Causa criminal vs. José Mariano Duarte, Alcalde of San José, for getting the ayuntamiento to sign…

Causa criminal vs. José Mariano Duarte, Alcalde of San José, for getting the ayuntamiento to sign 'subversive' papers. Denounced by síndico Luis Chabolla[?]; the drafts (in the archive, extracted by Regidor Flores) deemed 'subversivos y de mucha malicia.' Doc nº1 (in the Alcalde's own hand): a federalist manifesto — 'este Ayuntam.to ha llegado á conocer sus derechos y el alcance de sus fuerzas' — calling (per constitutional art. 27) for the Exma Diputación to be convened at Monterey at the ayuntamientos' petition. Doc nº2: accusations the alcalde was caught in 'tratos ilícitos' with Ignacia Padilla at night (regidores Joaquín Higuera + Fernando Félix expelling him). ⚠️ The political agitation echoes the Solís Plan's central demand (reconvene the Diputación) and is an apparent precursor to the Nov-1831 anti-Victoria revolt. Docs nº3–4: the acta (1 June 1831) expanding the San José ayuntamiento — adding 2 regidores (Fernando Félix & Cnt. Rodríguez), secretary José Reyes Berreyesa, depositario the retired sgt Luis Peralta (the prominent ranchero). Witness Luis Chabolla (síndico): Duarte's circular invited the Territory's ayuntamientos to press the Cmdt. Gen. to convene the Diputación Provincial ('redunda en la felicidad del país'); Chabolla demurred (the matter belonged to the Diputación itself). Also alleged arbitrary acts (jailing a woman & asking Santa Clara's padre to shackle/shear her — the padre refused) + a municipal-funds dispute. Escribano Petronilo Ríos. Secretary José Reyes Berreyesa refused to copy/sign paper nº1, warning it meant attacking the Jefe Superior (Gov. Victoria); the Alcalde nonetheless sent the copy to Antonino Buelna (alcalde at Monterey — a 1831-revolt figure). Witness Mª Ignacia Padilla (true name Mª Presentación Lóngora[?]) detailed the alcalde's mistreatment (shackling her in jail). ⭐⭐⭐ Duarte's confession (n264–66): the plan originated at Monterey on 7 Apr 1831 in conversation with Antonino Buelna (Monterey alcalde), the Secretary of the Provincial Diputación [= J. B. Alvarado], and José Castro — to petition the Cmdt. Gen. to convene the Diputación; Buelna later came to San José, and Duarte signed the document Buelna forwarded to Monterey. (So the San José case ties directly into the Buelna / Castro / Alvarado federalist circle behind the Nov-1831 anti-Victoria revolt — the same young Californios as the Solís pasquines, Doc 96.) Fiscal Pliego: Duarte guilty by his own confession + the witnesses; the case moved to Monterey to depose the implicated Antonino Buelna (19 Aug), who denied remembering the Diputación plan. Defender Tte. Juan Mª Ibarra. José Castro (Monterey ayuntamiento secretary) & J. B. Alvarado (Diputación secretary) both deposed — distancing themselves from a direct alcalde-to-alcalde conspiracy while confirming the Monterey ayuntamiento DID form actas to convene the Diputación. ⭐⭐ Gov. Victoria's framing (24 Aug oficio): the agitation was 'procurar por medios ilegales se reuniese la Diputación, con fines siniestros y muy contrarios á las determinaciones del Sup.o Gob.,' with Buelna the key inducer — the government casting the federalist movement as subversion (the tension that exploded into the Nov-1831 revolt). The fiscal's summary (n280–85) restates the 3 charges: (1) pressing the ayuntamientos to convene the Diputación (a paper in Duarte's own hand, f.2); (2) his 7 Jul suspension over the night-time illicit-relations incident (f.3); (3) the arbitrary 1 June election of 2 regidores + secretary + depositario (f.5). ⚠️ n275–n285 read at sample leaves (witness ratifications/careos + the summary; payload captured — completeness pass could fill these leaves). ⭐⭐ Conclusion (n286–88): the Asesor ruled the military lacked jurisdiction over alcaldes acting as first-instance judges, so the case was remitted to the Mexican Supreme Court (ministers Flores/Navarrete/Guzmán, Feb–Mar 1832) for civil handling + a Jefe-Político report on the alcaldes' 'crime' of trying to convene the Diputación. ⚠️ By then Victoria had already been overthrown — the prosecution was moot.

Read this leaf on the Internet Archive ↗ · leaf n251–n288