CHAPTER III. MEANING OF THE WORD RESIDENCIA. ORIGIN OF THE PRACTICE OF TAKING RESIDENCIAS IN CASTILE AND ARAGON. THE GOOD AND EVIL OF RESIDENCIAS. AS several of the personages of greatest note in the early history of the Indies had to suffer under a process of impeachment (which 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 endeavor to understand the origin and nature of a residencia. 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 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 naturally make * “ Residere dicuntur de re quapiam cognoscentes Judices.”—Glossarium Nomicum Codicis Theodosiani. 66 'Quicumque residentibus Sacerdotibus fuerit Episcopali loco detrusus et nomine, si aliquid vel contra custodiam vel contra quietem publicam moliri fuerit deprehensus, rursusque Sacerdotium petere, a quo videtur expulsus, procul ab ea Urbe quam infecit, secundum legem Divæ memoriæ Gratiani, centum milibus vitam agat: Sit ab eorum cœ 142 "Residencias" in Aragon. its appearance in the Visigothic codes, which combined the Visigothic and the Roman law. 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 Aragon.§ It is curious, however, that the word residencia does not, as far as I have seen, occur in the summary of the fueros of Aragon. But a spirit of inquiry into judicial proceedings, and a mode of doing so resembling the spirit and mode of taking residencias adopted in Castile, are visible in a law passed in 1467, which has reference to the office of the Justiciary of Aragon. In this law tibus separatus, a quorum est Societate discretus."-Codex Theodosianus, lib. xvi., tit. ii., sec. 35. * A corruption from Forum Judicum. "Et todo ome que dize, que á el iudez por sospechoso, sis quisiere dél querellar mas adelantre, pues quel pleyto fuere acabado, é complido, puede apellar antel principe aquel iudez. Et si el iudez fuere provado, ó el obispo que iutgó tuerto, lo que mándaron tomar á aquel á quien lo iutgáron, sea todo entregado, y el iudez le entregue otro tanto de lo so, porque iutgó tuerto et el iudicio demas sea desfecho."-Fuero Juzgo, lib. ii., tit. i., sec. 22. Madrid, 1815. "Que iuyzio que es dado por mandado del rey ó por miedo, si es tortizero, que non vala."-Fuero Juzgo, lib. ii., tit. i., sec. 27. § "Cuio remedio el Rei Católico D. Fernando V. traxo de Aragon." --HERRERA, Hist. de las Indias, dec. v., lib. v., cap. 5. "Que || Forum inquisitionis officii Justitiæ Aragonum," 7 et 8. 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 di "Residencias" in Castile. the formidable word "denunciation" of the mild term of residencia. 143 appears instead In Castile the whole process is clearly exemplified in the body of laws which relate to the office of corregidor. It appears that it had been 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 insure their remaining in the place until they had undergone the process of residencia.* The date of this law is as early as 1380, and it refers to the practice as an established one. Taking the above law in connection with another that relates cho 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 tambien en romance."-Summa de todos los Fueros У Observancias del Reyno de Aragon, y Determinaciones de micer MIGUEL DEL MOLINO, lib. iii., 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 y cumplir de derecho á los querellosos, y pagar los daños que han hecho en quanto tomaron y han usado de los dichos officios. Y mudando el término de la dicha residencia mandamos que la faga de treynta dias y no mas.”—Ordenanças Reales de Castilla; por las qua les primeramente se han de librar los pleytos civiles y criminales. (El Rey y Reyna en Toledo, año 1380.) Ley 6, del tiempo que han de hazer residencia á los corregidores que fenescieren sus officios, lib. ii., tit. 16. De los corregidores. Alcalá de Henares, 1565. This work also is to be found in Mr. Stirling's library. 144 “Residencias" in Castile. 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 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.† More ample research would probably enable us to trace this institution of the residencia from the earliest periods of the Visigothic monarchy downward. The Spanish jurists, however, of the sixteenth and seven teenth 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.‡ * (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 sepamos como nuestros súbditos son governados, porque podamos remediar con tiempo las cosas que ovieren menester remedio, mayormente pues á Dios gracias los súbditos son muchos, i repartidos en muchas tierras i provincias de diversas qualidades i condiciones: i porque á nos conviene especialmente saber los regidores governadores: i officiales públicos de nuestros reynos, como viven y en que manera exercitan i administran sus officios."-Ordenanças Reales de Castilla, lib. ii., tit. 17. De los veedores y 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. ii., tit. 17. De los veedores y visitadores. 66 + El qual juizio de visita tiene su apoyo, en lo que de Dios se refiere en el Génesis, quando, hablando á nuestro modo, dixo, que queria Varying Practice of "Residencias." 145 This method of investigating the conduct of judges and magistrates upon their ceasing to hold office would naturally be much or little exercised, according to the temper of the king and the political state of the kingdom. It is not surprising that a cautious and prudent monarch, 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 be taken of any of his principal officers who had been for a few months out of his sight. An eminent Spanish jurist (Castillo de Bobadilla), who has written largely on the subject of the residencia, discusses the various modes which have been taken to insure the sound administration of justice. Cosmo, the Grand-Duke of Tuscany, had secret spies, who informed him how his magistrates conducted themselves, which appears to the jurist a better way than that of taking a residencia, for a public visitor, he thinks, is more easily suborned than two spies; and, moreover, the expense of the Grand-Duke's mode of proceeding is less.* baxar, i ver si era cierto el clamor, que avia llegado á sus oidos. I tambien aluden á él algunos Textos, que dizen que una de las mas proprias, í precisas obligaciones del Príncipe, es, ver, í procurar, que sus súbditos no sean agraviados, ni mal tratados por los juezes, í oficiales, que les han diputado, para que los librassen de estos agravios, i vexaciones."-SOLÓRZANO, Política Indiana, lib. v., cap. 10, p. 839. "I nos la mostraron con su exemplo Samuel, í Christo Señor nuestro, ordenando, que aun á qualquier criado, ó mayordomo se le puede, i debe pedir la mesma razon."-Ut supra, p. 837. * ".....lo qual me parece mejor que los Visitadores, porque un Visitador público se soborna mas fácilmente que dos secretos; demas VOL. III.-G |