gration, but rather hampered it with restrictions. At one time none might go to the Indies without special permit from the king or the casa de contratacion. This relaxed for a while, and mere registration of name was demanded, so that a number of persons with Jewish, Moorish, Gypsy, and heretic blood slipped out. Such leaven would not answer in America, there to threaten eruption among half-converted natives and reckless colonists; and so sworn declarations were demanded from proposed adventurers; but it was soon found that the allurements of the new country frequently outweighed the fear of perjury, and henceforth the applicant for passage must bring certificates from his native district to vouch for his social and religious standing.[1] The audiencias kept a record of the immigrants. Nevertheless a number of unregistered persons managed to enter, and severe laws were enacted against them, involving confiscation and eight years' service as soldiers, or transportation to the West Indies or Florida if married.[2] Such interlopers were called polizones, a name applied as scurrilous to any foreigner. European was a term synonymous in New Spain with Spaniard, for the restrictions against foreigners allowed but a small number to gain entrance. They had either to be naturalized by a twenty years' residence in Spain, or live under surveillance with license till naturalized.[3]
Special licenses were issued for traders to deal for a time at a port, and through their agency many not authorized managed to slip into the country, so that decrees came every now and then for their expulsion,[4]
- ↑ Recop. de Ind., i. 365 etc.; Solorzano, i. 397 etc.; Antuñez, Mem. Com., 307-25.
- ↑ Vagrants were sent to the Philippines. Beleña, Recop., i. 182, 284.
- ↑ For 10 out of the 20 years they must own real estate to the value of 4,000 ducats, and be married to a Spanish-born subject. Their children were Spaniards. They must give an inventory of their property, and infringement of the law sent them to the Philippines. Id., 190. Forms of application for migration and passport may be found in Papeles Franciscanos, MS., série i. tom. i. 261, and Ordenes de Corona, MS., ii. 159.
- ↑ Grambila, Tumultos,'MS.,l; Recop.de Ind., i. 166; Montemayor, Sumarios, 136-9. Portuguese were among those regarded as foreigners, and at one time
