abrogation of authority as tending to overshadow the royal prerogative deposited with the executive; but the opposition did not long endure.[1] He as well as his companions made strenuous efforts to exclude lawyers, as tending to create confusion, suits, and embroilment generally.[2] But their services were soon found necessary, and gradually the door opened wider and wider for their admission, one condition being that advocates must promise under oath not to aid a client unless he had justice on his side.[3]
The promotion of trade and traffic formed another feature of his measures, and foremost stood the consideration of a suitable port. Villa Rica Harbor was incommodious, inconveniently situated, and unsafe, particularly in being exposed to north gales. The port at Pdnuco was too remote, and that at Goazacoalco proved less suitable than had been expected. Search was accordingly continued, and resulted in the selection of a site on Rio de Canoas, afterward known as La Antigua.[4] The mouth formed a broad bay, sheltered partly by the shore, partly by the sand reefs which formed a lagoon in front of it, and wherein vessels would safely discharge goods into lighters for transportation to the town which lay about a league up the river. To this spot was transferred the Villa
- ↑ Cartas, 333-4.
- ↑ Oviedo terms them a pest, and Pizarro y Orellana commends Cortés highly for excluding Moors, Jews, and lawyers, calling him 'estotro Sabio de Grecia.' Varones Ilvstres, 103-7.
- ↑ 'Jurasen que si sus partes no tenian justicia, no les acudirian, ni pedirian terminos a fin de dilatar.' Herrera, dec. iv. lib. iii. cap. ix. Under the rule of Salazar, in 1525, the existing restrictions against lawyers were disregarded, and Alonso Perez was made the jurisconsult of the cabildo, with a salary of 160 pesos de oro. Aguilar, in August 1526, enforced the restrictions, with fines and loss of patent for first and second contravention, and confiscation and exile in the third instance. Libro de Cabildo, MS., August 4, 1525, August 18, 1526, May 17, 1527. By request of the city the prohibitory law was revoked by cédula of August 2, 1527. Mex., Extractos de Cédulas, MS., 6.
- ↑ So named from the situation there of old Vera Cruz. San Juan de Ulua lay about three leagues to the south. Few old geographers pay attention to the change of site undergone by the city, placing it close to Isla de Sacrificios and generally to the south of it. In Munich Atlas, x. 1571, however, we find Ro de säs Joao; llaueracrus; villa riqua; Hood, 1592, writes, R. de Medelin, S. Son delua, Laueracruz; Sen Jual; Villa Rica. Cartog. Pac. Coast, MS., i. 530.
