Additionally, in 1766 Spain issued a "cedula" (an edict) proclaiming that the "alcabala" tax on sales would be collected in certain cases of "coartación." "Coartación" wasn't officially put into Cuban law until 1842. In the years preceding the Reglamento de Esclavos of 1842, masters had been trying to curb the practice of "coartación" which they saw as an affront to the institution of slavery. But with the British abolitionist movement becoming an increasingly strong force, Governor Valdés made the proclamation despite the masters. Masters continued to protest the Reglamento, blaming it for the conspiracy of La Escalera. While the courts did try to review certain articles from the proclamation, especially the article that allowed slaves to change masters at will, they ultimately decided in 1862 to uphold all parts of the law. In 1871, the governor did establish that rural slaves could not change masters at will, but by this time eastern Cuba had erupted in an anti-colonial revolt which threatened the whole slave system.