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Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
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Desirous of determining what was a fair price for commodities supplied to the various presidios, Brigadier General Rivera was particularly instructed to ascertain the cost of transportation of these things to the different posts and compare the prices charged for similar products or goods in each one of them. With this information and such observations as the inspector might deem proper to make, a maximum price list for various commodities could be prepared for each presidio to prevent the captains from overcharging the soldiers as in the past. In conclusion, Brigadier Rivera was to draw up a brief report after visiting each presidio, giving its location, the purposes for which it was originally founded, the character of the country where it was established, the names and extent of the different Indian tribes that lived in the vicinity, the nature of their hostilities, the distance to the nearest out- post and the means of communication between the two, and finally whether in case of distress it could give or receive aid. This information was to be used in compiling a descriptive map of all the frontier defenses of New Spain. In order to enable him to carry out his instructions, the viceroy conferred upon Rivera full power to act in his name in all cases and to put into effect any measures which in his judgment were neces- sary to correct the evils and irregularities found in the various presidios which were detrimental to the best interests of His Majesty. 5 When the matter was referred to the Fiscal for his recommendations, he enthusiastically approved the plans and all the instructions. It was, he declared, time that the presidios should be made to fulfill the true object for which they were founded. Because of the greed and the unscrupulous character of many of their commanders, they had failed to promote the reduction of the Indians to mission life and to bring them by this means to a knowledge of God and the recognition of the ·authority of the king. Had this been done earlier, hostilities would have long since ceased and peace would have been established along the entire frontier, as had been done in other regions of New Spain, such as in San Miguel, Mesquitiqui, San Sebastian del Agua de Venado, Tierra Blanca, San Luis de la Paz, and Rio Verde. Here seven presidios had been originally built, with ten companies of from twenty-five to thirty men each, at an annual cost of four hundred thousand pesos to the royal treasury. Not long after their establishment the garrisons were suppressed as a result of the interest which their captains took from the beginning in the conversion and paci- s1nstrucciones que se le dieron por S. E. a Dn. Pedro de Rivera, Mexico, Sep- tembe; 15, 1724. A.G. I., Audiencu, de Mexico, 62-1-41.
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