The Royal Audience is a council, composed of a pre sident, (the captain-general), a regent, three oidors, two fiscals, one for civil and crindoal affairs, the other for the finances; a reporter, and an alguazil major. This audience is invested with a power of superintendance over all other constituted authorities, not even except ing the ecclesiastical tribunal. The captain-general is barged by the king to consult the audience on every extraordinary emergency ; and they enjoy the very un common privilege of corresponding with his majesty without the knowledge of the governor.
Tne members of this audience are distinguished by the title highnesses ; and, according to a royal decree, the viceroys are commanded to treat them with all re spect, as their brethren, and as magistrates whom the king honours with his confidence ; to admit them im mediately whenever they visit them, and listen to them as fathers, chiefs, protectors, and presidents.
The Cabildos are courts invested with the charge of police and of municipal affairs in the different towns, villages, and districts. They are composed in general of alcades in ordinary, or municipal officers, regidors, and a syndic. By the constitution of the cabildos of Caraccas, the governor is president of all the cabildos within his district. The alcades are elected every year, on the first of January. In places which have no bildos, the poli«e and administration of justice is Imo witted to it bcuteriont of justhe, whose tiOn ge aurally nls Over Olive or hiur villages. l'or the exercise of his authority, which is almost unlimited, thP lieutenant of justice is accountable only to the govci nor. His office continues for two years, hut he may be re-elected.
'The forms and proceedings of all these tribunals are' complicated, tedious and expensise. No nation is so much addicted to litigation as the Spanish, both in En rope and America; hence the of judges, ad vocates, attornies, notaries, serif eners, alguazils, and clerks, is quite incalculable, and the citizens are divided into two classes, one of which is duped and ruined by the chicanery of the other, which supports and ( nriclies itself by the follies and misery of the simple and liti lions.
There is perhaps no country where an invading, arm, would meet with fewer obstacles than in Caraceas. It , sea-ports, indeed, arc in general pretty well ft)l tilied, and might repel, with considerable suicess, an att upon the single point in wnich y are situated. But tneir great distance from each (Antr would rem er tam to tally useless for general defence. On the wide lit of shore, many places would be found of easy debarka tion ; and, with proper guides, a ho..ti..• army mi.ght, with the utmost facility, overrun a comory abounding in every kind of provisions, while its ,.t ti,. f at the best but small, would be rendered still less effi cient, by being distributed in a numlx:r of remote gar risons.
The defenrc of all the provinces included in the go vernment of Caraccas is committed to the captair cal. The g,,vcrhors of particular provinces may a 'opt such provi-ioc•d measures as exigf out for taese liKasures they arc account.ble the can •tin general, whose orders they inns' ( ven.ually exec ute. One great and obvious disadvantage attends this system. The immense distance by which the provinces are sepa rated prevents the union of their forces, without much difficulty and ?clay ; while the gov,:rnors are often pre y( uteri from adopting the proper provisional measures.
by the fear of giving offence to their superior. But were the t e nothing to prevent the united action of the whole military force of Caraccas, it would still be very inade quate to the defence of such an extensive and valuable country. The whole army consists of 13,136 men. who, before the present civil war, wbre distributed among the different provinces in the following proportions : In Caraccas and its environs, 918 troops of the line, 900 artillerymen, 1630 ; in Valencia, 15.30 militia; in the yanks of Aragoa, 1330 militia; in S. Carlos. 50 militia cavalry; ill Cumana, 221 troops of the line, 45 artillerymen, 2245 militia; in Maracaibo, 308 troops of the line, 100 artillerymen, 310 militia ; in Guiana. 150 troops of the line, 100 artillerymen, 870 militia; in the Isle of Margaretta. 77 troops of the line, 400 artillery men, 770 militia; and at Varinas, a company of troops of the line, consisting of 77 men.
Among the evils which repress the energies and re tard the improvement of the inhabitants of Caraccas, the first place ought doubtless to be assigned to the Roman Catholic religion, which is here accomp tMed with all the horrors of the Inquisition. This dreadful tribut.al has the power of condemning to fine, confiscation. bm.ish ment, the galleys, or the flames. In proscribing books hostile to their ideas of true religion or sound policy, the most pernicious exercise of their prerogative, the mem bers of the inquisition are particularly vigilant. No book is allowed to be imported, circulated, or read, till it has received the seal of orthodoxy from the commissaries of the holy office. Every bookseller must provide himself with a catalogue of the books proscribed, and is bound to furnish, in the two first months of every year, an in ventory of the books he has for sale, with his oath sub scribed, that he has no other books than those named in the inventory. Even private persons, who enter the country with books, must make a detailed declaration of the contents of their library, confirmed by oath, which declaration is sent to the tribunal of the inquisition, or its commissaries, who have power to permit the introduc tion of the books, or to seize them. Should this declara tion be omitted, or imperfectly made, the books are con fiscated, and a fine of 200 ducats is exacted for the ex pellees of the holy office. Books, when imported, are generally deposited at the custom-house, nor can the offi cers release them but by express permission of the com missary of the inquisition. Catalogues procured from abroad for the selection of books,-must be sent before any use is made of them, to the holy office, which may retain or restore them. Should any person succeed in eluding the vigilance of the inquisition, he still possesses proscribed books by a very dangerous tenure, for he is perpetually exposed to those domiciliary visits which the commissioners of the inquisition have a right to make at any hour, either of the night or day. When we examine the list of books condemned by this rigid tribunal, we despair of the rapid progress of improvement among a people, from whom the richest treasures of literature, and even of science, are withheld, lest their eyes should be opened to the absurdities of a pernicious superstition, or to the abuses of an oppressive government.