THE BAY OF BISCAY. 211 



which had their representatives in the provincial 

 estates called the Bilzar. To these were reserved 

 the general administration, the fixing of imposts, and 

 more especially the care of preserving intact the 

 privilege of the fueros. 



To take part in this national assembly, it was suffi- 

 cient to be a Basque, or rather a landowner. The 

 feudal hierarchy, such as we find in every other part 

 of Europe, never existed amongst the Euskarians. 

 It is true that all the Guipuzcoans were nobles by 

 birth and enjoyed in Spain all the rights attached to 

 that rank, and there were even certain towns of 

 Biscay and Alava which conferred the same privi- 

 leges on their inhabitants, but these were to a certain 

 extent mere external distinctions which had no value 

 whatever within the Basque territory. Even the high- 

 est titles conferred by the kings of Spain upon certain 

 families did not establish any real distinction in 

 their favour amongst their fellow- citizens. In Grui- 

 puzcoa, Biscay, and Alava, the constitution recog- 

 nised neither nobles, marquesses, nor dukes ; but, on 

 the other hand, no one was regarded as plebeian. To 

 take part in the deliberative assemblies, or in the 

 public administration, it was only necessary to be 

 ctclieco yauna, that is to say, the master of a house, 

 or a house-owner ; and this quality being attached to 

 the possession of the soil could be transmitted with 

 it. A foreigner, however low his birth, might ac- 



republics, having the right of sending delegates to the General 

 Assembly. Guipuzcoa is less divided (Aper$us sur la Biscaye, les 

 Asturics ct la Galice, by Count Louis de Marillac. Pario. 1807.) 



P 2 



