governor than for the officials of the royal exchequer; since
he, by reason of his office, is bound to care for all the natives of
these islands, and not to permit them to be wronged, and to require
satisfaction from anyone who may wrong them.

Twenty-first conclusion: Former governors were under obligation, as
are those who rule both now and hereafter, to observe and fulfil, in
the repartimientos which they assign or shall assign, the provisions
contained in section 144 of the royal ordinances drawn up in Segovia
in the year 73, the tenor of which is as follows: "When the country
has been pacified, and its rulers and inhabitants have been reduced
to obedience to us, the governor shall, with their consent, direct
the partition of the lands among the colonists so that each of them
shall be responsible for the Indians of his repartimiento, defend
and protect them, and provide a minister who shall teach them to live
in civilized ways, and shall do for them all else that encomenderos
are bound to do for the Indians of their repartimientos." In the
following section: "The Indians who shall be reduced to our obedience
and allotted to the conquerors shall be persuaded, in recognition of
universal seigniory and jurisdiction which we hold over the Indians,
to assist us by the payment of a moderate tribute, from the fruits of
the soil. It is our will that the tributes thus paid us be collected
by the Spaniards to whom encomiendas shall be given, for which reason
they fulfil the duties to which they are bound." What his Majesty
commands in these two sections of the said ordinances conforms to both
natural and divine law, both of which would be violated if even the
king should contravene these ordinances. From this the governors will
recognize the obligations under which they are to heed the attitude
of the Indians whom they must allot in encomiendas, in order not to
work against a law as just and necessary as this is.

Twenty-second conclusion: If in any case the governor allot an
encomienda whose inhabitants shall not be in the frame of mind
which the aforesaid law requires (a condition which must needs be
very rare, and the result of causes so forcible that the king, upon
consultation, would consider them of sufficient weight), in order that
the governor may not be under obligation to make restitution of what
shall be collected therefrom, he is bound to order such encomendero
not to collect the tributes until he has, by his ea