the late viceroy was mulcted in the sum of $435,413, $119,125 of which he was condemned to pay as the value of the invoice of goods which he illegally introduced into New Spain on his arrival there in 1803. The other amount was for money fraudulently obtained from the distribution of quicksilver, and sales of offices and contracts, to each of which original sums was added a fine of equal amount. [1] To secure payment, Iturrigaray's interests in the mining tribunal of Mexico, amounting to $400,000, were attached. [2] He appealed to the council of the Indies, but the sentence was confirmed by it in February 1819, and later by the supreme tribunal of justice. [3] Its execution, how ever, was interrupted by the declaration of independence in 1821, and Iturrigaray having died a short time before, his widow [4] and family went to Mexico and petitioned that the sentence might not be carried out. The arguments now employed were exactly opposite to those advanced by Iturrigaray, who maintained that he had ever remained loyal to Fernando. [5] The family claimed that the deceased
- ↑ He received from his quicksilver frauds $36,816. In 1806 and 1807 his receipts from illegal contracts for the manufacture of cigarette paper amounted to $106,128. The legal price of this paper as sold from the factory was $12 a ream. During the year mentioned it was raised to $13, one dollar being paid by-the manufacturers to the viceroy for their monopoly. Id., 24-5; Alaman, Hist. Mej., i. app. 45-7. Zamacois, who copied extensively from Alaman, has given in app. no. 7 of his Hist. Mej., vi., a verbatim duplicate of the latter's appendix, but has failed to detect certain errors of Alaman. Iturrigaray's wife was his principal agent in these nefarious transactions, and into her hands most of the sums were paid. He feebly attempted to defend his conduct by the support of precedents supplied by the action of his predecessors.
- ↑ Bustamante states that the total amount in which Iturrigaray was condemned was 384,241 pesos. Cuadro, Hist., i. 9; Alaman, Hist. Mej., i. 265; Sup. Cavo, Tres Siglos, iii. 245.
- ↑ For copy of sentence, see Ateneo, Mej., i. 234.
- ↑ Bustamante writing in 1821 says: 'Con la muerte de dicho Gefe, su familia se ha acabado de arruinar, y á la sazón en que escribo, yace su esposa paralitica en una cama en Jaén.' Cuadro, Hist., ed. 1823, i., carta 1a, 16. Iturrigaray died in 1821, at the age of nearly 80 years. Negrete, Mex. Siglo XIX., i. 134.
- ↑ Alaman met and conversed with Iturrigaray in Madrid in 1814. The ex-viceroy was then 72 years old, and on all occasions when Mexican events were the topic, he assured Alaman that he had never entertained the thought of effecting the independence of New Spain. Indeed, it was impossible to prove the charge of treason against him, as the only ground for supposing that he meditated the independence of New Spain was his intention of convoking a national congress. Hist. Mej., i. 270.
