JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION. 261 



nated by the Cabildos, or municipalities, in 

 order to maintain the civil power. The mi- 

 litary commands were generally vested in 

 the viceroys and captains-general; but some- 

 times they were separately held by officers 

 called Commandantes, The Cabildos, or muni- 

 cipal corporations, had the sub-government 

 of the towns and surrounding districts. 



With respect to the administration of 

 justice, it would be useless to enumerate 

 the various courts and judicial officers : from 

 their decisions, in certain cases, appeals 

 might be made to, and in others they must 

 be confirmed by, the supreme courts or au- 

 diencias, which held their sittings at Mexico, 

 Guadalaxara, Guatemala, Caraccas, Santa 

 de Bogota, Quito, Lima, Cusco, Chuqui- 

 saca. Chili, and Buenos-Ayres. Some cases 

 were, by the latter courts, tried in the first 

 instance. 



