188 



MEXICO. 



Mexico. Their labours among the natives have tended rather 

 S "*Y""" > ' to change their ceremonies than their sentiments ; and 

 it has been the policy of the teachers, from the begin- 

 ning, to tolerate, and even to reconcile with Christiani- 

 ty, as much as possible of the ancient system. The 

 sanguinary spirit of the old rites is, indeed, abolished : 

 but, otherwise, the Indians know little more of religion 

 than the exterior forms of worship, in which, according 

 to the Catholic ritual, they find one of their principal 

 sources of amusement. The festivals of that church, 

 the fireworks with which they are accompanied, the 

 processions, dances, and fantastical dresses which are 

 exhibited, interest the lower Indians in the highest de- 

 gree, and afford an opportunity for displaying all the 

 peculiarities of the national character. 



Political New Spain was formerly distributed into the follow- 



divisions. ' in g ten districts : kingdom of Mexico, kingdom of 

 New Gallicia, new kingdom of Leon, colony of New 

 Santander, province of Texas, province of Cohahuila, 

 province of New Biscay, province of Sonora, province 

 of New Mexico, and the two Californias; and these 

 divisions are still frequently used in the country. It is 

 now divided into 12 intendancies, and three provinces, 

 namely, 



Province of New Mexico. 

 2. Intendancy of New Biscay, 



or Durango. 



Province of New California. 

 Province of Old California. 

 Intendancy of Sonora. 

 Intendancy of San Louis Po- 



tosi. 



Intendancy of Zacatecas. 

 Intendancy of Guadalaxara. 

 Intendancy of Guanaxuato. 

 Intendancy of Valladolid. 

 Intendancy of Mexico. 

 Intendancy of Puebla. 

 Intendancy of Vera Cruz. 

 Intendancy of Oaxaca. * 

 Intendancy of Merida, or 



Yucatan. 



> North region. 



7 North-west 

 f region. 



\ North-east 

 j region. 



Central re- 

 gion. 



I South-west 

 f region. 



Some of these intendancies are ten, twenty, and even 

 thirty times larger than others ; \\ hile several of the 

 least extensive contain above 100 times more inhabi- 

 tants than the larger divisions. The following Table 

 may be useful, as presenting in one view these striking 

 inequalities of the distribution of Mexican population, 

 even in the most civilized part of the kingdom. 



The fundamental maxim of Spanish jurisprudence in Mic. 

 Mexico and the other colonies is, to consider all these 

 acquired dominions as vested solely in the crown, and 

 as in a manner the personal property of the sovereign, 

 This right is retted upon the bull of Alexander VI. 

 which bestowed, as a free gift, upon Ferdinand and 

 Isabella, all the regions that had been or should be dis- 

 covered in America. From the Spanish monarchs all 

 grants of land in that continent proceed, and to them 

 they finally return. The leaders of the various expe- 

 ditions, the governors of the different colonies, the offi- 

 cers of justice, the ministers of religion, are all appoint- 

 ed by their authority, and removable at their pleasure. 

 The colonists are entitled to no privileges independent 

 of the sovereign ; and even in the largest cities the 

 rights of the citizens are merely municipal, ana limited 

 to the regulation of their own internal commerce and 

 police. All political power, every thing relating to 

 public government, centres in the crown, and in the 

 officers whom it has nominated. The viceroy of New 

 Spain not only represents the person of the sovereign, 

 but possesses all his regal prerogatives in their utmost 

 extent, and exercises supreme authority in every depart- 

 ment of government, civil, military, and criminal. He 

 has the sole right of nominating to the principal offices, 

 and of supplying those which are in the king's gift 

 till the person whom he appoints shall arrive. His 

 court is formed upon the model of that of Madrid, 

 and displays an equal or even a superior degree of 

 magnificence and state. He is aided in his extensive 

 government by officers and tribunals resembling those 

 of Spain ; and though some of these are appointed by 

 the sovereign, they are all subject to the viceroy's com- 

 mand, and amenable to his jurisdiction. 



The administration of justice is vested in tribunals 

 called audiencias, formed upon the model of the Spanish 

 court of chancery. One of those, consisting of a num- 

 ber of judges, proportioned to the extent of the district, 

 is established in every province, and takes cognizance 

 both of civil and criminal causes. The viceroys are ex- 

 pressly prohibited from interfering in the decisions of 

 these courts ; and in some cases the audiencias may 

 bring his political regulations under their review, anil 

 present remonstrances on the subject; or, final!}', lay 

 the matter before the king and the council of the In- 

 dies. Upon the death of a viceroy, the supreme power 

 is vested in the audiencia of the capital till a successor 

 be appointed, and the senior judge, assisted by his 

 brethren, exercises all the functions of the vacant office. 

 The sentences of these courts are final in every litiga- 

 tion concerning property of less value than 6000 pesos ; 

 but when the subject in dispute exceeds that sum, their 

 decisions may be carried by appeal to the council of the 

 Indies a court which was instituted by Ferdinand in 

 1511, and brought into a better form by Charles V. in 

 1524. Its jurisdiction extends to every department of 

 government in Spanish America, and all laws and regu- 

 lations respecting the colonies must be approved by 

 two-thirds of the members. All the officers nominated 

 by the king are conferred in this council ; and to its 

 inspection every person employed in America, from the 

 highest to the lowest, is held accountable, in this coun- 

 cil the king is always supposed to be present, and its 

 meetings are always held where he resides. 



The leading object of the Spanish government hag 

 always been to secure the productions of the colonies to- 

 the parent state, by an absolute prohibition of all in- 

 tercourse with foreign nations. All that the colonies 

 yield must be conveyed to Spanish ports, and all that 

 6 



