upon the kind and amount of tribute to be collected by the corregidores. They must watch that the natives tilled their land and kept to their other work so that the tribute might not fall off; they must promote their conversion and the spread of civilization, and protect them from every abuse and maltreatment, keeping also an eye upon adjoining encomenderos and settlers within the district, and watching as magistrates over the observance of social, religious, and political laws.
An alguacil and a priest aided them in the discharge of these duties. Their only recompense was a salary which for smaller districts amounted to a trifle over three hundred pesos.[1] As the new system would materially affect the conquerors who had certain claims to the land acquired by them, it was proposed to give them the preference in appointing corregidores. The first task of the audiencia was to inspect the towns and apportion districts of sufficient size to support the many claimants entitled to office. Many of the divisions were too small to support the triple offices of corregidor, alguacil, and priest, and acting corregidores or agents were appointed, partly for economic reasons, partly to allow the appointment of humbler candidates, as but too many of the conquerors were declared to be unfit for the office of corregidores. By March 1531, about ninety of the dispossessed landholders had been compensated with appointments as corregidores, alguaciles, and as supervisors of small districts.[2]
Another reform introduced was the treatment of natives by encomenderos, as only a portion had been dispossessed. The audiencia perceived with horror how the poor creatures had been torn from their homes under the most shallow pretences, to be en-
- ↑ 'Te salaire des corrégidors varie de 320 à 380 pesos d'or, celui des alguazils de 120 à 140, et celui des curés de 150 à 170. ils sont trés-modérés, et cependant nous ne savons avec quoi les payer.' Lettre des auditeurs, in Ternaux-Compans, Voy., série ii. tom. v. 132.
- ↑ 'De ceux . . . 38 seront corrégidors ou alguazils.' Id.
