Chili at the same time, and the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres, including the provinces of Upper Peru.
The viceroy was the representative of the King and his court, and he maintained the pomp and luxury of the court of Madrid. The viceroyalty united the civil and military power with no other counterpoise than the distant dependency of the Council of the Indies, and the near but indirect inspection of the audiencia, a court of appeal for all cases not exceeding 10,000 dollars in gold. The viceroy was ex officio its president. His sanction, assisted by an assessor, was necessary to promulgate any sentence.
The salary of the viceroyalty, 60,000 dollars in gold in Mexico and Peru, and 40,000 in Buenos Ayres and New Grenada, sufficed to sustain the luxury prescribed by the royal ordinances. It generally lasted five years, and was then obliged to render an account of its administration, and the viceroy presented himself in person to answer to any charges made against him. Other high functionaries were obliged to do the same. The members of the audiencia were not paid; they must be natives of Spain, and could not form marriage ties in South America; they were even recommended not to contract intimate social relations with the residents of the country; but an exception was made in favor of Creoles. The officials of this body were a regent, three auditors,
