Introduction 
21 
reforms down to 1820 in its index. For the laws passed from 1680 until 
the latter part of the eighteenth century there is no complete statement or 
compilation. 24 
Of the permanent institutions that were established in the colonies, the 
first and one of the most important was the audiencia, a kind of supreme 
court. The first audiencia in the new world was formally established in 
Santo Domingo in September, 1526, with a president, four oidores , a 
fiscal, and other subordinate officers. Several years later, when it became 
patent that the administration of Cortés was unsatisfactory, an audiencia 
was established in New Spain and, under the presidency of Ñuño de 
Guzmán, was vested with both judicial and administrative powers. As 
a result of its misrule it was decided to substitute for the audiencia form 
of government a viceroyalty and a new audiencia. When in 1535 
Mendoza arrived in New Spain as viceroy this arrangement became per¬ 
manent. 
In general the duties of an audiencia were three-fold. First, there were 
duties common to a court of law; second, those concerned with the wel¬ 
fare of the natives; and third, those associated with the administrative 
agencies. From the judicial standpoint the audiencia was the supreme 
court of the jurisdiction in which it was located. Its members were ap¬ 
pointed by the Council of the Indies and were removed at the pleasure of 
that body. In Spanish North America there were four audiencia dis¬ 
tricts—Mexico, or New Spain; Guadalajara, or Nueva Galicia; Santo 
Domingo, later Havana; and Guatemala. In the case of the Audiencia 
of New Spain there were eight oidores ; four alcaldes del crimen ; two 
fiscals, one civil and one criminal; one alguacil mayor (bailiff) ; and one 
vice-grand chancellor ( teniente de gran chanciller). Until late in the 
Spanish régime the presiding officer of this audiencia was the viceroy of 
New Spain. 25 An audiencia district presided over by a viceroy was the 
highest type in the Spanish colonial system. 
At the beginning the Audiencia of Guadalajara did not have a separate 
seal of office and appeals could be made from its decisions to the Audiencia 
of New Spain. But in 1572 a chancery, composed of a president who 
was usually the eldest member of the court; three oidores —later increased 
to four—who also served as alcaldes del crimen ; one alguacil mayor ; 
and other officials, was formed and a separate seal of office granted to it. 26 
By 1680 all existing orders to the contrary were revoked and the president, 
and not the oidores, was designated as the one in charge of the govern¬ 
ment of the district. 27 At the same time the president and oidores of the 
audiencia, as well as the governor of Nueva Vizcaya, were ordered to 
obey in everything the Viceroy of New Spain, and to hold with him good 
24 Alamán, op. cit., I. 31-32, and references cited; J. M. Antequera, Historia de la 
Legislación Española (fourth ed., Madrid, 1895), pp. 563-566; Bancroft, Central 
America, I. (San Francisco, 1882) 285-288; Solórzano y Pereyra, op. cit., I. “ Introduc- 
cion . 
25 Recopilación, lib. 2, tit. 15, ley 3. 
26 Juan López de Velasco, Geografía y Descripción Universal de las Indias . . . desde 
el año de 1571 al de 1574, p. 261; Bancroft, Mexico, II. 547. 
27 Recopilación, lib. 2, tit. 15, ley 7. 
