Return to Table of Contents Go to Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] | ||||
PAGE 14
On March 21, 1800 the Cabildo found it
necessary to provide arms to the night policemen and resolved that eight lances be made--two for the
Corporals and six for the policemen. The upper portion of this document is the bill presented by master
blacksmith Francisco Marre for thirty-two pesos due him for supplying the weapons. The bottom portion is
Juan de Casteñado's certification that the lances were indeed made and delivered to the policemen
for their use.
|
There appears to be no earlier mention of weapons for the policemen, nor is it clear what prompted the
Cabildo to order the lances in 1800. Perhaps there was simply a general increase in violent activity as the
port attracted more and more non-resident sailors and flatboat men into the city. Control of the city's slaves,
of course, was always a concern, but the local militia played more of a role in that effort than did the night
policemen who, after all, were primarily responsible for lighting and looking after the city's street lamps. Next page
of this document | Translation of this document
|
| |