PAPERS OF UlR-IBEAU BUONAP.\RTE LAMAR 361 presented to it from ev ral towns and villages, praying that it wonld change the federal form of government, and·establish a central form. The e petitions were all of a revolutionary character, and were called 'prononncitmeintcs,' or pronouncements for centralism. They were formed by partial and revolutionary meetings, gotten up by the military and the prie ts. Petition in favour of the federal system and constitution, and protest again t uch revolutionary measures, were also sent in by the people, and by some of the state legislatures, who still retained firmness to express their opinions. The latter were di regarded, and their authors persecuted and imprisoned. The for- mer were considered ufficicnt to invest Congre with plenary pow-ers. It accordingly, by a decree, deposed the constitutional vice president, Gomez Farias, who wa a leadin.., federalist, without any impeachment, or trial, or even the form of a trial, and elected another of their own party, Gen. Barragan, in his place. By another decree, it lmited the enate with the house of representatives, in one chamber; and thus constituted, it declared it elf invested with full power , as a national convention. Iµ accordance with th~ e usurped powers, it proceeded·to amend the federal eonstitution and sy tern, and to establish a central or consolidated government. ' It i then clear, gentlemen, that this congress which destroyed the constitution, was an unconstitutional body, for it derived its power from a military order of the President instead of from the people in the regnlar course of election. Unconstitutional as it was in its origin it also acted unconstitutionally. It did more than a constitutional congress could have d01ie. It amended or rather destroyed the con- titution at the 1 first session, when according to the mode prescribed for amending that instrument .it reqnired the deliberations of three or four successive sessions of congress before any change could be made in it. Superadded to all this it acted upon pronouncements made by illegal assemblies of the people, instead of upon observations made by the state legislatmes as the constitution required. Let us now enter into the details of the mocket·y of a government established by these omnipotent and law despising minions of a military despot. Dec1·ee of the ,1d of October 1835. ARTICLE 1. The present Governor of the state shall continue, not- withstandin.., the time fixed by the constitution may have expired; but hall he dependant for their continuance in the exercise of their attribute upon the supreme goyernment of the nation. ARTICLE 2. The legislatu're shall immediately cease to exercise their legislative functions; but before dissolving (and those which may be in recess meeting for the purpose) they ball appoint a department council, composed for the present of five individuals, chosen either within or without their own body, to act as a council to the governor; and in ca e of a vacancy in that office, they·shall propose to the supreme general 1,rovernmcnt three perLons the qualifications hitherto req.uireu; and until an appointment be made, the gubernatorial power shall be exerci ed by the first on the list, who i not an eccle ia tic. ARTICLE 3. In those tates where the legi lature cannot be as- sembled within eight days, the Ayuntamiento of the capital shall act in its place, only for the purpose of electing the five individual of the department counci,t
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