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Our Catl,olic Heritage in Texas
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report of Governor Barrio. The voluminous reports, recommendations, denunciations, and representations were referred to the new Fiscal Doctor Andreu, who on January 7, 1750, rendered his detailed opinion. He declared that the establishment of the San Xavier missions had been authorized after a careful examination of all the evidence presented. But now Governor Barrio wished to discredit the project by a new investigation carried out without authorization, whose findings were contradictory in character, and which had been executed without the participation of the missionaries. It was incredible to conceive that the zealous ministers of the Gospel, who had no other interest than the conversion of the natives, would select a site for their labors that would make their task more difficult. In view of these considerations he recommended that the missions now established in accord with previous orders be maintained on the site where they were founded; that if this proved unsatisfactory they could be moved later; that for their protection a presidio be authorized; but that an independent agent be sent to conduct a careful survey of the country and conditions there in order to determine its location. In the meantime the missions should continue without innovation; and the governor should be instructed not to interfere, but to give such aid as might be necessary to the missions and the agent that should conduct the final survey. 67 Approval of tlie Auditor. When the opinion of the Fiscal was referred to Altamira, he drew a long and careful summary of the entire case and expressed his entire accord with the views of Andreu. Barrio's investi- gation was nothing more than "the exaggerated, hostile, and gratuitous" acts of "the governor of that remote and desert province." The Auditor, however, was irritated by the failure of Fray Mariano to report whether the Indians who had abandoned San Ildefonso in October, 1749, had returned in November as they had promised. The new investigation suggested by the Fiscal should be carried out. The only question was how the expense of this undertaking was to be defrayed and where was a person capable of carrying it out to be found. The Governors of Nuevo Le6n and Coahuila would be questioned by the Governor of Texas with whom he had had differences, and the captain of San Juan Bautista would be even less desirable. There was but one person whom Altamira could suggest for this purpose. This was Captain Jose de Eca y Musquiz, of Presidio del Sacramento. He was fully qualified ~ecer del Fiscal Doctor Andreu, January 7, I 7 50. San Francisco el Grande Arcl,ive, Vol. IV, pp. 100- 107. The full text is translated in Castaneda, Alorfi's Hutory of Te:ras, pt. 2, pp. 311-316.
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