Introduction 
23 
In New Spain the viceroy had general civil and military powers over 
the entire viceroyalty, which included all of the mainland of North 
America, the West Indies, and the Philippines—though not full local 
powers in all parts thereof. In the immediate audiencia district of New 
Spain the viceroy’s civil and military powers were complete, the viceroy 
exercising therein full powers as governor and captain-general. In the 
audiencia district of Guadalajara, a sub-division of New Spain, which 
was not important enough to have a special captain-general, the viceroy 
exercised the military powers of captain-general, quite as he did in the 
audiencia district of New Spain proper. In the captaincies-general of 
Santo Domingo and Guatemala— audiencia districts of the viceroyalty of 
New Spain—the viceroy exercised only supervisory powers in civil and 
military matters. Throughout the entire viceroyalty, when international 
affairs were concerned the viceroy had ranking authority. Another 
administrative duty of the viceroy was to preside over the audiencia. 
In this capacity he did not vote in legal matters, but it is significant that 
he had authority to decide whether matters were judicial or administrative. 
Of all his duties, defense was one of the most important, and, as captain- 
general of his own immediate audiencia district, he was at the head of the 
army, although he could not make military appointments or promotions 
without first proposing them to the crown. 33 In New Spain the entire 
northern frontier, where the fear of foreign aggression was so imminent, 
was directly under the viceroy until the latter part of the eighteenth cen¬ 
tury. As assistants to the viceroy there were an auditor de guerra , who 
was a sort of special counsel in matters of defense; fiscals, or state attor¬ 
neys; and a junta de guerra, or council of war. In times of great danger 
when the expenditure of a large sum of money was necessary, a 
junta de guerra y hacienda (council of war and finance) assisted the vice¬ 
roy. In time of war the viceroy had the right to impose extraordinary 
taxes and had other discretionary powers. Formally the viceroy was not 
vested with legislative powers, but many such were assumed by him, as, 
for example, the right to receive the royal cédulas and orders and give 
them his own interpretation. 
Finally, as vice-patron of the Church the viceroy made recommenda¬ 
tions 34 for ecclesiastical appointments, the disposal of all of which was 
in the hands of the Council of the Indies, the Pope not even being con¬ 
sulted. The Holy Office of the Inquisition, which was established in New 
Spain in 1569, was also under his supervision, while papal bulls even were 
received and interpreted by him. 
Such were the varied duties of the viceroy of New Spain. However, 
he was not absolute, under the king, whom he represented. Instead, his 
powers were checked and controlled by the various royal cédulas and 
decrees of the Council of the Indies; by seventy-four laws laid down for 
his conduct in the Recopilación ; by the audiencia and other colonial insti¬ 
tutions which, by being able to appeal directly to the Council of the Indies, 
33 H. I. Priestley, José de Gálvez: Visitor-General of New Spain, 1765-1771 (Berke¬ 
ley, 1916), p. 59. 
34 H. I. Priestley, op. cit., p. 59. 
