Estahlislmzent of San Fernando de Bejar, I723-I731
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known for their virtues, their piety, their wisdom, and their zeal in the service of God anp the salvation of souls, to proceed to the Presidio of San Antonio de Bejar, where a new colony was about to be established by fifty-six settlers who had come from the Canary Islands for that purpose. It should be his duty to administer all the sacred rites of the Church to them. He should be appointed parish priest ( c11ra) of the new villa which was being founded there and should be designated vicar and ecclesiastical judge. He begged the bishop to grant the appointee as his delegate full power of dispensation in all cases which could not be submitted to his episcopal decisions, because of the long distance to the remote settlement. The parish priest selected in accord with the request of the viceroy, was to be assigned four hundred ,pesos a year, out of the royal treasury, for his maintenance. This amount was equivalent to the salary allowed the alf crez or ensign of the presidio, and would be granted to him from the day he set out for Texas until the parish revenue was sufficient for his livelihood. He should be instructed to submit certified proof of the date of his departure so that his allowance might be paid by the officers of the royal treasury from that time on. Furthermore, he should be given authority to minister not only to the Canary Islanders but to all such as might come to settle in the new municipality or who now reside in the vicinity. The bishop was asked to notify the viceroy of the appointment in order that he might issue the corresponding instructions to the governor of the province who should arrange for the priest's reception and give him such aid as he might need. 58 Estahlislmzent of the first civil government. There now remains to be treated only the establishment of the official government of the new municipality on the banks of the San Antonio River. After the survey of the lands was completed, and the new settlers had been put in possession of their lands and declared Hijos Dalgo, Captain Almazan proceeded to carry out the instructions of the viceroy concerning the selection and appointment of the members of the city council and the other officers. On July 20, 1731, he officially appointed Juan Leal Goraz, the oldest of the settlers and the one who had acted as their leader and spokesman ever since they left their island homes, first regidor, or councilman. The captain 58 Dc ruego y encargo para que el Ylustressimo Seiior Obispo de Guadalaxara, elija Vn Clerigo de aquella Ciudad, que pase a la nueva Poblazon, que ha de fun- darse en el Presidio de San Antonio de Vejar, y administre los Santos Sacramentos, con las demas facultades que se previenen. November 28, 1 i 30. ,-I. G. ,,·., H isltJria, Vol. 84.
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