_The deliberations which took place at Valladolid in the year 1550,
in the royal council of the Indies, respecting the distribution of
Indians in perpetuity._
In the year 1550, the licentiate De la Gasca came from Peru to the
court, which was then residing at Valladolid. He was accompanied by a
monk of the Dominican order, named father Martin, who was regent of his
order, and whom his majesty soon after appointed to the bishopric of las
Charcas. At the same time there appeared at the court the bishop of
Chiapa, Don Bartolome de las Casas; the bishop of Mechoacan, Don Vasco
de Quiroga, and other cavaliers, who came as the representatives of New
Spain and Peru; and also certain hidalgos, against whom several
accusations had been brought. To this meeting I was also cited, as the
oldest of the Conquistadores. The reason for assembling this council was
as follows: De la Gasca, and those who accompanied him from Peru, had
brought along with them a large quantity of gold, partly their own, and
partly belonging to the crown. This gold was forwarded to Augsburg, in
Germany, where his majesty was then staying with our present most
fortunate king Don Philip, his beloved son, to whom God grant a long
life. Several cavaliers repaired with this gold, in order at the same
time to present themselves to his majesty as deputies from the Spanish
settlers in Peru, and also to beg of him to grant us commendaries in
perpetuity, in reward for the services we had rendered to the crown. A
petition to the same effect had been laid before his majesty by Gonzalo
Lopez, Alonso de Villanueva, and other cavaliers, who had purposely been
deputed from New Spain.
Shortly after the arrival of the licentiate De la Gasca in Spain, the
see of Palencia became vacant, and the emperor, it was said, had given
it to this licentiate in remuneration for his having restored
tranquillity to Peru, and for his having regained possession of the gold
and silver which had been stolen by the Contreras.
With respect to the petition of distributing commendaries in perpetuity,
his majesty appointed a commission to inquire into its merits, and as to
what would be the best possible manner of carrying it into effect. The
following were the gentlemen appointed: the marquis of Mondejar as
president of the council of the Indies, the licentiates Gutierre
Velasquez and Tello de Sandoval, the doctor Hernan Perez de la Fuente,
the licentiates Gregorio, Lopez, and Briviesca; and the doctor
Riberadeneyra, auditors of the royal council of the Indies; and besides,
there were several others of his majesty's privy councillors.
This distinguished body of prelates and cavaliers met together in the
residence of Pedro Gonzalez de Leon, where the council of the Indies
hold their sittings, and began to deliberate on the subject of the
distribution of commendaries in perpetuity in New Spain, Peru, and if I
mistake not, also in New Granada and Bobotan. The reasons which were
adduced for carrying this into effect were indeed just and Christian.
For it was said, among other things, that those Indians who were
distributed in perpetuity would receive better treatment; would be more
thoroughly instructed in the Christian doctrine, be attended in sickness
as children, and their lives would be altogether made more comfortable
to them. It would be an incitement also for those who possessed
commendaries to attend more to agriculture and the breeding of cattle.
The endless lawsuits about the possession of Indians would cease
altogether; no inspectors would be further required in the townships;
and the soldiers would live in peace and friendship with each other as
soon as they found that the presidents and governors durst no longer
distribute the vacant commendaries among their relations for party
purposes, as was too often the case. Besides which, if perpetual
distribution were carried into effect, and the commendaries were solely
given to men who had rendered services to the crown, his majesty's real
views would not only be carried out, but it would be an effectual means
of dispossessing the crew of vagabonds in Peru of the lands they had
unjustly seized, and put it out of their power to create further
dissensions.
After this august body had well argued these points pro and con, the
several deputies and we, the other cavaliers, were required to give our
opinion, and the greater part voted for the distribution in perpetuity.
Of those who were opposed to it the bishop of Chiapa was first and
foremost, and was supported by his colleague, brother Rodrigo, of the
Dominican order, the new bishop of Palencia, De la Gasca, the marquis de
Mondejar, and by two auditors of the royal council of the Indies. These
prelates, in opposition to the opinion of all the above-mentioned
cavaliers, (with the exception of the marquis de Mondejar, who refused
to pronounce in favour either of the one or the other party, merely
listening to what each had to say, and to see which way the majority
would go,) declared that the Indians should not be distributed in
perpetuity, and that they should be compelled to deprive many persons of
their Indians, who at present derived considerable incomes from them;
though, in the first instance even, they had been more deserving of
punishment than of reward. This was particularly the case in Peru, they
said, where peace would be maintained if these views were carried out;
for it was to be feared that the troops there would rise up in open
insurrection, if they found no further distribution of Indians was to be
allowed.
To this the bishop of Mechoacan, who was on our side, answered, by
asking the licentiate De la Gasca, why, instead of punishing all the
thieves and vagabonds, whose infamous practices were notorious to the
world, he had even presented them with additional Indians?
To this the licentiate smilingly replied: "Indeed, I considered,
gentlemen, that it was no little matter for me to maintain peace there,
and that I escaped with my life, after I had deprived so many persons of
their possessions and punished them as the law required."
After a good deal of further speechifying pro and con, we, supported by
several others who were present, proposed that the distribution in
perpetuity should at least be carried into effect in New Spain, though
only for the benefit of the true Conquistadores, who sailed from Cuba
with Cortes, and those of Narvaez's and Garay's troops, who were still
living. Of the Conquistadores, we added, there were but few remaining,
for the greater part had lost their lives in battle in the service of
their monarch. The services which we had rendered to the crown fully
merited such distinction; the other troops could be rewarded in some
other way.
As the commissioners could not come to any decision among themselves on
this point, some of the prelates and royal auditors proposed that the
matter should be laid at rest until his majesty returned to Spain, as it
was necessary that the emperor should himself be present in discussing a
matter of so much importance. We others, the bishop of Mechoacan, and
several of the cavaliers present said, however, that the majority, as
far as regarded New Spain, had declared in favour of the distribution in
perpetuity, and that our affairs must not be mixed up with those of
Peru; that it was also very evident, from the commands which his majesty
issued in appointing the commission, that he was in favour of this
measure. However, all the arguments we adduced, all we might say with
regard to the important services we had rendered to the crown was to no
purpose; the auditors of the royal council of the Indies, the bishop las
Casas, and brother Rodrigo persisted in their opinion, and added, that
on his majesty's return from Germany, the Conquistadores would be
rewarded in such a manner that they would never find cause of complaint
hereafter.
Intelligence as to how this matter had terminated was brought to New
Spain by the very next vessel, and the Conquistadores determined to
despatch procuradores in their own name to his majesty. I had again
returned to Guatimala about this time, when Andreas de Tapia, Pedro
Moreno Medrano, and Juan Limpias Carvajal wrote to me on the subject of
our memorial, in which I was mentioned as one of the oldest of the
Conquistadores. I then communicated with the other Conquistadores
staying in Guatimala, desiring them to subscribe what they could to
defray the expenses of our procuradores. We could not, however, raise
sufficient money for the purpose, and it was therefore determined that
the citizens of Mexico should join us in this matter, that we might
despatch our procuradores in common; but this also came to nothing, and
thus matters remained until our invincible king, Don Philip, whom God
grant a long life, made certain regulations in favour of the
Conquistadores and their children; and also of the oldest settlers who
had families, as may be seen by the royal decrees which were issued.