Luis Carrillo - As Royal Commissioner in New Spain

As Royal Commissioner in New Spain

Conflicting reports sent back to Spain led to confusion in the Council of the Indies. The Council proposed to the king that he send a special commission to the colony to investigate the situation and bring actions against guilty parties, up to and including the removal of the viceroy. By a royal edict dated June 16, 1567, Philip II named a commission consisting of Licenciado Gaspar de Jarava, Licenciado Alonso Muñoz and Doctor Luis Carrillo. The first two were from the Council of the Indies; Doctor Carrillo was an official in the Court.

The king gave written instructions to the commissioners. They were to order Viceroy Peralta to return to Spain at the first opportunity. The government of the colony was to be turned over to Licenciado Jarava, the oldest of the three commissioners, and in his absence, to Licenciado Muñoz, also elderly. Sentences of death were not to be given without the unanimous approval of the commissioners.

Commissioner Jarava died on the voyage, on July 18, 1567, one day after reaching Grand Canary. Muñoz and Carrillo arrived in Veracruz on October 29, 1567. They began their work in Mexico City early in November. The Audiencia had already freed Martín Cortés on condition that he would leave Mexico. The first decision of the commission was to construct a jail, "in the manner of those of the Santo Officio ", to imprison the principle accused, including Baltasar de Aguilar Cervantes and Luis Cortés.

Aguilar was the principal accuser of Martín Cortes, Marquess del Valle, but upon recognizing Viceroy Peralta's sympathy with the marquess, Aguilar had withdrawn his accusations. He was arrested now and subjected to torture to determine which of his accounts was the true one. Under torture he admitted that the second version, favorable to Cortés, was meant to persuade the viceroy. He was condemned to ten years in the galleys, forfeiture of his property, and perpetual exile from the Indies. Also tried were the brothers Pedro and Baltazar de Quesada.

Many others were implicated, some of them innocent. They were arrested, often tortured, and sentenced to prison, confiscation of property or exile. In 1568 three were hanged. The jails were full and new jails were constructed. Muñoz and Carrillo continued to jail innocent people until Spain, acting on petitions from the colonists, ordered their recall. Martín Cortés's property was restored in 1574, except for Tehuantepec, which was taken by the Crown for a port and navy yard.