Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/557

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EMOLUMENTS OF VICEROY.
537

during certain public celebrations, accepting a higher form of address than señoria—excellency being permitted only in late years—obliging the oidores to escort the viceroy to their hall whenever he chose to preside,[1] and expecting them as well as other dignitaries to make ceremonious calls on his birthday, or during his sickness. In other directions his privileges were extended with a view to preserve the dignity of the royal representative. A guard of honor numbering twenty-five was provided to attend him, and later a special posse for the palace.[2] His pay was gradually increased from the six thousand ducats enjoyed by Mendoza, to twenty thousand, and later to forty and sixty thousand pesos. Certain legal fees were added for superintending the drainage work and other duties, exceptional grants being made to favorites, with permission to introduce a certain amount of jewelry and merchandise free of duty.[3] A goodly portion of the government house or palace, and of the buildings at Chapultepec, were set aside for his use, and the service was covered to a great extent from public funds.[4] Liberality in this direction appeared the more necessary, as only too many viceroys had used their position to enrich themselves, either by direct or indirect sale of places, or accept-

  1. The viceregal chair or throne in the audiencia chamber could not be occupied by the oidor who took his place as president.
  2. Of 30 men with captain and lieutenants, created in 1792. The guard of honor consisted of a captain, a lieutenant, 3 non-commissioned officers, and 20 halberdiers, with a monthly pay of 16 pesos or more, the captain alone receiving double pay, and later that of infantry captain. The men paid for their uniform and arms. Their allowance came from vacated encomiendas and other sources. The viceroy of Peru had a guard of 50 with three hundred pesos a year.
  3. The amount varied. Calle mentions 16,000 ducats' worth of effects, besides 8,000 in plate, and an annual importation for the household to the value of 4,000 ducats. Mem. y Not., 56-7. A year's pay was allowed till 1766 for going and returning to the post. Boletin, i. 360. See also Hist. Mex., ii. 37 6, this series. One fifth of the 60,000 was allowed for the office of captain-general, and exempt from the anata deduction. The ruler at Lima had larger pay and more privileges.
  4. The preference in selecting servants should be given to descendants of conquerors. The yearly expenditure for palace repairs must not exceed 10,000 pesos. Reales Cedulas, M.S., ii. 115. An account of the rooms occupied by the viceregal suite in 1771 is given in Vireyes Instruc., MS., pt. vii. 1-3.