Volume 3, page 581-584 / Complaints by Mission San Jose that cattle from Pueblo are damaging property Page 2
José JoaquÍn de Arrillaga
History San José
San Jose, United States
Sargento Luis Peralta
The Reverend Fathers of Mission San José de Guadalupe have brought to my attention the damage caused by the livestock at that town. They have warned the townspeople that if the cattle continue to damage the fences on a daily basis, they will be confiscated and killed. They will, however, permit the livestock that is already in the field to remain, so as not to increase tensions, even though the animals are damaging the pasture land.
The townspeople responded that the owners should definitely be reimbursed for any cattle found within the fences which the mission should kill. The Reverend Fathers have told me that they are not in agreement with the proposed reimbursement. They say that they are suffering serious losses and that any cattle they find in the corn fields or pasture lands either will be killed immediately or penned up and left to die. But they are adamant that the Mission will not pay the reimbursement that the townspeople have proposed.
You have been informed of this and of the fact that the Reverend Fathers have requested my opinion on the matter. I must instruct you that my position is the same as the practice that is followed in all New Spain, namely that the owner should take care of his land during the day and that from sunset to sunrise the owner should take care of and be accountable for his livestock. If during this time the cattle are penned up or killed, no claim or complaint whatsoever will be accepted. I also should warn you that the cattle that habitually break fences are exempt from similar rules. I am giving the same notice of my position on this matter to the Reverend Fathers for their information and management. It is your duty to let the townspeople know that they will not be reimbursed for cattle that are killed within the fenced area or that die penned up in the corrals. No complaint regarding this matter will be accepted from them either.
God keep you many years.
Monterey, January 28, 1809
José JoaquÍn de Arrillaga
- Title: Volume 3, page 581-584 / Complaints by Mission San Jose that cattle from Pueblo are damaging property Page 2
- Creator: José JoaquÍn de Arrillaga
- Date: 1809-01-28
- Date Created: 1809-01-28
- Location: San Jose (Calif.)
- Location Created: Monterey (Calif.)
- Original Language: Spanish
- Provenance: Spanish-Mexican Records of the Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe
- Subject Keywords: Spain, Mexico, Alta California, colonies, Spanish missions, land rights, ranching, 19th century, government, legal system, law
- Transcript:Sor Sargto Luis Peralta Los RRs PPs de la Mision de S. Jose de Guadalupe me hacen preste del daño qe hacen los gandos de ese Pueblo y qe an avisado alos vecinos que si quiera ls reses qe todos los dias mas les rompen las cercas las lleben y maten condescendiendo en que le ganado qe esta en el lla se queda para no aumentar disgustos siendo asi qe les hace perjuicio a los pastos Que la respuesta que an dado dhos vecinos ha sido qe la Mision mate las reses qe se encuintren dentro de las cercas con la precisa obligacion de reintegrar asus dueños. Me añaden dhos PPs qe no ombienen en semeante reintegro respeto a la grave vejacion qe sufren y alo que an respondido qe todas las reses qe se encuentren dentro de las milpas, o potrero, o se mataran luego, o se dexaran morir encerradas en las precisa inteligencia de qe la Mision no admite el reintegro qe pretenden los vecinos. Enterado V. de esto y de qe dhos Rs. Ps. me piden mi parecer sobre el asunto debo prevenirle al qe mi parecer en el asunto es la misma practica qe se sigue en toda N.E. y es la siguiente, qe el dueño debe cuidar de dia su terreno y desde qe se pone el sol hasta qe salga debe cuidar y responder de su ganado tambien el dueño, y asi durante ste tiempo si se lo matan o le encierran; no se le admite reclamo ni quexa alguna, a mas debo advertirle a V. qe el ganado qe se avitua romper cercas se exceptua de semejante reglas. Esto supuesto qe esta misma noticia de mi parecer doy alos RRs PPs. para su inteligencia y Govierno y a V. le prevento qe haga saber de ese vecindario de qe no se les reintegrara el ganado que se les mate dentro de la cerca o se encierre y se muera en los corrales y qe no se les admite tampoco quexa alguna en el particular. Dios gue. a V. ms. as. Monterey, 28 de Enero 1809 Jose Joaqn de ArrillagaHide TranscriptShow Transcript
- External Link: http://www.sanjosepueblopapers.org
- Medium: Paper
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