Carondelet, (Francisco Luis Hector) Baron
New Orleans, (Louisiana)

to Pedro de Acuna
(Madrid, Spain)

The royal order of March 13, 1794 conformed with Carondelet's proposal to add 10 pesos a month to the 30 already enjoyed by the six Irish priests, Fathers Patrick Mangan, George Murphy, James Coleman, Charles Burke, Patrick Walsh and Francis Lennan. The orders also asked that an account be given of the parishes, priests and missionaries of the towns, the number of inhabitants and the tithes or offerings. Carondelet encloses: 1. A report of the places to which the six priests are to be sent. 2. The account of the parishes as asked for. Tithes are not paid in any part of the province because of poverty or because having never paid it, they resent it and move out. This was the reason the leaders acted to get rid of the tithe in the Illinois country, which His Majesty conceded by the royal order of April 3, 1786. In the meeting called because of the royal order of June 21, 1790, to investigate waste of royal funds, it was found that far from being guilty of waste in spiritual things, an increase should be made. With the exception of the capital and the Illinois country 500 leagues away, the population consists of isolated plantations so that the pastor could not get help from his people. The smallest extent of each parish is 5 or 6 leagues along both sides of the river, and in the interior it is triple that or more. Therefore a pastor must have one or 2 horses, a slave or hired servant and sometimes a boat. Added to this is the high cost of shipping food and clothing to places high up the river. Also, according to custom, the priest and commandant are expected to feed many who come to church; otherwise not many would come to Mass because religion is very lukewarm in these provinces. Therefore the treasury should assign 30 pesos a year to the priests and 40 to the pastors of the Illinois, to New Madrid, and A(r)kansas.

L.S. Copy (Spanish)
Enclosure:
(______)

(Carondelet, Baron)
(New Orleans), Louisiana

Report of the districts or towns of Louisiana giving the number of souls in each, those with or without a pastor and the income of each.

D. (Spanish) IV-5-b L.S. Copy 8pp. 4to. D. (Spanish)
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