The Audiencia in the Spanish Colonies: As illustrated by the Audiencia of Manila (1583-1800)Cunningham, Charles Henry
History
The Audiencia in the Spanish Colonies: As illustrated by the Audiencia of Manila (1583-1800)
Cunningham, Charles Henry
Philippines -- History -- 1521-1812; Spain -- Colonies -- Administration
We have already seen that the first notorious disagreement in the
colony arose between Bishop Salazar and Governors Ronquillo de Peñalosa
and Santiago de Vera. This occurred before the establishment of the
audiencia. The audiencia was in fact established partly to have an
impartial tribunal present to arbitrate such disputes, and partly to
check the excesses of the governor. [519] We have also given attention
to the charges made by Oidor Dávalos against his fellow-magistrates
and the governor shortly after the audiencia was established. It has
been noted that the incessant quarreling between the governor and
the audiencia from 1584 to 1589 was one of the causes for abolishing
the tribunal at the latter date. From 1590 to 1595 the governor was
supreme in matters of government, war, and justice. It was clearly
shown during this period that the discord of a quarrelsome tribunal
was eminently to be preferred to the unchecked abuses of an autocratic
governor. In 1595 the audiencia was re-established by royal enactment;
from that date onward it became a permanent part of the government,
notwithstanding the fact that its relations with the other institutions
of the colony were not harmonious.
There were two complaints most frequently made against governors. One
of these was their commercial excesses and the other, their abuse
of the power of appointment. The former consisted of the monopoly
of galleon space for themselves, or their friends, the acceptance
of bribes from merchants for various favors, or the manipulation of
the Chinese trade in some way for their own advantage. The tendency
of governors to appoint their friends and relatives to office,
notwithstanding the royal prohibition, and the apparent inability of
the audiencia to prevent this was a source of complaint, especially
during the early years of the colony. [520] Dishonest proceedings in
the sale of offices, including the retention of the money received and
the disposal of offices to friends for nominal sums, were among the
irregularities of the early governors. These abuses the magistrates
often knowingly permitted in return for some favor allowed them
by the governor. That the laws which forbade these abuses of the
power of appointment had been openly and flagrantly violated was
a charge brought up repeatedly in the residencias of governors and
magistrates. An examination of the correspondence of the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries would almost lead to the belief that the
home government despaired of ever righting these wrongs, and left
them unpunished, rather directing efforts towards reform in other
channels in the hope of remedying greater defects.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account