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In a genuine effort to conciliate the people of Louisiana and to make their transfer less distasteful, it was decided to introduce as few changes in the government as possible. The same day that Antonio de Ulloa, captain in His Majesty's Navy, was appointed governor, the viceroy c;if New Spain was informed that the king had agreed to set up the province as a separate jurisdiction, that no changes were to be made in its government, that free trade with other Spanish possessions was not to be allowed, that rule was to be administered by its governor independently of the Council of the Indies, and his authority was to be subject only to the Minister of State, through whom the governor was to communicate with the crown. Nevertheless the expense of administration was to be borne by the Kingdom of New Spain. The viceroy was instructed to send one hundred and fifty thousand pesos a year from the royal revenues for this purpose. 19 New Spain was not only to bear the expense of administration for the new province, but it was to give material aid in its development. Shortly after the order for the remittance of funds to Cuba. the king informed the viceroy that Andres Olvera y Abreu, of Louisiana, had presented a plan through Governor Ulloa for the cultivation of peace with the Indians of Louisiana and New Mexico through the establishment of a settlement and post at Cheti Manchac. The viceroy was instructed to giYe his full cooperation to the plan and to furnish such soldiers as might be needed from the presidios in Texas and Nuevo Santander. 20 When the viceroy transmitted the order to Escandon with a request to cooperate, the latter wisdy pointed out that Cheti Manchac on the upper Reel River was too distant for him to render any effectual aid without going through the ProYince of Texas. The order plainly reveals the ignorance of the Court concerning the geography of the new province and its relati\'e position in regard to New Spain. Although the trade with the adjacent possessions of Spain was pro- hibited, Louisiana was granted the privilege of carrying on commerce directly with the mother country, a privilege strictly denied individually to the other provinces of New Spain. This was, no doubt, done at the instigation of the merchants of Cadiz and Seville, but it was a short- sighted policy which failed to strengthen the ties between Louisiana and Texas that would have been mutually advantageous. "Since the Province of Louisiana came under my sovereignty," the king declared. "it has been 19Arriaga to the Viceroy, May 21, 1755. A.G. M. Historia, Vol 321, pp. 194-195. ~°King to the Viceroy, October 22, 1765. Rea/es Cedu/as, 1678-177:a (Bolton Transcripts) p. 181.
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