capabilities of the Indians; and he was engaged together with José María Herrera in laying the foundations of what became later a very bitter quarrel. But of these topics I shall speak elsewhere. Montereyans were forming a prejudice against the new governor because he chose to live in the south. The padres disliked him because of the republic he represented and his expected opposition to their interests; but the governor attended to his routine duties in a manner that afforded little or no ground of complaint.
The diputacion had no existence since its suspension by Argüello; but at the end of 1826 Echeandía seems to have ordered a new election, and on the 18th of February five electors de partido met at San Diego to choose, not only diputados to reorganize the territorial diputacion, but also a diputado to the national congress.[1] Pablo de Sola was on the first vote chosen as representative in congress; but in view of the doubt whether Sola could be deemed a, resident of California and of the urgent necessity that the territory should be represented, the vote was reconsidered, and Captain José de la Guerra y Noriega was unanimously elected, with Gervasio Argüello as substitute. The term of office was for 1827-8. Guerra did not start for Mexico until January 1828. His friends urged him not to go, fearing that as a Spaniard he would not be well received. Their fears were well founded, since he was not admitted to congress, and even had to hurry back
- ↑ Dec. 5, 1826, Gov. orders that electors are not to start until further notice. Dec. 31st, he orders them to start. Dept Rec., MS., iv. 19-26. The order for an election is not extant, but it appears from another document to have been dated Nov. 14th. The five electores de partido, one for each presidio and one for Los Angeles, were Francisco de Haro, S. F.; Estévan Munras, Monterey; Cárlos A. Carrillo, Sta B.; Vicente Sanchez, Los Angeles; and Agustin Zamorano, S. Diego. Actas de Elecciones, MS., 1-4; Dept. St. Pap., Angeles, MS., x. 1; Guerra, Doc., MS., vii. 155-8, in which documents is found the record of the action of the meeting. The only partido election of which we have a record was that at S. F. on Jan. 1, 4, 7, 8, 1827, where Haro was chosen over Joaquin Estudillo. Details given. Vallejo, Doc., MS. , i. 99-102; and the only primary elections recorded were that at S. F., Id., and that at San Antonio on Nov. 26th, where Eugenio Nactre was chosen to go to Monterey and vote for the elector de partido. Dept St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., lix. 17-19.
