in favor of decisive measures; José Antonio and Cárlos Carrillo, believing their personal influence would check any outbreak that might result from "ignorance and blind confidence in the Spanish friars," were instructed to proceed to the south at once; and a committee favored the arrest of the accused, and granted the governor all needed powers to act. That same day numerous orders were despatched southward to military officers. Troops were ordered from place to place; the general prepared to maintain at any cost the republican integrity of California, and Captain Gutierrez was instructed to arrest the conspirators and bring them to an immediate trial. In five days José Antonio Carrillo reported the charges unfounded. In August Gutierrez reported to the same effect; and Figueroa decided accordingly that the good fame of the parties involved was unimpaired. Alfred Robinson gives probably the key of the mystery, when he states that Guerra was negotiating for the purchase of a rancho, an operation requiring a search of the archives at San Gabriel, long conferences, and the signatures of several witnesses. It was the remark of one of the latter, an ignorant fellow, distorted by the personal enmity of certain persons, which created such commotion at the territorial capital.[1]
I may note in passing that the junta of partido electors met at Monterey October 16th-19th, and chose José Antonio Carrillo as deputy to congress for 1835-6, to succeed Bandini, who, as we shall see a little later, had already returned to California. Mariano G. Vallejo was elected as substitute.[2] I may further allude to the fact that Figueroa sent to the supreme government a comprehensive report on revenues and their administration,[3] and the kindred fact that complaints
- ↑ Leg. Rec., MS., ii. 2-10. Communications of May 26th, 27th, 31st, Aug. 2d, 6th, in Dept. St. Pap., MS., . 149-56; 170-1; Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., lxxviii. 23-30. Robinson's Life in Cal., 157-9.
- ↑ Actas de Elecciones, MS., 19-21; Guerra, Doc., MS., vii. 159-63; Vallejo, Doc., MS., ii. 313, 340.
- ↑ Figueroa, Cosas Financieras de Cal., 1834, MS. Dated Nov. 28th. The document will be noticed later.
