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Show Ae ete en ee eer dae . ly Serr i SE ge a ea eb i te tp ea Soil at sat at Belk Dae ees pris ee Booka” Bike Btat Be THE SPANISH ARCHIVES OF NEW MEXICO 217 EE r eet 2a pis US GN r ee ee ee Eek bess —F ee Ga °F a Re 33 S Ds Ed ee bal, Governador y Capitan General de este Reyno, en la forma que adenttro se persive. This appears to be an important document historically. The governor had refused to satisfy the ‘‘Media Anata?’ on the ground that as governor of New Mexcio he occupied an office purely military in character. The judge, at Mexico, Domingo de Tres Palacios Kscandon, acknowledges: that the office of governor of New Mexico has been consid- ered and heretofore treated as a purely military office, al- ee ee et F ha et be ed bet Sa tat hee Sais ae ere ee aaa eS eee though the political and judicial administration was exercised equally by the governors; he ordered the governor of New Mexico to investigate the number of the population of the Province, etc., its organization, and to state what functions the governors had before that time exercised. The witnesses examined by Don Joaquin Codallos y Rabal are unanimous in declaring: that as long as they can remember, none of the governors ever paid the ‘‘ Media Anata,’’ their office being purely military, although they also exercised political and judicial functions; that the pov- a erty of the province was such that none of the inhabitants paid any fees or tribute, and the seven alcaldes mayores received no pay and very little fees, etc. The decree is dated October 27, 1746. The date of the interrogatories is August 2, 1747. 10f La Media Anata secular fué un ramo del erario que tuvo su origen el 21 de Junio de 1625 en una cédula de Felipe IV, por la que disponia que se pagase una mesada de todos los oficios seculares y temporales antes de entrar en el ejercio de ellos las personas que iban a desempenarle : aumentose despries esta contribucion hasta convertirse en el equivalmente de media anulidad & media anata. Pagaban las medias anatas desde los vireyes, presidentes y goberna- dores hasta los oficiales en las artes, como sombrereros, zapateros y carpinteros despues de examinados en su oficio y antes de permitirles que comenzasen & trabajar en el. — 475 From this we see that the Media Anata was a special tribute or tax collected from persons occupying official positions, or from grandees or other titled personages. FELIPE Vv. July 31, 1746. Royal decree and proceedings had thereunder by order of the governor and captain-general; there are attached also three other royal decrees on the same subject. 41f 76 JARAMILLO, 3, 1747, GREGORIO. January 7, February s P roceedings, writs, etc., in the case against him for having : ° e e ° o |