Cabildo

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This article deals specifically with the former legislative, administrative and judicial bodies of cities in Spain and Latin America. There are separate articles for the island administrations in the Canary Islands Cabildo Insular and the religious-cultural associations of the African population of Latin America Cabildo de nación .

Cabildos were organs of local self-government in Spain and in Spain-ruled America. In Latin America there were separate cabildos for Spaniards and their descendants (criollos) on the one hand and for the indigenous population on the other.

Origin of the Cabildos

The first Cabildos in Spain are known from medieval Spain. These were general citizens' assemblies (Cabildo abierto). With the increasing size of the localities, the decisions were transferred to representatives of the citizens. The city regiment of the larger cities of Castile was determined in the late Middle Ages by the Cabildos (council assemblies), which were initially elected annually by the citizens. The local upper class soon played a dominant role in the Cabildos. In order to control the councils, the crown set up royal representatives - the corregidores - who presided over these councils and had the right to veto all decisions. This model was carried over to the cities founded in Latin America. In Latin America there were two types of Cabildos: The Cabildos de Españoles in the newly founded Spanish cities and the Cabildos de Indios whose area did not necessarily have to be closed settlements, but also extended over larger rural areas and some of them also Indian quarters of Spanish cities with included.

Duties of the Cabildos

The Cabildos took on duties in both the legislative, executive and judicial branches at the local level. A separation between the legislative, executive and judicial branches was not common at that time. The areas of responsibility of the Cabildos included the drinking water supply, the food supply, the construction of roads and paths, measures to maintain health and hygiene, the control of weights and measures, the administration of income, the collection of local taxes and fees, public safety, the prosecution of criminal offenses and the administration of justice, the prison system, the courts in simple cases and courts of second instance, in some cases also territorial defense (setting up and maintaining militias, building and maintaining fortifications), representing the interests of the cities at higher decision-making levels (some Cabildos in Spain were represented in the Cortes ). To finance these tasks, the cities had income from municipal property (leased land and real estate) and consumption taxes levied by the municipality. However, this income was often not enough to cover the costs.

Composition of the Cabildos

In terms of composition, a distinction must be made between the Cabildo abierto - the citizens' assembly - in which all citizens could take part and the Cabildo cerrado or Cabildo ordinario - the closed or normal council assembly - in which only the elected or appointed representatives of the city and the officials took part . The Cabildo in the narrower sense consisted of the Regidores and the Alcaldes. The corregidor presided. The Cabildo in the broader sense also included the functionaries of the local administration. The way in which the members of the Cabildos were proposed, elected or appointed varied widely. The procedure mostly depended on the strength of the citizenry, patriciate or crown authority. Initially, the city officials were elected every year on January 1st by the city's citizens. The organization of the offices differed in individual locations. Their number depended largely on the level of development of the urban organization and could vary.

Vecino

As Vecinos (citizens) were all male Spanish and their legal male agreement, who lived in the city when they had urban land and were entered into the citizenship lists. In some cases, further ownership was also required in order to have the position of a Vecino. They could take part in the Cabildos abiertos . If offices were filled by general election, they had the right to vote. Only they could occupy the municipal functional positions. The exception was the Corregidor, who was not supposed to be Vecino and, if possible, should not have or be related to the Vecinos.

Corregidor

The chairman of the cabildo was usually the corregidor. The corregidores in Latin America were proposed by the Council of India and then appointed by the king for five years. If they had no legal training because they were appointed to the office because of their military merits, they had to have a legal advisor (teniente letrado) on their side. The corregidor was the representative of royal authority in the city. He was not entitled to vote in the meeting. However, he decided in the event of a tie and had a right of veto. He was a second instance judge.

Alcalde Ordinario

At the beginning of each year, either the townspeople or the Cabildo usually elected two Alcaldes Ordinarios (city judges), who had to be citizens of the city but not members of the magistrate. You have served as a first instance judge on both criminal and civil matters. In large towns, more judges were elected and a distinction was made between civil and criminal jurisdiction. The senior alcalde represented the corregidor when the post was vacant. The office of alcalden could not be bought or hereditary.

Regidor

The regidores (councilors) were either elected by the Vecinos or proposed by the governors and installed by the crown. The Regidores received a small allowance in some cities. Since the reign of King Philip II , these offices were sold to well-reputed residents of the cities for life (Regidor perpetuo) and inherited in the family. The regidores often occupied the municipal offices or functional positions. The number of regidores was based on the size of the villages. Smaller towns with limited city rights - the villas - usually had six regidores, the larger ones - the ciudades - twelve regidores. The capitals of the viceroyages such as B. Lima sometimes had even more regidores.

Alférez Real

The Alférez Real (Royal Standard Bearer) was usually represented with a seat and a vote in the Cabildo. On public occasions he carried the royal flag. He was in command of the Cabildo's militia troops. The office, which had a high prestige value, was usually inherited within a family.

Alguacil Mayor

The Alguacil Mayor (Police Chief) exercised the local police authority. He was able to arrest people and was in charge of city prisons. He was entitled to delegate parts of his competencies to other people. He was allowed to appear armed in the cabildo. The office was often inherited within a family.

Alcalde de Hermandad

In Castile, the Alcalde de Hermandad, as chief of the gendarmerie, was responsible for security in the rural areas belonging to the city.

