difficult post to fill and the remoteness from Europe, the isolation,
and the vexations of the _residencia_ made it no easy task to get good
men for the place. An official of thirty years experience, lay and
ecclesiastical, assures us in the early seventeenth century that he
had known of only one governor really fitted for the position, Gomez
Perez Dasmariñas. He had done more for the happiness of the natives in
three years than all his predecessors or successors. Some governors had
been without previous political experience while others were deficient
in the qualities required in a successful colonial ruler. [62]

The supreme court or _Audiencia_ was composed of four judges
(_oidores,_ auditors) an attorney-general _(fiscal)_ a constable,
etc. The governor who acted as president had no vote. [63] Besides
the functions of this body as the highest court of appeal for
criminal and civil cases it served as has been said as a check upon
the governor. Down to 1715 the _Audiencia_ took charge of the civil
administration in the interim between the death of a governor and the
arrival of his successor, and the senior auditor assumed the military
command. [64] Attached to the court were advocates for the accused,
a defender of the Indians, and other minor officials. In affairs of
public importance the _Audiencia_ was to be consulted by the governor
for the opinions of the auditors. [65]

For the purposes of local administration the islands were subdivided
into or constituted Provinces under _alcaldes mayores_ who exercised
both executive and judicial functions, and superintended the collection
of tribute. [66] The _alcaldes mayores_ were allowed to engage in trade
on their own account which resulted too frequently in enlisting their
interest chiefly in money making and in fleecing the Indians. [67]