B. XIV. Ch. 3. CHAPTER III. MEANING OF THE WORD RESIDENCIA-ORIGIN OF THE PRACTICE OF TAKING RESIDENCIAS IN CASTILLE AND ARAGON THE GOOD AND EVIL AS several of the personages of greatest note in the early history of the Indies had to Residencia suffer under a process of impeachment (which a process ment. of impeach- appears strange to our eyes, from its frequency and regularity) called a residencia, and as the practice of instituting such impeachments reached its utmost development in the Spanish colonial possessions, it becomes necessary to endeavour to understand the origin and nature of a residencia. Origin of the word. It occurs in the The derivation of the word is simple enough. The judge or governor subjected to this kind of impeachment was compelled, on laying down his office, or being deposed from it, to reside for a certain term at the chief place where he had exercised his functions. This enforced residence, being one of the most obvious facts connected with the process, gave the name to it. The first instance that I have met with of the Theodosian word reside being used in the secondary sense of investigating, or taking a residencia, is to be found in the Theodosian Code.* From thence it would na Code. * Residere dicuntur de re Glossarium Nomicum Codicis quapiam cognoscentes Judices." Theodosiani. turally make its appearance in the Visi-gothic codes, B. XIV. which combined the Visi-gothic and the Roman law. Ch. 3. Throughout the early records of Spanish legislation a steady and uniform distrust of judges may be traced. In the Fuero Juzgo,* a Visigothic code, to the original of which the year 700 is assigned as a probable date, there is careful provision made for a remedy against unjust judges; and, in a spirit which shows there must have been considerable liberty, it is decreed that the judgment which had been given by command of the King, or through fear, if it be a wrong judgment, is not to have any force.‡ It is said that King Ferdinand the Catholic brought this "remedy" of the residencia from Something Aragon. It is curious, however, that the word similar to a residencia does not, as far as I have seen, occur in in Aragon. the summary of the fueros of Aragon. But a "Quicumque residentibus Sa- | acabado. é complido, puede apellar cerdotibus fuerit Episcopali loco antel principe aquel iudez. Et detrusus et nomine, si aliquid si el iudez fuere provado, ó el vel contra custodiam vel contra obispo que iutgó tuerto, lo que quietem publicam moliri fuerit mandáron tomar á aquel á quien deprehensus, rursusque Sacer- lo iutgáron, sea todo entregado, dotium petere, a quo videtur y el iudez le entregue otro tanto expulsus, procul ab ea Urbe quam de lo so, porque iutgó tuerto et infecit, secundum legem Divæ el iudicio demas sea desfecho."memoriæ Gratiani, centum mili-Fuero Juzgo, lib. 2, tit. 1, sec. bus vitam agat: Sit ab eorum 22. Madrid, 1815. cœtibus separatus, a quorum est Societate discretus." Codex Theodosianus, lib. 16, tit. 2, sec. 35. * A corruption from Forum Judicum. "Que iuyzio que es dado por mandado del rey ó por miedo, si es tortizero, que non vala.”— Fuero Juzgo, lib. 2, tit. I, sec. 27. § "Cuio remedio el Rei Cató+"Et todo ome que dize, que lico D. Fernando V. traxo de á el iudez por sospechoso, sis Aragon."-HERRERA, Hist. de quisiere dél querellar mas ade- las Indias, dec. 5, lib. 5, cap. 5. lantre, pues quel pleyto fuere residencia 1467. B. XIV. spirit of inquiry into judicial proceedings, and a Ch. 3. mode of doing so resembling the spirit and mode Residencia as con the office of * of taking residencias adopted in Castille, are visible in a law passed in 1467, which has reference to the office of the Justiciary of Aragon.* In this law the formidable word "denunciation" appears, instead of the mild term of residencia. In Castille the whole process is clearly exemin Castille plified in the body of laws which relate to the nected with office of corregidor. It appears that it had been corregidor. usual for the judge to remain fifty days in the place where he had been principally engaged in giving judgments, in order that his residencia might be taken; and the object of the sixth law relating to corregidors is, to change that time from fifty to thirty days, and, by sequestrating a part of their salary, to ensure their remaining in the place until they had undergone the process of residencia. The date of this law is as early 1380. * "Forum inquisitionis officii | tambien en romance.”