1. Unconditional liberty for the Indians;
2. Suppression of both repartimientos and encomiendas;
3. Some provisions for assisting the Spaniards to work their properties
profitably without recurring to the oppressive and abusive systems
they had hitherto employed.

Both Fray Antonio and Dr. Palacios Rubios approved these articles and the
latter somewhat added to and improved them, recomposing them in the proper
legal terminology of the time, after which they were again submitted,
discussed, and in some unimportant details, amended, in the
above-mentioned council presided over by the Cardinal, The next important
step was to place the execution of these new provisions in the hands of
trusted delegates who would apply them rigorously and in the sense
designed by the council, for there had been no lack of excellent decrees,
having the same end in view, but which had, in the past, been rendered
null and of no effect, through the connivance of the colonial authorities,
to whom their execution had been entrusted. Las Casas, for the best of
motives, declined having any part in designating such officers and in
consideration of certain rivalries existing between the Franciscan and
Dominican Orders, especially in Indian affairs, the Cardinal finally
decided to confide the necessary powers to the monks of St. Jerome, an
Order which had thus far taken no part in colonial affairs. Upon
receiving the Cardinal's notification of this intention, the General of
that Order, who resided at San Bartolome de Lupiano, summoned a chapter of
all the priors of Castile, in which twelve monks were designated, amongst
whom the regent might make his selection. Four priors came to Madrid to
notify this result to his Eminence, and one afternoon the two regents,
accompanied by the entire court, rode out to the monastery of St. Jerome
near the Buen Retiro Gardens, where they lodged, to receive the formal
answer of the chapter. Las Casas was, of course, present, and the regents
were received by the monks in the sacristy of the church, which had been
appropriately prepared for the great occasion. Cardinal Ximenez addressed
the assembly, highly commending the willingness of the Jeronymites to
undertake such a meritorious task, and then ordered that Las Casas be
summoned to hear the result.

The boyish enthusiasm of Las Casas's character appears on this occasion,
for, consumed with impatience, tortured by hopes and fears, he had