Superintendent of the Treasury
Original title: Provedor da Fazenda
Senior Funchal official responsible for public revenue and expenditure and head of the customs house, subordinate to the Conselho de Fazenda, whose office was abolished in 1775 and replaced by the Junta da Real Fazenda.
He was one of the most senior officials in Funchal, subordinate to the Treasury Council (Conselho de Fazenda), a tribunal created by Philip II of Spain on 20 November 1591 and confirmed by law of 22 December 1761. He was responsible for accounting for the revenue and expenditure of public money, and he ran the Funchal Customs House until 1775, as stated on p. 34 of vol. I of this Elucidário. The royal letter (carta régia) of 2 August 1641 ordered the judges and officers of the Council to assist him whenever necessary, and the warrant of the Treasury Council of 11 January 1701 laid down that he could summon any officers or soldiers of the militia to give evidence in matters concerning the Royal Treasury (Fazenda Real), without the Governor’s authorisation. He could order the arrest of any person without the leave of the corregedor (royal district magistrate), and have any prisoner brought from the gaol..., when this was needed for any business of the Royal Treasury, as can be seen from the warrant of the Treasury Council of 10 March 1735.
The Treasury Superintendency (Provedoria da Fazenda) was abolished by royal letter of 6 April 1775 and replaced by the Royal Treasury Board (Junta da Real Fazenda), to which we have already referred in this Elucidário.
The official who held the post of superintendent (provedor) when the office was abolished became judge of the Customs House, in accordance with the determinations of the Royal Treasury Board of 21 August 1775. See Junta da Real Fazenda.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 06-
Philip II created the Conselho de Fazenda.
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A royal letter ordered the Funchal Câmara to assist the provedor da fazenda.
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The provedor da Fazenda was allowed to summon militia officers and soldiers as witnesses without the governor's leave.
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A mandate confirmed the power of Madeira's provedor da fazenda to arrest persons without the corregedor's licence.
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The Conselho de Fazenda was confirmed by law.
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A royal letter abolished the Provedoria da Real Fazenda attached to the Funchal customs house and created the Junta da Real Fazenda da Ilha da Madeira.
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The last provedor da Fazenda became judge of the customs house.
Place
Places mentioned · 02
- Funchal
Seat of the provedor da fazenda.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Funchal customs house
Funchal. Customs house directed by the provedor until 1775.
The Manueline customs house of Funchal, ordered to be built in 1508, with arcades and a courtyard chapel of Santo António built in 1714, now deconsecrated. It was directed by the provedor until 1775 and repaired after the 1748 earthquake. It was surrounded by mutinous troops in 1626 and stormed in 1641, the 1868 riot took place on the beach nearby, and it later housed the Civil Government offices and archive.
People
People mentioned · 01-
King of Spain and Portugal who created the Conselho de Fazenda in 1591.