011r Catholic Heritage in Texas
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consent for the erection of a new bishopric, if it would improve the spiritual conditions of the provinces affected. He enclosed with his approval a long report in which he pointed out that the Villa de Santander was unsuited for the seat of the new diocese. The climate was too warm, being near the coast; its population was relatively small; there were no rich mines in its vicinity; nor was it centrally located with reference to the territory to be included. In his opinion the city of Monterrey. capital of Nuevo Leon, would be much better as the locality of the new diocese. Its climate was better; it had a larger population ; it had been founded many years before; it was surrounded by many towns of con- siderable size; and it afforded better protection against attack by Indians or foreign foes than Santander on the coast. Furthermore, it was much more centrally located with reference to the lands to be included than Santander. 7 7 The Bishop of Guadalajara had never been impressed with the progress of Nuevo Santander. In his report, therefore, he pointed out that there were serious doubts as to the actual state of affairs in the new province. He was open-minded, nevertheless, and declared that if the claims made by Escandon could be verified and substantiated, he had no objection to the erection of the proposed diocese. 78 In 1767, when Palacio and Osorio made a new inspection of Nuevo Santander, they were asked to report on the conditions that would justify the establishment of a new bishopric. In their report they declared that Dolores was two hundred and sixty leagues from Guadalajara, sixty from Monterrey, and one hundred and twenty from Santander. Laredo and the neighboring ranches were approximately the same distance. The estimated revenue from tithes of Dolores was five hundred ,pesos, from Laredo three hundred, and the neighboring ranches two hundred. Revilla could yield one thousand ,pesos annually, Mier fourteen hundred, Camargo twenty-three hundred, Reynosa one thousand. As to the seat of the new diocese, it was observed that the Villa de Santander was too small, unhealthy, and too far and inaccessible from the various parishes proposed to be included. Texas was too remote and there were too many hostile Indians to permit the establishment of the seat there. Monterrey was the best suited place, because of its climate, its size, the advantages for defense, the large number of relatively stable settlements in its 77Archblshop of Mexico to the Viceroy, September 24, 1766. A. G. M., Provin&uu Jnternas, v. 173, pp. 142-145. 71BJshop of Guadalajara to the Viceroy, November II, 1766. In Ibid., 146-147.
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