García Herreros, and Agustin Argüelles should be recognized as provisional defenders of the European Spaniards residing in New Spain.
Another representation, of May 27th, took up the history of America from its first settlement, assuring the córtes that the accounts given by the conquerors were grossly exaggerated. After praising the institutions, the wisdom of the government, and Spanish good sense, and representing the castes in the country in the darkest colors, the consulado explained how the desire for independence was awakened, accusing the Spanish junta central of having greatly promoted it by its proclamation. All the political errors, which according to the consulado's opinion the junta committed in the system adopted toward America, proceeded from the example set by the constitution formed by the junta de notables called by Napoleon at Bayonne. The consulado believed it a 'solemne disparate' that Spain and the Indies should be governed by the same code of civil, criminal, mercantile, and fiscal laws. The petition concluded by asking that the representation from New Spain should not exceed twenty-one deputies, namely, one from each province, and the six chosen by the three consulados.[1] This brought on much irritation. The American deputies deemed themselves and their countries grossly insulted.[2] Morales Duarez then offered a resolution that the paper should be denounced by the córtes and burned by the common executioner. He further proposed that the port of Cádiz be closed, so that no vessel could carry away information that such a measure was before the córtes without its being accompanied by its denounce-
- ↑ The second petition was sent to a merchant who was a relative of the deputy García Herreros, secretary of the córtes, to whom he delivered it. The latter kept it in his possession, as the American deputies suspected, till the 10th of September, on which day, the congress being engaged in the discussion of the article in the constitution excluding from representation the negroes born in Africa, he laid it before the president, who reported it to the house, and the latter, believing it would throw light on the point under discussion, ordered it read in public session. Alaman, Hist. Méj., iii. 76-7.
- ↑ The discussions may be found in Córtes Diario, viii. 338 et seq.; and in Guerra, Hist. Revol. N. Esp., i. 285-7; ii. 674-5.
