de his, Cod de episcop. et cleric. Joan. Andr. in cap. 1. de censib. Imola, Baldo et alii. apud Fragoso, de regimin. republicæ, tom. 1, p.1, lib. 2, disp. 4, 83. a. n. 223, et seq. P. Molina, de just. et jur. tom 2, disp. 383, vers. ex his, L. 55, tit. 6, p. 1. et ibi Greg.

his majesty advised the audiency, that the question was under his consideration in council, and that his determination should be announced to them; and he ordered them to deposit the plate in the royal treasury, in the mean. time. This order is stated by the fiscal, Don Martin de Solis, who mentions the great quantity of silver which was wrought without paying the fifth. 36. The amount of the duties of the one and a half per cent. and tenth, and the coinage dues, levied on silver in the kingdom of New Spain, although liable to be affected by the fluctuations in the produce of the mines, exceeds upon an average, 700,000 dollars annually; and that of the duties on gold, 60,000 dollars. It is mentioned, however, by Don Joseph de VillaSenor, in his Theatro Americano,* that the duties on the two metals together, amounted in the year 1743, to 821,974 dollars, 7 tomins and 3 grains. And they would reach a much higher amount, were proper observance paid to the laws of the Indies,† which prohibit all dealing or trading in silver in pinas, ingots or any other form, or in gold, in dust or ingots, not having paid the fifth; for in the remote provinces, from the want of coin notoriously experienced there (of which we shall treat in the proper place, under ordinances 58, 72 and 73, in chapter 22), all dealings without exception are conducted in current or leaf silver.

37. The fifth is also levied on all ores of lead, copper, tin, iron, &c.; in place of which however, a tenth only is to be charged, during the first ten years. And these metals are to be brought in to be stamped, under the same penalties and regulations as are in force regarding gold and silver.§ But, as is observed by Escalona, the levy of these duties in the Indies, has been neglected, from the great expense attending it, and the smallness of the amount when collected: which is, in fact, the case in New Spain: and although those who work and reduce the ores of these metals, do so by permission of the government only, which they are bound to obtain; yet they do not attend to any of the regulations concerning boundaries, or the other formalities observed with respect to the silver mines; which however, according to Escalona and Don Joseph Saenz, ought to be enforced. And the moderate course thus adopted, of not exacting the duties upon these metals in the Indies, with so much strictness as those upon gold and silver, is in accordance with the spirit of the ordinances under consideration,** which

* Villa-Senor, Theatro Americano, cap. 5, page, 40 and 41.

Law 33, tit. 10, book 8, Laws 1 and 2, tit. 23, book 3, Collection of the Indies. Silver, in the state in which it remains upon the completion of the process of reduction by amalgamation, after the quicksilver is driven off by heat.-Trans.

§ Law 51, title 10, book 8, Collection of the Indies.

Escalona, in his Gazophil. lib. 2, p. 2, cap. 1, pag. 100, §. 5, de cobre, &c. where he collects together many royal orders, directed to the viceroys of Peru, and establishing the right of the crown.

Escalona, loc. proxim. citat. Don Joseph Saenz, cap. 3, Tratad. de medir minas, MS. ** Ordinances 10 and 11.

fix the duty on poor lead and copper, at one-twentieth part; and the latter metal also, being required for the other mines, should therefore be less heavily rated.

38. Gunpowder, into the composition of which saltpetre and sulphur enter, is the subject of monopoly, and returns to the crown more than 70,000 dollars per annum. The contractor purchases the sulphur and saltpetre at prices stipulated. The saltpetre is prepared at all the saltpetre works around Mexico, in the jurisdictions of Chalco, Tezcuco and Ayotlan.

39. There is a monopoly of copper in Mechoacan, which returns to the revenue, 1000 dollars per annum; the mines which are the subject of it, are situated in the township of Santa Clara del Cobre, in the jurisdiction of Pascuaro.* And the monopoly of alum is farmed out, at the capital of Mexico, for more than 6500 dollars per annum.†

40. These contracts contain special conditions for preventing the articles to which they relate from being otherwise procured. As to sulphur, the contractors are regarded as owners of the mines, and, as appears from the 18th condition of the last contract made with Don Rodrigo de Neira,‡ in 1747, the transaction between the contractors and those who work the materials, partakes of the nature of a letting and hiring. Without their permission, no other articles of the same kind can be prepared, nor can the mines from which they are procured be worked; such being the usual stipulations of the contract. And the rents which they respectively pay to the crown, under these contracts, include all the duties which the revenue can claim upon the articles to which they relate, it being stipulated by the contractors, that these rents are to be regarded as compensating for the duties of the fifth or tenth.

CHAPTER IV.

IT IS PERMITTED TO TRY FOR AND WORK MINES, WITHOUT RESTRAINT, IN PUBLIC AND ALSO IN PRIVATE GROUND, SUBJECT AS TO THE LATTER, TO THE RIGHT OF THE PROPRIETOR TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THE DAMAGE DONE TO HIS PROPERTY, ACCORDING TO AN ESTIMATE TO BE MADE BY SURVEYORS.-THE OCCUPYING AND REGISTERING OF THE MINE GIVE ANY PERSON A RIGHT AGAINST THE OWNER OF THE SOIL.

ORDINANCES XVI. LXV.

