Note 58 — Chapter VI · THE AUDIENCIA AND THE GOVERNOR: GENERAL RELATIONS

We have already noted that the governor exercised special judicial powers, independent of the audiencia. Among these the military jurisdiction stands pre-eminent, and it will be discussed separately in the following chapter. The governor was also empowered to try Indians in first instance, with appeal to the audiencia.58 The actual trial of these cases, however, was delegated to the alcaldes mayores and corregidores with appeal to the audiencia. It was impossible for the governor, occupied as he was with the multitudinous affairs of his office, to concern himself personally with the thousands of petty cases among the Indians, or between Indians and Spaniards. He had jurisdiction over suits involving the condemnation of property through which public roads were to pass.59 The special jurisdiction of the governor, assisted by the audiencia, over cases affecting the royal ecclesiastical patronage will be discussed later.