Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/311

Rh A meeting of the ayuntamiento was called October 12th, before which body reasons most unanswerable and convincing — to the people of Monterey — were adduced why the proposed change of capital would be a measure outrageously detrimental if not fatal to all the best interests of the territory. A report of Hartnell and Pacheco as a committee was approved, sustaining objections to the change, and recommending a protest. This action was passed immediately to the diputacion, which body on the 14th confirmed it, resolved that the reports of the territorial congressmen were based on selfish interests, decided to remain with the gefe político "at this capital" until further action; and sent the whole expediente to Mexico by the Catalina on the 15th.

Figueroa still bore in mind the importance to Mexican interests of founding a frontier settlement and garrison north of San Francisco Bay. In fact, he had temporarily suspended the enterprise only from fear of what he chose to regard as the revolutionary plans