a federal union with the province of Mexico.[1] A few days later news reached the capital that the governor of Texas had proclaimed the empire, and had been joined by several savage tribes. The bishop of Sonora refused his support to the plan of Casa Mata. This was of little consequence; but affairs in Guadalajara were assuming a serious aspect. The clergy was ridiculed in El Pensador Mexicano, a popular journal, and manifestations of disloyalty and disobedience to the govenment were daily occurring.
The diputacion and people of that city, seconded later by other provincial capitals, demanded the convocation of a congress to estalblish the federal system with a suitable constitution. On the 12th of May resolutions were passed in that city to suspend the enforcenment of decrees and orders issued by the executive or congress until the popular demand was complied with. The chief authority within the province was then vested in the diputacion provincial, strengthened with the niembers of the ayuntamiento of Guadalajara.[2]
The congress, in its anxiety to allay the agitation, increased the powers of the provincial deputations in the nomination of public officers within the respective provinces, giving them also supervision over the administration of their revenue, and at the same time declared its willingness to accept the desired federal system. But these concessions did not satisfy the demands, and it finally became necessary to convoke a constituent congress to assemble in Mexico on the 31st of October. The decree was issued on the 21st of May,[3] and the rules for the elections appeared on the 17th of June.
- ↑ The matter was submitted April 21st. Id., Cuad. Hist., MS., viii. 177.
- ↑ Other provinces were urged to pursue the same course. Bustamante, Hist. Iturbide, 162-8, 172-4; Id., Cuad. Hist., MS., viii. 175-7, 180-9; Mex. Dictámen de la Com., 1-22; Yuc. Represent., 3-5; Baqueiro, Ens. Yuc., iii. ap. 4-8; Suarez, Informe, 5-6; La Minerva, 1845, May 15, 1.
- ↑ The ratio for the election was one deputy for every 50,000 inhabitants, every freeman of eighteen years and upwards being a voter without other restriction. Alaman, Hist. Méj., 760-5, 771-2; Bustamante, Cuad. Hist.,
