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Spain and SA officials debated how to get FL's books audited

Source: The King?s Coffer #83

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The treasury officials asked in 1660 to present their audits for review and send their appeals to the seven auditors of the tribunal of accounts in Mexico City. This request was quickly approved, but as it was tied in with forwarding criminal appeals to the audiencia, Governor Aranguiz y Cotes withheld the cedula. It was repeated to the next governor five years later and evidently put into effect. Pedro Benedit Horruytiner, whose association with the discredited auditor was not held against him, was named lieutenant auditor for Florida with a salary of 500 pesos from the situado surplus. [Note 57: Joseph de Prado and Domingo de Leturiondo 11/24/1660, with marginal comment of 11/23/1661; Joseph de Prado and Domingo de Leturiondo 9/7/1663; Juan Menendez Marquez and Lorenzo Joseph de Leon 9/9/1666; fiscal of the Council between 9/17/1667 and 10/21/1667, comments on Gov. Guerra y Vega 8/27/1666] No such arrangement seemed to last long. During the regency of Queen Mariana (1666-75) a reorganization took place. All the treasuries of the Windward Isles, including Florida, were told to present their audits and summaries to the royal auditor in Havana. The officials in St. Augustine objected that this would be impossible as no one exercised the local office of Lieutenant auditor. Some years later, Governor Hita Salazar promised for them that summaries would be sent triennially to the correct tribunal, which he acknowledged to be the one in Cuba. [Note 58: Recop 1665-75; royal officials 3/7/1672; Gov. Hita Salazar 11/15/1680]