—Summa Justitiæ Aragonum," 7 et 8. Que los inquisidores del dicho officio sean tenidos en cada un año el primero de Abril estar en la ciudad de Çaragoça personalmente y en el dicho mes de Abril y Mayo é ocho dias del mes de Iunio siguient en la dicha ciudad, en las casas de la Diputacion del Reyno exercir sus officios, en esta manera: Que qualquier persona, collegio, universidad del dicho Reyno, excepto nos ó nuestro procurador Fiscal é substituydos de aquel que pretenda ser agraviado por alguno de los sobredichos, haya de dar su denunciacion ordenada en romance, y el processo que se hará de todos los Fueros y Observancias del Reyno de Aragon, y Determinaciones de micer MIGUEL DEL MOLINO, lib. 3, p. 99, Çaragoça, 1589. This work is to be found in the well-chosen library of an accomplished Spanish scholar, Mr. Stirling, of Keir, who has thrown new light upon Spanish history and Spanish art. "Como quier que segun derecho, y segun leyes de nuestros reynos los juezes y corregidores de las nuestras ciudades, villas y lugares de los nuestros reynos, desque dexan y salen de los officios han de estar cincuenta dias para hazer residencia cumplir de derecho á los que y "Residencias" in Castille. 151 as 1380, and it refers to the practice as an esta- B. XIV. blished one. Taking the above law in connexion Ch. 3. with another that relates to veedores and visitadores, it is easy to understand the whole system. In this law the King and Queen declare that "right reason it is that they should know how their subjects are governed," and they proceed to say that they shall depute in each year "discreet persons of good conscience" to go to every town and see how justice is administered and how the matters of government are conducted.* Again, in the ensuing law, it is provided that the King should depute a person of the Court to "solicit" those of his council and the judges that they should do justice.† mos como nuestros súbditos son rellosos, y pagar los daños que * (El Rey y Reyna en Toledo, año de 1380.) Ley 2, que se guarde la ley antes desta, y que cosas pueden y deven hazer los tales visitadores. "Justa razon es que nos sepa visitadores. "Ley 3, que el Rey depute en su corte uno que solicite á los del consejo, y á los juezes que fagan justicia." Ordenanças Reales de Castilla, lib. 2, tit. 17. De los veedores y visitadores. B. XIV. The prac tice of taking residencias would vary 152 Varying Practice of "Residencias." More ample research would probably enable us to trace this institution of the residencia from the earliest periods of the Visi-gothic monarchy downwards. The Spanish jurists, however, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries would not be contented with such a comparatively recent origin; and, according to one of the best writers on Spanish colonial law, the practice of taking residencias commences in the Book of Genesis, and is continued through the Old to the New Testament.* This method of investigating the conduct of judges and magistrates, upon their ceasing to hold office, would, naturally, be much or little according exercised, according to the temper of the King temper and the political state of the kingdom. It is not monarch. surprising that a cautious and prudent monarch, to the of the like Ferdinand the Catholic, should have caused residencias to be frequently taken of his principal officers. His compeer, Henry the Seventh of England, would have exercised this royal privilege, had he possessed it, in no sparing manner. And Louis the Eleventh of France would have caused one continuous residencia to El qual juizio de visita | tratados por los juezes, í oficiales, tiene su apoyo, en lo que de Dios que les han diputado, para que se refiere en el Génesis, quando, los librassen de estos agravios, í hablando á nuestro modo, dixo, vexaciones."-SOLÓRZANO, Polí que queria baxar, i ver si era tica Indiana, lib. 5, cap. 10, cierto el clamor, que avia llegado p. 839. á sus oidos. I tambien aluden "I nos la mostraron con su á él algunos Textos, que dizen exemplo Samuel, í Christo Señor que una de las mas proprias, í nuestro, ordenando, que aun á precisas obligaciones del Príncipe, qualquier criado, ó mayordomo es, ver, í procurar, que sus súb-se le puede, i debe pedir la mesma ditos no sean agraviados, ni mal | razon."-Ut supra, p. 837. |