Correspondencia de los Virreyes 13 
was more formally organized and its functions fixed and extended, the result 
being a more systematic arrangement and preservation of the papers.” 
It should be noted that while the viceroy’s correspondence in these files in 
Mexico does not begin till 1755, there is also a shortage for the earlier dates 
in the files of the same class of material in the archives of Spain, as is shown 
by a royal order of 1805. On May 20 of that year, incidentally to the discus- 
sion of the Louisiana boundary question, Cevallos wrote to the viceroy asking 
for materials relating to disputes with the French over the boundary, such as 
provisions of the viceroy’s government, viceroy’s reports, or royal orders 
relative to the subject, stating in explanation of the request that “ of this class 
of information and of papers de Yndias anterior to the year 34 of the [past] 
century there is a great lack in the vias reservadas, on account of the fire 
which happened in that year ””.“ In consequence of this order a collection of 
extracts from viceroy’s correspondence and royal decrees on the subject was 
compiled by Father Talamantes, and is now preserved in Seccion de Historia, 
Archivo General y Publico. 
CLASSIFICATION. 
The material of this section may be broadly classified as: (1) correspond- 
ence directed by the viceroy, or in the absence of a viceroy by the Audiencia 
Gobernadora, archbishop, or other executive pro tempore,” to the court of 
Spain; (2) transmitted correspondence and other documents related to the 
subjects treated in the viceroy’s despatches. The volumes are arranged in 
three separately numbered series which are not clearly distinct as to subject 
matter, as will be seen from the analysis given below. There is no fixed 
archive designation to distinguish these different series, but they have been 
arbitrarily referred to as series I., II., and III., and will be so designated here. 
Series I. 
Series I. consists of 56 volumes, extending from 1755 to 1819. Down to 
1787 the correspondence falls mainly under three classes, distinguished by the 
route by which they reached the king. (1) Communications sent to His 
Majesty por via reservada de Indias, through the Ministro de Estado y Secre- 
tario del Despacho Universal de Marina y Indias. Of this class are volumes 
5, 7, 11, 12, 18, 15. In some cases documents marked in the indices “ muy 
reservadas ” (very reserved) are lacking from the files. (2) Communica- 
tions directed to His Majesty por su Supremo Consejo de Indias (varied as 
al Consejo, al Real y Supremo Consejo, etc.). Of this class are volumes 1, 2, 
3, 4, 6, 14, 17.” 
In 1787 and soon thereafter important changes were made in the central 
administration, mainly in the direction of subdivision of function. To cor- 
respond with these changes, despatches from New Spain once conducted 
* A. G., Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Amarillas, vol. 1, no. 133. This communi- 
cation gives a review of the history of the office. In 1773 a request was made for 
reorganizing the office anew. Jbid., second series, XXXV. Bucareli 18, no. Soo. 
“See A. G., Historia, vol. 43, fol. 29; Bolton, in the Quarterly of the Texas State 
Historical Association, vols. VI. and VII. : 
* Volume 5 of series II., for example, contains correspondence of the Real Audiencia, 
the Oidor, and the Captain-General with the court (1760) ; vol. 136, that of the “ Royal 
Audiencia and Regent Captain-General ” (1785) ; and vol. 143 that of the newly created 
Superintendente Subdelegado de Real Hacienda (May-Sept., 1787). 
® Of these early volumes those compiled by Peramas are almost exclusively of the 
first class, while those compiled by Bonilla are of the second. 
