Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/722

704 very numerous, presumably — were required to be held, and were held, so far as the records show, at the presidio, though some of the officials and most of the citizens lived elsewhere, the presidio, as we have boundary. Vallejo, Doc., MS., ii. 316. This was the 'Zamorano document,' shown to be spurious, as no such 'Vallejo line' was ever adopted for the purpose indicated, though the land commission accepted it as authentic. Janssens, Vida, MS., 48-9, claims to have brought the gov.'s order from Mont to S. F., and to have witnessed the installation of the ayunt. Dec. 7th, record of primary election at the presidio; electors chosen; Ignacio Peralta, Francisco Sanchez, Fran. Soto, Joaquin Castro, José C. Sanchez, Fran. de Haro, Manuel Sanchez, Juan Miranda, Antonio Castro, Marcos Briones, and Apolinario Miranda, the highest no. of votes being 27. Dwinelle, add. 36.

1835. Alcalde Fran. de Haro, secretary Fran. Sanchez, regidores and síndico unknown. Jan. 22d, Haro to gov., announcing that the ayunt. has begun its sessions, having appointed a sec. at $15, and Gregorio Briones as alcalde auxiliar of the contra costa. Jan. 31st, gov, approves the appointments. Dept. St. Pap., Mont., MS., iv. 91-2. This is more definite than Dwinelle's references for same facts. Jan. 31st, gov. to Joaq. Estudillo, comandante of S. F. de Asis (there is no other evidence that he held such a position), acknowledging receipt on the 23d inst of a padron, and ordering the election of an ayunt. of 4 members according to the pop. (50 to 200?). Dwinelle, add. 37. This order is unintelligible on its face. Dwinelle dwells on the use of the word partido in the former order and pueblo in this, and claims that after the 'aggregate' ayunt. of the partido was organized, the gov., learning the no. of inhab., ordered the organization of a new 'composite' ayunt. for the pueblo, which superseded the 1st. This conclusion seems to me to rest on very slight foundation; and I prefer to suppose there is something wrong about the 2d order, especially in view of its date. I do not think there was a new election, though such was possibly the case on account of some informality in the 1st; and I regard the fine distinction made by lawyers on both sides between a partido and pueblo ayunt. as imaginary. May 30th, petition of 39 residents of the northern ranchos (Contra Costa and Alameda counties) to be transferred from the jurisdiction of S. F. to that of S. José, on account of the long distance by land and perilous voyage by sea to the place of ayunt. meetings, also the lack of proper lodgings at S. F. presidio. This was referred to the dip., and then to the respective ayunt. in Sept. That of S. José on Nov. 4th reported in favor of the change; and that of S. F. on Dec. 20th against it on the ground that the complaints of the petitioners were frivolous, as they came frequently to S. F. on private business, and the presidio lodgings had been this far satisfactory. This seems to have ended the matter, and no change was made. St. Pap., M. & C., MS., ii. 361-4. June, a reply to a petition of the ayunt. on assigning ejidos and propios is mentioned in an index, but is not extant, Dwinelle, add. 53. July, gov. decides that the ayunt. has no right to grant Estudillo a house lot on the beach with sowing lands at Yerba Buena. Dept. St. Pap., Ben., P. & J., MS., vi. 16. This may have been because the granting of lots away from the presidio required consideration, because of the location 'on the beach,' or of the extent of land desired; at any rate on Sept. 22d, as made known by gov. to alcalde on Oct. 27th, the dip. decided that the ayunt. could grant lots of 100 varas and 200 varas from the shore at Yerba Buena. Dec. 13th, primary election; electors Bartolo Bojorges, José C. Sanchez, Felipe Briones, Gabriel Castro, Manuel Sanchez, Ignacio Peralta, Joaquin Estudillo, and Candelario Valencia. Election held in the plaza of the pueblo of S. F. de Asis – probably at the presidio as before. Dwinelle, add. 47. Final election on Dec. 27th, no record except that Joaquin Castro was chosen regidor and his election declared null by reason of his relationship to the síndico. Dept.