Note 445 — Chapter VI · MEXICO.

Archivo de Simancas, fol. 85, 139. In 1631 the vara, or wand of office of alguazil, was sold in Castile and, in 1634, the Suprema sought to extend this to the Colonies, under pretext of applying it to the repairs of the Castle of Triana, the home of the tribunal of Seville. The Council of Indies stoutly resisted it and a consulta of November 16, 1638, shows that the struggle was still going on (Ibidem, Libro 21, fol. 162). The Suprema finally won, but of course it absorbed the proceeds and the castle was repaired by means of the levy known as the Fabrica de Sevilla, which continued to be collected in the nineteenth century.

It is probable that the amount attributed to the sale of varas is largely exaggerated. In 1652 there came a remittance from Mexico of 2298 pesos, of which 1711 were the proceeds of sales and 587 for the media añata—a tax of half of the first year’s salary of those appointed to office (Ibidem, Lib. 40, fol. 295).