1875.] OZJ [Dclmar. 



suits, wbicli are lost and won, and lost again, going from one province to 

 another and appealing to different courts and tribunals, one after the 

 other." R. B. M. See. of Leg. Percy Ffrencn, Madrid, Decsmher 7, 1870. 

 (L. T., 19.) 



For organization of courts of law and proceedings on judgments and 

 evictions, see L. T., 26. 



There are no special courts of bankruptcy. {Ibid.) " No questions are 

 submitted to jury." {Ibid.) 



Agricultural banks on the German plan have been tried but failed. (L. 

 T., 55.) The system of legal procedure against debtors is the great draw- 

 back to credit based upon land. Even lending money upon mortgage is 

 dangerous. (L. T., 44 and 47.) In many places money on land is only to 

 be had on a sale a retro, or a remore (L. T., 47), which seems to be a sale 

 with power of redemption. 



The laws give the landlord to whom rent or allowances for deteriora 

 tions are due, a preference over other creditors to the extent of the cattle, 

 household effects and other moveables found upon the property (L. T., 

 26, 34, 38 and 48) ; but not the mules, horses, plows, or carts ; which 

 appear to be exempt from execution. {Ibid, 51.) 



A custom is said to exist in Valencia which is peculiar, and as it may be 

 common elsewhere in Spain, and has a bearing (m the tenure of land and 

 security, credit and interest, I insert an account of it here : 



"When an eviction occurs (generally a rare thing in the agricultural 

 parts of Spain), if the landlord d^es not pay the colonist or tenant the 

 value of the buildings (erected by the latter), the tenant pulls them down 

 and carries away the materials ; this, however, rarely happens." (L. 

 T., 56.) 



Common Roads. 



"Owing to the badness of the roads and their unfitness for carriages, 

 the principal carriers of merchandise are the arieros, or muleteers, who 

 traverse the country in all directions along beaten tracks, many of which 

 are accessible only to them. * * * Three-fourths of the entire inland 

 traffic in corn is carried on by their means. Recently, however, wagons 

 have begun to be introduced." (M'CuUoch, 11, 839.) 



This was the condition of affairs described in 1844. 



Under date of July 1, 1865, the British Secretary of Legation, at Mad- 

 rid, wrote as follows : 



"Even the few main roads (common roads) which exist, are insuffi- 

 ciently provided with bridges, and it is not an uncommon sight to see 

 eighty or ninety "carros" or country carts laden with agricultural pro- 

 duce, detained on the banks of a flooded river until able to ford, some- 

 times for three or four days. * * « Fifty years ago the in- 

 ternal communication was entirely carried on by means of mules, and 

 few, if any roads existed." {Br. Bep. Sec. Leg. 1866, p. 184.) 



