We provide laws for all the subjects of our kingdom who are under
our sovereignty, for no other reason than the protection of their
interests, and to the end that they may not be subjected to unnecessary
expense or injury. For who is more concerned in the administration of
justice, or who should be more familiar with it than ourselves, who,
in the various affairs of life, extend the hand of assistance to our
faithful subjects, and aid those whom we rule with equity? We therefore
decree, by the following law, that no governor of a city, deputy,
or other official, shall presume to oppress the people, for his own
benefit, by means of any taxes, exactions, labors, or journeys; or
shall accept unnecessary donations of grain from a city or a province;
for we are well aware that when we appoint judges, we, at the same
time, provide them with the means of subsistence. In like manner, we
admonish governors of provinces, those in charge of the royal demesnes,
and the officials of our treasury, that they have no power over private
persons, and shall not in any way molest them. But where a private
person has a lawsuit against any of the slaves of the Crown, the public
agent, or attorney of the province, having been notified of the fact,
shall cause the matter to be brought before the governor, or the judge
of the district, and shall present his case, in order that the action
may be legally determined, and such amends made as are equitable.
In order that proper supervision may be exercised over the royal
officials in charge of our domains, we have agreed that the tax
collectors and _defensores_ shall be changed every year; and, as
we are well aware that in consequence of this, much injury results to
our people, we hereby decree that any tax collector or _defensor_,
who has been elected by the bishops or the people, shall serve the
full term for which he was chosen. Where any tax collector or
_defensor_ has been appointed, he shall not give any present to
a judge, nor shall a judge presume to accept or exact anything from
him. If any judge should violate this law, he shall be deprived of his
office, and shall be compelled to pay ten pounds of gold to the royal
treasury. Should the priests, whom we address with God as our witness,
learn of any misconduct of judges, or of other officials, and not bring
the same to our notice, they shall be liable to the sentence imposed by
the council, and shall be compelled to make reparation from their own
property for such losses as the poor may have suffered through their
silence.
TITLE II. CONCERNING THE ERADICATION OF THE ERRORS
OF ALL HERETICS AND JEWS.
=I.= _Laws Having Been Given to True Believers, it is Now
Necessary to Place Restraints upon Infidels._
=II.= _Concerning the Renunciation of the Errors of all
Heresies._
=III.= _Concerning the Laws Promulgated on Account of the
Wickedness of the Jews._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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