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 2o8 A HISTORY OF CHILE However, when congress convened it was a mere as- sembly of the province of Santiago; hardly a week had elapsed before it attempted to assume the whole author- ity of the government. On the 13th of September, a pop- ular movement had taken place at Valparaiso, the pur- pose being to pass resolutions censuring some of the measures of the minister of revenue in respect to that port. The government, as a matter of precaution, and to reestablish order and stop the spread of the demon- stration, stationed a body of one hundred cavalry on the road near Valparaiso to await news and observe the result. The Santiago representatives, who were in sympathy with the movement in Valparaiso and had received secret communications from there, gave orders to the government that no force should be sent out. Some altercations took place, when the Santiago rep- resentatives demanded to know whether or not they were recognized by the executive as the congress. The director replied that they v.ere not, and that he would not obey resolutions which they might pass on general affairs. After protracted discussions the representatives de- cided that on the morning of the 7th of October, the magistrates resident in the capital should take an oath of recognition and obedience to them as the only au- thorized national congress. The director then decided to resign his position and quit the capital until the matter could be settled. This he did, withdrawing a distance of five leagues, accompanied by a body of cav- alry. The representatives then named Don Juan Fran- cisco Sanchez supreme-director of the nation. But a majority of the inhabitants of the city adhered to the cause of Freire and issued an address on the 8th, entreat- ing him to return and dissolve the assembly of repre- sentatives, who unlawfully styled themselves the con-