XII. FIRST AGREEMENTS AND AUTHORITIES

The agreements about the construction of the stone trough for water and irrigation ditch and about the baptism of the royal street. Taxes about the use of pita. Regulation of home industries by weight and measurements by thread. Licit occupation of all youngsters without work. The “Coso” Institution and the marking cyphers. The tariff for peddlers. Who were the first authorities? The Royal Ensign and his ministers. Galleries of burgomasters. From the silver dollar to large sum of money.
The carelessness of the Municipal Archives of San Gil is laughable. It is incomplete and deteriorated because of the action of the armed conflicts and the moth. In it exists letters and agreements of the municipal government., about which it is necessary to mention briefly. The first agreement published on September 12, 1693 refers to the rules of the bridge tolls of the rivers and brooks of the jurisdiction. It deals with the receptacle of duties from the sisal use.The priests and their baggage were excluded. This duty was worth a silver coin.Then, there is a curious agreement about the protection of industry and commerce. It is dated January 22, 1694. It ruled on the establishment of public stores, prohibiting the sale of articles manufactured in habitable homes. “Threads’ weights and measure”, such public sales should have been provided with marked, registered and sealed weights. Otherwise, violators were obligated to pay a ne for six silver coins. Another agreement was the first step toward the foundation of the Covered Market Company, which still functions today. This one established public stores which function was to employ unemployed youth, and the traditional Institute of Coso was ruled. The neighbors who had loose animals were ned ten silver coins. A curious agreement elevated the tariff of the articles from the public stores with the pretext that there was false silver circulating and to defend the people from the swindlers and peddlers. Another disposition of the Municipal Government was to order the production of cattle branding irons, to avoid confusion on who was the owner of the grazing cattle. Another disposition was to stamp all the official measures to avoid the outsiders speculation.
Later agreements (38) deal with the construction of the principal plaza, marking the streets, naming the Royal Street and festivities with the occasion of the birth of a prince of the Monarchs.The following interesting extract from Carlos D. Parra (39), the agreement ordered by the Municipal Council, dated October 26, 1708, with the occasion of the birth of the Prince Heir to the Monarch Don Felipe V, states: “ The Attorney General of the town of Santa Cruz y San Gil of the New Baeza, upon the knowledge that His Majesty Don Felipe V, who may God save as our King and Natural Lord, expedited a Royal Edict participating his vassals of the new and happy succession in the newborn Prince with festivities. Such Royal Edict includes this Royal town, and to avoid omission, this loyal vassal commands to have these royal festivities next Christmas. Given this decree on October 26, 1708, (signed) Juan de Rueda Rosales”. A very curious act of the Municipal Council and Justice of the town gives funds to the reparation of the stone through the major plaza, the adjudication of the contract to Pedro Naranjo and the care and cleanliness of the water irrigation ditch: “ The Municipal Council and Justice of the municipal government met at the town hall, to free the water from dirt and viscosities and bad distribution of the irrigation ditch. Such ditch is only three spans of the hand deep the enhancement of this construction is entrusted in the person of Don Pedro Antonio Naranjo y Entralgo, who had the lowest bidding. It is necessary that the ditch be kept clean and with running water. This will be inspected by the Alderman Juan de Rueda Rosales. Given in Santa Cruz y San Gil on February 3, 1668”. An even more curious act dated April 19, 1703, declared our Lady the Virgin Maria Auxiliadora, whose image is venerated in the Church of this town as Patroness against the ant plague. It reads: “In the town of Santa Cruz y San Gil, on April 19, 1703, the gentlemen of the Municipal Council, Justice and Government in accordance with the custom of good government agreed to the following: It has been a long time that Our Lord has punished these lands with mountain or cemetery ants, which have caused great pains in cornelds. We unanimously declare Our Lady the Virgin Maria Auxiliadora the Patroness of this town against this plague, and with the obligation of and acknowledgment of such patronage, the Municipal Council gives notice to the Priest of this town, and in testimony of such agreement, we sign: Gabriel Angel Ortiz, Manuel Estengo and Belarmino Gomez Romano, before me, Isidoro de Jesus Rosales”. Possibly, due to the official declaration, above, the erection of the statute of such Patroness was erected in the middle of the towers of the Cathedral Church of San Gil on which pedestal the following inscription can be read:”You Are The Glory of Our People”.