plan of San Diego and in Echeandía's summons to the members, and accordingly on January 11th Pio Pico, the senior vocal, was chosen to fill the position. Echeandía was duly notified, and at first expressed no dissatisfaction, though he seems to have wished the diputacion to adjourn to meet in the south, while that
etc.; and as to the complaints, it was decided that action had not been at all hasty or irregular, nor had it been necessary to wait for the presence of E. before swearing in Pico. Ortega was named to report on efforts to obtain from Mexico a constitution or organic law for California. Communications were also received from Bandini about the cost of Victoria's passage to S. Blas. This debt of $1,500 was assumed in the session of Feb. 4th. (p. 189-95.) In extra or secret sessions of Jan. 24th, 30th, Feb. 3d, 6th, the date and place of annual meetings were discussed without any definite conclusion. There was also some slight clashing between Pico and the rest, P. declaring that it was his place to direct the junta and not to be directed by it. (p. 352-5) Feb. 10th, on motion of Ortega, Echeandía was again requested to proclaim, as soon as possible, the accession of Pico to the office of gefe, and to cease exercising political power himself; it was also ordered that the new gefe should have jurisdiction at once in those places where the civil authority was established, except at S. Francisco, Sta Bárbara, and S. Diego, which places were to be within the jurisdiction of the comandante general, until such time as the civil authority might be regularly organized and the necessity for military rule removed. (p. 196-7.) It seems that on Feb. 3d E. had objected to P.'s appointment in a communication, either to the dip. or to the ayuntamiento, to which latter body he writes on Feb. 6th. Dept. St. Pap., MS., iii. 41. Feb. 11th, E. to P., in reply to note of 10th, asks by what right he has taken the oath, the law of Sept. 30, 1823, being anulled by art. 163 of the constitution. Id., iii. 30. Feb. 12th, the ayunt. and citizens of Los Angeles held a meeting and formally declared that they would obey no other gefe político than Echeandía. This action was confirmed on Feb. 19th, J. A. Carrillo and José Perez dissenting. Los Angeles, Arch., MS., iv. 50-3, 56-8; Dept. St. Pap., MS., iii. 39-40. Feb. 13th, the action of the ayun. against P. was received through E. P. made rather a bitter speech, and proposed that E. himself be invited to go before the ayunt. to explain why P. had been appointed according to the laws and to the plan of S. Diego; and also how insulting had been the action of the municipal body to the dip. and the laws. All but Yorba favored this, and the sending of a committee to reason with the ayunt. (p. 197-202.) Feb. 16th, a letter from E. was read, refusing to comply with the request of the dip. E. now declared the appointment illegal, because the military and political command could not be separated; there had not been 7 vocales present; some of them were related to Pico; and finally, P. was incompetent to perform the duties of the office. Still, rather than use force, he will give up the political command and hold the dip. responsible. P. in a very able speech refuted E.'s arguments, and claimed that, whatever his lack of talent, the people had chosen him as a vocal; but he refused to attend any more meetings or accept the office of gefe politico until the dip. should vindicate its honor and freedom, and refuse to recognize E., who had evidently intrigued with the ayunt. against the territorial government. Vallejo followed with an argument against E.'s position, which he regarded as virtually a new pronunciamiento made with a view to keep for himself the political power. The speaker was, however, in favor of offering no resistance, but of suspending the sessions and leaving the responsibility of the new revolution with E. and his friends. All except Yorba approved this view, and it was decided to adjourn next day, reporting this action and the reasons to E. and to the national govt. (p. 202-9.) E.'s protest against P.'s appoint-