XVI. Also, we ordain and command, that it shall be lawful for all persons

* Villa-Senor, Theatr. Americ. lib. 1, cap. 5, pag. 41, and lib. 3, cap. 1, pag. 22. Idem, lib. 1, cap. 5, pag. 41.

Conditions, printed at Mexico, 1747.

whatsoever, even foreigners, to search for mines of gold and silver, and such other mines as are the subject of these our ordinances, and to make trial-pits, and to take all the requisite measures for the discovery of the aforesaid metals, throughout the whole of the kingdoms and domains of the crown of Castile (except such. places as are excepted),* in all fields, woods, waste places and threshing floors,† in pasture grounds, whether belonging to our. selves, to any town, or to individuals, and in any inheritance whatsoever, without any hindrance or interruption from the owners of such pasture grounds or inheritance, or from any other persons whomsoever. And that if it should be necessary to dig or sink in such pasture ground or inheritance, it shall be lawful so to do; provided, that if any damage be committed, the mining justice shall appoint two persons of trust, who shall make personal inspection, and declare their opinion on oath, and that if they shall not agree in their declaration, the said justice shall appoint one or more other person or persons upon oath, until they shall agree, and what the major part of such persons shall so agree in declaring, he shall command to be paid and done accordingly. And that if ore shall be found, and it shall be thought proper to follow it out, and to set up an establishment and a work shop, and to make the other arrangements necessary for working the mine or mines and reducing their ores, the damage such pasture grounds or inheritances shall have thereby sustained or may thereby sustain, shall be inspected by such two persons, who, upon a due consideration of the whole matter (under their oaths as aforesaid), shall estimate the amount of the damage, which the said justice shall command to be paid as aforesaid.

LXV. Also, we ordain and command, that when and so often as cases shall arise in which arbitrators shall be nominated by the parties, or by the said mining justice, such arbitrators shall, in the first place, take an oath that they will speak and declare their opinion truly and faithfully, and that if such arbitrators shall not agree together, then, in such case of disagreement, another person shall be nominated, either by agreement of parties, or by the mining justice, and that if such last-mentioned person shall agree in opinion with either of the aforesaid arbitrators, such opinion shall be observed and carried into effect. And that, if no two of them agree, but they differ in opinion, either wholly or in part, other persons shall be successively nominated, until the major part agree in opinion upon the whole matter; which being the case, what such majority shall pronounce and declare, shall be observed and carried into effect.

*This appears to refer to the mines of Guadalcanal, &c. mentioned above, chap. 3, ord. xv. -Trans.

A plot of ground, on which the corn is trodden out of the ear by horses and mules.-Trans.

CONTENTS OF THE COMMENTARY ON THESE ORDINANCES.

1. It is freely permitted to search for mines in all parts, even in the ground of another proprietor.

2. This is a deviation from the civil law.

3. Nothing is now payable, as formerly, to the owner of the ground,

4. Answer to an objection grounded on one of the old ordinances and on one of those of Peru.

5. The mines are not to be considered as included by the sovereign in the grant of the land.

6. It is to be understood that this right of searching freely for mines, is not to be exercised to the damage of other persons; and that any such damage is to be estimated by surveyors, to be nominated by the justice; together with an umpire, in case of their not agreeing. Allusion to the bad qualities of these surveyors.

7. An enumeration of the various kinds of injury which the owners of the ground, and the Indians, may sustain.

8. It is to be borne in mind that every right is to be exercised within moderate limits, and so as not to prejudice other parties. And consequently, the power of setting up buildings, smelting works and furnaces, granted to the miners, is not to be regarded as extended to others.

9. Any person desirous of searching for a mine or treasure in cultivated ground, must give security for the damage.

10. There are very few mines in New Spain, worked in the ground of any other than the miner.

11. The owner of the ground is, for various reasons, not to be preferred before the party who has registered the mine.

COMMENTARY.

1. It appears from these ordinances, that both subjects of the crown and foreigners (taking this word with the limitation above stated)," have an absolute right to search for mines, in all places whatsoever, whether the ground be public or private property, and the latter case without hindrance from the proprietor, provided they compensate him for any damage done, according to the estimate of experienced persons. Similar provisions are contained in the 15th of the old ordinances. The corresponding ordinance of Peru, adds a penalty of 1000 dollars, to be imposed, without appeal, upon the mere proof of the act of resistance. ‡ And the general law of the Indies permits subjects to try for mines wherever they may think proper, and to work them freely and without any sort of impediment,§ it being for the public benefit that it should be so. And this, according to Antunez, Alfaro and Gregorio Lopez, who refer to Cepola, Paulo de Castro, Pedro Barbosa,

*Sup. cap. 2, n. 25, 26.

1 Law 5, tit. 13, cap. 15, book 6, Collection of Castile.

Ordinance 1, of those issued by the viceroy, Don Francisco de Toledo, published by Escalona in his Gazoph. lib. 2, p. 2, c. 1, page 104.

§ Law 1, tit. 19, book 4, of the Collection of the Indies.

Il Antunez, de donat. lib. 3, cap. 12, n. 15, Alfaro, de offic. fisc. gloss. 20, §. 6, n. 114. Gregor Lopez, in gloss. 2, L. 27, tit. 11, partid. 4.

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