Antonio Canovas del Castillo to the church certain real property held by the stale, January 9, 1875

Decree dated January 9, 1875, restoring to the church certain real property held by the stale.

[From the “Gaceta de Madrid,” January 10, 1875.]

Decree.

When, in 1860, by agreement with the Holy See, the real estate of the clergy was transferred to the state, exception was made of such only as by its nature and conditions could not enter into commerce nor subserve any economical necessity, remaining in consequence and thenceforth completely effected the desamortization of all its real property. Subsequently, and by different authorities, various measures were adopted, by virtue of which much of the property not comprised in the transfer returned to the power of the state, some of the buildings thereon being demolished, others set apart for public uses, and the rest subsisting in the power of the state.

The regency-ministry desires to remedy, so far as may be possible, the effect of those measures, because, if it be not done, monuments which to their religious character add the merit of being artistic and historical will disappear, as many others have done, to the dishonor of the nation.

For these considerations it has decreed the following:

• Article 1. The financial administrators, in accord with the very reverend archbishops and reverend bishops, shall put at the disposal of the same those estates of the clergy which, having been excepted from the transfer agreed upon with the Holy See in 1860, are to-day in the power of the state in consequence of subsequent measures, and which are not now applied to public uses.
• Art. 2. If the demolition of any of the edifices on such estates shall have been begun, the financial administrators shall order the suspension of work thereon, reporting the same to the ministry of finance. Likewise they shall give account of those now employed for the public service.
• Art. 3. The necessary measures shall be adopted by the ministry of finance for the execution of this decree.