The whole Spanish population of the city went out to meet him, and received him with every demonstration of joy. Every day additional persons flocked to Cuzco, withdrawing from Lima in consequence of the rigorous conduct of the viceroy, who continually irritated the inhabitants by his tyranny. Numerous meetings were held in the town-house of Cuzco, both of the magistrates and the citizens in general, to consult as to what ought to be their conduct in the event of the viceroy arriving at their city. Some proposed that he ought to be received, and that a deputation should be sent to his majesty, praying him to give relief in respect to the regulations, which would ruin the colony unless changed or considerably modified. Others alleged, if the viceroy were received, that he was so determined on the establishment of the regulations in their entire rigour, that he would instantly deprive them of all their Indians; and that, whatever alteration might be afterwards made, it would be exceedingly difficult to recover them. It was at length resolved to elect Gonzalo Pizarro procurator-general, and Diego Centeno, who had been sent to represent the city of la Plata, was appointed his deputy. Gonzalo was authorised, in the exercise of this new office, to lay the remonstrances of the Spanish inhabitants of Peru, in regard to the new regulations, before the royal Court of Audience; and at first considerable difference of sentiment took place in the councils of the remonstrants, as to the mode in which he should proceed to Lima: whether he should be accompanied by a body of troops for his defence in case of need, or should go there merely as a peaceful messenger. At last the former alternative was resolved on, and for the following reasons, in excuse for taking up arms against the viceroy. First, that the viceroy had beat up for volunteers at Lima, under pretence of chastising those who had taken possession of the artillery. Secondly, that the viceroy conducted himself with the most inflexible rigour in carrying the regulations into effect, without listening to the supplications and remonstrances which had been presented to him, and without waiting for the arrival of the judges of the royal audience, to whom, not less than to himself, the authority had been confided for enforcing or suspending the execution of the regulations. Lastly, because the viceroy had been several times heard to declare that he would put Gonzalo to death, on account of his participation in the late civil war, and in the death of Don Diego. Some of the remonstrants were disposed to place this measure, of escorting the procurator general by an armed force, upon a more moderate pretext, alleging that it was necessary for him to travel through a part of the country, in his way to Lima, where the Inca was in arms, and that it was proper in consequence that Gonzalo should be enabled to defend himself from the hostility of the natives. Others talked more openly, saying that the viceroy was a person of an obstinate and inflexible disposition, who did not confine himself within the bounds of justice and equity, and against whom it was necessary to have some other protection than that of the law. Some able persons among them endeavoured to place their present conduct in a favourable light, by drawing up a kind of manifesto, in which they endeavoured to demonstrate, that there was nothing in their present conduct which could be considered as derogatory to the respect which was due to the royal authority, as justice allowed every one to repel force by force, and to defend themselves against unjust oppression, even resisting by violence a judge who acts unlawfully, and against the essential forms of law and justice.
It was flnally determined therefore, that Gonzalo should raise a body of troops, and for this purpose many of the inhabitants of Cuzco offered their persons and properties, declaring themselves ready to hazard their lives in defence of the common cause. Besides the title of Procurator-general of Peru, for the purpose of presenting the supplications and remonstrances of the colonists, Gonzalo was appointed general of the army which was to defend him against the Inca. As is usual in such matters, these resolutions were all extended with much formality, to give a colour of regularity to their proceedings. The remonstrants then proceeded to levy an army, for the payment of which they took possession of the royal treasure, and availed themselves of the property belonging to deceased colonists and some other funds, under pretence of a loan. After this captain Francisco de Almendras was detached with some troops to take possession of the defiles of the mountains, on purpose to prevent any intelligence of their proceedings being conveyed to Lima. In this measure, they were aided by Paullu, brother to the Inca, who guarded all the passes on his side by means of his Peruvians, to prevent any one from carrying intelligence to the low country.
The Cabildo or council of Cuzco sent letters to the Cabildo of la Plata, representing the prodigous injuries which would accrue to all the colonists from the execution of the obnoxious regulations, informing them of the measures which they had resolved upon for averting the ruin of the colony, and requiring them to approve of and concur in these measures, to which in fact they were already parties, since captain Diego Centeno, their deputy, had already consented to them in their name and behalf. They therefore required their concurrence and assistance, and requested them to repair immediately to Cuzco with their arms and horses. Gonzalo wrote by the same conveyance to all the inhabitants of La Plata, soliciting their individual concurrence and aid. At this time, Luis de Ribera acted in the city of La Plata as lieutenant to Vaca de Castro, the former governor, and Antonio Alvarez, another inhabitant of the same place, held the office of judge ordinary. These men, on hearing of the transactions which had taken place at Cuzco immediately revoked the commission which had been given to Centeno as deputy from their city, and sent an answer to the regency of Cuzco in the name of the whole cabildo of La Plata declaring that they were resolved to obey the orders of his majesty, although it should cost them their lives and properties: That their city had always preserved its loyalty against all who had acted against the royal authority, and they were resolved to persist in the same line of conduct: That Centeno had only been authorised to concur in their name to such measures as might appear conducive to the service of his majesty, the advantage of his dominions, and the preservation of the natives of the country; and since, in the election of Gonzalo, and the other measures which had been resolved upon at Cuzco, they saw no tendency towards those things which had been confided to Centeno, they could not be implicated in the consent which Centeno had given beyond his legitimate powers, nor were they to be considered as bound to ratify what he had done in their name, as every thing which had been done was contrary to the orders and instructions which they had given him.
This letter did not contain the universal sentiments of the citizens of La Plata, in which Gonzalo had several friends, who used their endeavours to gain over the inhabitants to his side, and to engage them to join his army. They even endeavoured more than once to kill Ribera and Alvarez, but these officers used such precautions as to baffle all their attempts. Ribera and Alvarez waited patiently for receiving the regulations from the viceroy; but owing to the great distance of their city from Lima, these had not yet reached them. In the mean time, they commanded all the inhabitants, under severe penalties, to remain in La Plata; yet several of them left the city and joined the remonstrants at Cuzco.
The viceroy made his entry with great pomp, in the month of May 1544, into Lima, where no one dared to speak to him on the subject of suspending the obnoxious regulations. The magistrates, indeed, had already made their respectful remonstrances and supplications, alleging substantial reasons why they ought to be suspended, but all in vain. He engaged indeed, after the regulations should have been carried into effect, that he would write to his majesty, representing that it was for the interest of the crown, as well as for the advantage of the natives of the country, that they should be revoked; and that those who had drawn them up were certainly ignorant of the true state of the country, or they could never have advised the king to establish them. He acknowledged that the regulations were prejudicial to the royal interest and the good of the country; and he recommended that deputies should be sent to him from all parts of Peru, in conjunction with whom he would write to the king what might be proper on the subject; and that doubtless he would then receive orders calculated to remedy the apprehended evils: But that he could not of his own authority suspend the execution of the ordinances, and must continue to act as he had already done, as his orders left him no choice but absolute obedience to the royal instructions.