Mayordomo

The mayordomo was responsible for the administration of the town's property, the income from the leasing of town's land and property (propios) and the consumption taxes (arbitrios), which the crown granted each town separately. The mayordomo was the head of accounting. Without his signature, no payments were made by the city.

Fell Ejecutor

The office of Fiel Ejecutor (head of economic affairs) was of particular importance for the city's economy. He exercised the municipal commercial jurisdiction; he inspected the markets; he checked the weights and measures. His area of ​​responsibility also included supplying the poorer strata of the population with inexpensive staple foods, especially grain and meat. At harvest time, grain was bought for the account of the community or received as payment for the lease of the town's land and stored in a public grain store called Pósito or Alhóndiga. It was then sold to the population at cost.

Depositario General

The Depositario General administered legally disputed possessions. This office, which did not exist in all localities, often passed from father to son. The Depositario General had the right to delegate his powers.

Procurador General

The Procurador General was the justiciar of the Cabildos. The cities with seat in the Cortes were represented in this institution by their Procuradores Generales. The Procuradores Generales were also considered to be representatives of the common good in the Cabildos. In 1528, King Charles I still demanded that the holders of this function should be elected by all of the town's citizens. King Philip IV allowed the Regidores to be elected in 1623.

Escribano de Cabildo

The Escribano de Cabildo was the town clerk and notary of the Cabildo. He called the meetings of the Cabildo and took minutes. He headed the city archives in which the resolutions and decisions of the Cabildo were recorded.

Special features of the Cabildos de Indios

The localities and settlement areas of the indigenous population in Latin America were basically administered according to the same system as the cities inhabited by Spaniards. The locals, who lived in separate residential areas in the Spanish settlements, were not subject to the Cabildo that existed for the Spaniards. The areas inhabited by the Indian population were often non-contiguous settlements. Several villages, which were often scattered, were therefore combined to form a municipal district. As a rule, the most important settlement was chosen as the seat of local government. When the colonial rulers filled the posts, they initially took the pre-Hispanic social structure into account. The members of the Cabildos were therefore initially mostly made up of members of the traditional Indian nobility. Later, representatives of the Indian leadership elected the Regidores and Alcaldes annually, with representatives from the individual locations taking turns. Chairman of the Cabildos de Indios was a Spanish Corregidor de Indios or a Spanish deputy (Teniente de Corregidor). He also supervised the public affairs of the communities. The Cabildos de Indios were among other things responsible for the selection of workers who were to be provided within the framework of the forced labor. The Cabildos financed their expenses from the yields of the common land, which had to be cultivated jointly by the residents. The basic principle of Spanish bureaucracy and jurisdiction has been adapted in many communities to the local traditions of the indigenous population. A large part of the files of the communities was kept in the respective Indian language .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 132 .
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Reinhard: History of European Expansion, The New World . tape 2 . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1985, p. 75 .
  3. ↑ Cabildo. In: Gran Enciclopedia de España. Volume 4, Zaragoza 1991, ISBN 84-87544-04-5 , p. 1833.
  4. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 135 .
  5. ^ Richard Konetzke: The Indian cultures of ancient America and the Spanish-Portuguese colonial rule . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5 , p. 140 .
  6. ↑ Los Cabildos de America. Museo Nacional del Cabildo y la Revolución de Mayo, accessed August 4, 2014 (Spanish).
  7. ^ Richard Konetzke: The Indian cultures of ancient America and the Spanish-Portuguese colonial rule . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5 , p. 149 .
  8. ^ Richard Konetzke: The Indian cultures of ancient America and the Spanish-Portuguese colonial rule . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5 , p. 148 .
  9. ↑ Wolfgang Reinhard: History of European Expansion, The New World . tape 2 . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1985, p. 75 .
  10. ↑ El Cabildo Venezolano. Efemérides Venezolanas, accessed July 27, 2014 (Spanish).
  11. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 133 .
  12. ↑ Cabildo Indiano. In: Gran Enciclopedia de España. Volume 4, Zaragoza 1991, ISBN 84-87544-04-5 , p. 1833.
  13. ↑ El Cabildo Venezolano. Efemérides Venezolanas, accessed July 27, 2014 (Spanish).
  14. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 134 .
  15. ^ Richard Konetzke: The Indian cultures of ancient America and the Spanish-Portuguese colonial rule . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5 , p. 141 .
  16. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 134 .
  17. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 135 .
  18. ↑ El Cabildo Venezolano. Efemérides Venezolanas, accessed July 27, 2014 (Spanish).
  19. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 134 .
  20. ^ Richard Konetzke: The Indian cultures of ancient America and the Spanish-Portuguese colonial rule . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5 , p. 141 .
  21. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 134 .
  22. ^ Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 136 f .

literature

  • Wolfgang Reinhard: History of European Expansion, The New World . tape 2 . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1985, p. 352 .
  • Horst Pietschmann: The state organization of colonial Ibero America . 1st edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-12-911410-6 , pp. 191 .
  • Richard Konetzke: The Indian cultures of ancient America and the Spanish-Portuguese colonial rule . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-989-5 , p. 391 .

Web links

  • El Cabildo Venezolano. Efemérides Venezolanas, accessed July 27, 2014 (Spanish).
  • Los Cabildos de America. Museo Nacional del Cabildo y la Revolución de Mayo, accessed August 4, 2014 (Spanish). Cabildo de la Ciudad de la Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Aires