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O"r Catl,olic Heritage in Texas
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When the report of the J,mta reached the king, he was no more pleased-or convinced by its arguments than was the critical and matter-of-fact Count of Hernan Nunez. The king thought the report was too brief and not sufficiently clear on a number of vital questions, such as the means with which the recommendations of the ltmta for the occupation of Pensacola, the establishment of settlements on the Mississippi, and the defence of these new establishments were to be carried out. Consequently, on June 17, he returned the report to the Junta with a number of specific questions to be answered in .detail. Taking for granted that the king asked for additional information because he approved the recommendations in principle, the Junta replied extensively on June 21. It pointed out that in addition to the regular revenue of New Spain, which could be applied to the project, there were numerous other sources of revenue such as the medias anatas of the encomiendas, the tax on arms, the bull of the Holy Crusade, the A lcabalas, the million of the charitable subsidy granted by the Pope, the profits from quicksilver, and the royal fifths. The actual occupation of Pensacola, as well as the settlement of the Mississippi being now an accomplished fact, the only thing necessary for their maintenance was to issue the cor- responding orders to the viceroy in New Spain. It then went on to suggest that in order to check the possible advance of the English, to which Iberville alluded., alliances with the tribes of Apaches, Apalachi- colas, Tejas, and such tribes as inhabited Nuevo Leon and New Mexico could be formed, which would prove an insuperable obstacle to the designs on the rich mines of New Spain. In the course of its arguments in support of the recommendations, the J,mta declared that the first duty of the Spanish government was to keep the Catholic faith pure and undefiled in the new world, granted to the crown for that purpose. It should be noted that in giving his vote, Martin de Solis, one time fiscal of the Council of the Indies and now a member, specifically sug- gested that the viceroy of New Spain should be instructed to send special envoys to the Tejas Indians, asking them not to allow the English to pass through their lands while attempting to reach New Spain.3 1 The vote of the various members of the Junta contain numerous references to the Tejas as a means of blocking the advance of either the English or French to New Spain, a fact which clearly points to the realization of the importance attached to these Indians, and which makes evident the inti- l!Consulta de la Junta de Guerra, June 21, 1701, A.G. I., Audiencia de Alexico, 61-6-35, (Dunn Transcripts).
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