of missions, as will be more fully explained elsewhere. Vallejo would not permit Hartnell to take possession of San Rafael in pursuance of his instructions, and even arrested the visitador, and carried him across the bay as a prisoner, for having ventured to interfere in matters concerning the northern frontier without his consent.[1] His position was, not only that by virtue of his military jurisdiction and office of director of colonization he had exclusive control of Indian affairs north of the bay, but that San Rafael was no longer a mission, the property having once been distributed and only restored partially under his solemn promise of redistribution – a promise for the fufilment of which the Indians were clamorous, and which he would fulfil at any cost.
The distribution of the public funds continued of course to be a subject of contention. Vallejo accused Ábrego of not dividing the revenues equally as the law required between civil and military employees. He called often for exact statements of the division; he denied the governor's right to interfere in military accounts, and gave his communications the form of positive orders. Ábrego, on the other hand, delighted in the governor's interference against the 'autocrat of Sonoma,' called upon Vallejo to show his commission as comandante general or be content with a captain's pay, and refused to pay the salary of Richardson and
- ↑ May 14, 1840, Hartnell to gov. The Indians objected to the change, and referred to Vallejo's promises. They could not be made to understand that the comandante had nothing to do with missions. The arrest was at S. F. after H.'s return, and he was taken back by V., but released probably next day, after agreeing that V.'s views in this particular case were correct. St. Pap., Miss., MS., xi. 15-17. May 16th, H. left S. José for Monterey yesterday, and the gov. is now satisfied, writes the judge of S. José to Jimeno in answer to an order to investigate the arrest. S. José, Arch., MS., iii. 38. Jimeno's inquiry about the arrest. Dept. St. Pap., S. José, MS., v. 69. The matter was agitated as early as Jan. 22d, when Alvarado complains of V.'s disposition to dictate to him about the distribution at S. Rafael. Vallejo, Doc., MS., ix. 25. V.'s argument on the matter to H. and A. Id., xiv. 17; ix. 106. April 4th, A. begs V. to let H. act according to the regulations. Id., ix. 97. April 9th, V. repeats his arguments, but seems to promise compliance. Dept. st. Pap., MS., v. 3-4. Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., iv. 145-57, narrates the affair, except the arrest, and says that it displeased some of V.'s friends at Sta Bárbara. Mentioned by Vallejo, Hist. Cal., MS., iv. 202-3.
