T h e military jurisdiction proper was divided into
two departments, with headquarters at Havana and
Santiago, the former under the direct command of
the captain-general, and the other subject also to his
authority under the command of a general who was
called the “ Governor of Cuba.” There was also a
second in command at the capital, who was known
as “ Governor of Havana.” T h e navy was also
under a commanding officer, and there were five
stations, Havana, Trinidad, San Juan de los Remedios,
Santiago, and Nuevitas. T he army in time of
peace was about 20,000 men, and a number of inferior
gunboats were kept in Cuban waters, with a
cruiser generally in Havana harbour. T he ecclesiastical
establishment was originally subordinate to that
of Santo Domingo, but a bishopric was established
at an early date at Santiago, which had exclusive
jurisdiction until 1788. Then the diocese of Havana
was created, and in 1804 that of Santiago was elevated
to an archbishopric. T he Inquisition was
introduced in the sixteenth century, and the State
religion was maintained with rigour. No other was
ever tolerated under the Spanish sovereignty.
T he judiciary system consisted of the Real A u d iencia
Pretorial at Havana, and two superior courts,
one at Havana for the western provinces and one at
Puerto Principe for the two eastern provinces. The
Real Audiencia acted as an advisory Council of
State. There were twenty-six judicial districts,
each with an alcalde mayor, and there were auxiliary
delegates, or alcaldes, acting as local magistrates.
A ll the higher offices and the greater number of
minor places were held by Spaniards, most of whom
had for years been, justly or unjustly, charged with
corruption.
T he combination of civil, military, naval, ecclesiastical,
and judicial power was virtually swayed by
the governor-general, who represented the royal
authority at Madrid, and exercised its prerogatives
in the colony without the restraints of constitutional
limitation, or of responsibility to anybody but a
sovereign who rarely interfered except to substitute
one governor-general for another, being therein restricted
to the lieutenant-generals of the army.
Even the educational system, such as it was, was
under the direction of the governor-general and the
rector of the university, who was also appointed by
the Crown and always sent out from Spain. T he university
was established at Havana in 1721 by the
' Order of Preaching Friars ” under authority of the
Pope, and was extended and more liberally endowed
by Governor-General Las Casas. There was a collegiate
institution in each of the six provinces, with
power to confer the degree of bachelor, or licentiate.
There was a system of public schools, and elementary
education was made compulsory by law in 1880; but
the ratio of illiteracy continued to be very high.
T h e salary of the governor-general was $50,000
a year, that of each governor of a province $12,000,
and the bishop of Havana and archbishop of Santiago
each received $18,000 a year. T he expenses
of every branch of administration, including that of
the Church, were charged upon the revenues of the
island, which also had to pay the cost of keeping