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 ERA OF CONSTITUTION MAKING 239 The president's policy was now attacked by all parties, but the most savagely by the nationals, or Montt- Varistas, and this led in June to a change in his cabinet. The new cabinet, appointed on June 20th, 1862, was also composed of liberals and conservatives. Manuel Tocornal was made minister of the interior and of foreign affairs, Victorino Lastarria, of finance, Miguel Guemes, of justice, Marcas Maturano, of the war and navy departments. Two years later Tocornal and Las- tarria were succeeded by Alvaro Covarrubias and Ale- jandro Reyes. One of the first acts of President Perez' adminis- tration was an attempt to open negotiations with the Araucanians, for the purpose of bringing the Indians of the southern provinces into closer relations with the government. The governor of Nacimiento was charged with this undertaking. The Indians, however, stub- bornly refused to negotiate. Their head toqui, Guen- tecol, wrote President Perez a haughty letter, and the chiefs of the nation refused to meet commissioners in a council A singular turn was now given to the affair. Living among the Indians was a Frenchman, M. de Tounens, who induced them to believe him capable of defending them against the Chileans. They elected him head toqui, or king, with the title of Aurelie Antoine I. and framed a constitution. King Aurelie caused considerable amusement in Chile for a time, but his majesty soon gave the government so much uneasiness that it was found expedient to de- vise means to rid the country of him. A plan was ar- ranged in 1862, and the king was seized by disguised Chilean policemen, who mounted him upon a horse and compelled him to go with them, though his loyal sub-