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1493–1529]
JUNTA OF BADAJOZ
213
LETTERS FROM THE EMPEROR TO THE DEPUTIES APPOINTED TO TREAT OF THE OWNERSHIP OF THE MALUCOS IN THE JUNTA OF BADAJOZ

[The first letter is an open proclamation and order to the " Council, court, regidores,[1] knights, squires, officials, and good people of the city of Badajoz." The King announces that he is sending "to this said city the licentiates de Acuña, of my Council; the licentiate Pedro Manuel, auditor of our audiencia of Valladolid; the licentiate Barrientos, of my Council of Las Ordenes,[2] Don Hernando Colon, Simon de

  1. The individuals of the municipal governing body upon whom devolves the economic government of a city.—Novisimo diccionario de la lengua castellana (Paris and Mexico, 1899). See also Diccionario enciclopedico hispano-americano (Barcelona, 1887–1899), tomo xvii, pp. 302–303.
  2. The Consejo de las Ordenes [Council of the Military Orders] was created by Charles V, from the separate councils of the various military orders. This council consisted of a president and six or eight knights, and both temporal and ecclesiastical powers were conferred upon it. Clement VI approved it, extending its jurisdiction to tithes, benefices, marriages, and other matters of ordinary authority, and both Paul III and Saint Pius V confirmed it. Two important tribunals were created, one called the Tribunal of the Churches, and the other the Apostolic Tribunal. The first was created by Charles V, and was under the charge of a Judge protector, and had charge of the repairs, building, and adornment of the churches of the military orders. The second was created by Philip II, in virtue of the bull of Gregory XIII, of October 20, 1584,—this bull having as its object the amicable adjustment of the disputes between the military orders and the prelates in regard to jurisdiction, tithes, etc. In 1714 the jurisdiction of the council was limited by Felipe IV, to the ecclesiastical and temporal affairs of their own institution. In 1836 the council was reorganized under the name of tribunal. The tribunal of the churches was suppressed, as were also the offices of comptroller and the remaining fiscal officials, and the funds diverted into the national treasury. Jurisdiction in ecclesiastical matters was limited to the four military orders of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara, and Montesa. See Dic. encic. hisp-amer., tomo v, pp. 821, 822.