Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/69

Rh From 1827 to 1829 the national government issued a long and somewhat complicated series of laws and regulations on the expulsion of all Spaniards from Mexican territory, the principal laws being those of December 20, 1827, and March 20, 1829. By the terms of the former, the classes exempt from expulsion were quite numerous, including those Spaniards physically disabled, those over sixty years old, such as were married to Mexican wives or had children not Spaniards, professors of useful arts and sciences, and all who had rendered special services to the cause of independence, or who had manifested great affection for that cause. Such by taking the oath of allegiance might remain. The chief application of this law in California was of course to the friars, of whom I shall speak separately; but there were also other Spaniards in the territory. Echeandía seems to have interpreted the law, or instructions that may have been sent with it, to mean simply that resident Spaniards were to be reported and required to take the oath. Corresponding orders were issued and lists were sent to Mexico in 1828.