foremost, and was supported by his colleague, brother Rodrigo, of the
Dominican order, the new bishop of Palencia, De la Gasca, the marquis de
Mondejar, and by two auditors of the royal council of the Indies. These
prelates, in opposition to the opinion of all the above-mentioned
cavaliers, (with the exception of the marquis de Mondejar, who refused
to pronounce in favour either of the one or the other party, merely
listening to what each had to say, and to see which way the majority
would go,) declared that the Indians should not be distributed in
perpetuity, and that they should be compelled to deprive many persons of
their Indians, who at present derived considerable incomes from them;
though, in the first instance even, they had been more deserving of
punishment than of reward. This was particularly the case in Peru, they
said, where peace would be maintained if these views were carried out;
for it was to be feared that the troops there would rise up in open
insurrection, if they found no further distribution of Indians was to be
allowed.

To this the bishop of Mechoacan, who was on our side, answered, by
asking the licentiate De la Gasca, why, instead of punishing all the
thieves and vagabonds, whose infamous practices were notorious to the
world, he had even presented them with additional Indians?

To this the licentiate smilingly replied: "Indeed, I considered,
gentlemen, that it was no little matter for me to maintain peace there,
and that I escaped with my life, after I had deprived so many persons of
their possessions and punished them as the law required."

After a good deal of further speechifying pro and con, we, supported by
several others who were present, proposed that the distribution in
perpetuity should at least be carried into effect in New Spain, though
only for the benefit of the true Conquistadores, who sailed from Cuba
with Cortes, and those of Narvaez's and Garay's troops, who were still
living. Of the Conquistadores, we added, there were but few remaining,
for the greater part had lost their lives in battle in the service of
their monarch. The services which we had rendered to the crown fully
merited such distinction; the other troops could be rewarded in some
other way.

As the commissioners could not come to any decision among themselves on
this point, some of the prelates and royal auditors proposed that the
matter should be laid at rest until his majesty returned to Spain, as it
was n