Note 79 — Chapter VI · THE AUDIENCIA AND THE GOVERNOR: GENERAL RELATIONS

The audiencia was deprived of its acuerdo power in governmental matters by the Constitution of 1812, but it was still retained in judicial affairs. In 1815 and again in 1823 on the restoration of the monarchy, the full acuerdo power as practiced before 1812 was resumed by the audiencia. Official recognition of the acuerdo was made publicly by Governor Torres, who succeeded Enrile on March 18, 1834. In his inaugural address this governor avowed his purpose to be the extension and improvement of commerce, the army and agriculture, “but, in order to develop these to their highest extent, and to realize the utmost success in my administration,” he said, “I count on the co-operation of all the authorities, and particularly of the real acuerdo, of which I have the honor to be president.”79 The audiencia was finally excluded from the acuerdo in administrative matters by the reform of July 4, 1861; since then the tribunal has been purely judicial, the legislative functions of government having been assumed by the Administrative Council (Consejo de Administración) of which the president and fiscal, and usually two oidores at least were members. Thus, even after the reform of 1861, the oidores continued to participate in legislative functions, though the audiencia as a body did not.80