Secret causa vs. subcomisario José Mª Herrera for malversación de caudales públicos. Echeandía commissioned Zamorano (25 Apr 1827, SB) to secretly investigate Herrera's 'dispersión' of public funds during his management. Witness Capt. José de la Guerra: Herrera received $22,000 cash for 7 months' troop pay, but only ~$3,600/month reached the SB company — implying diversion. (The pre-Solís backstory: Herrera under embezzlement investigation in 1827, before becoming the 1829 revolt's financial mastermind — cf. the Plan's grievance over his suspension.) Filed out of order in this 1831 tomo. Witnesses (de la Guerra, Maitorena, Carlos Antonio Carrillo, Juan Bandini, Romualdo Pacheco) establish the $22,000 was shipped from Acapulco on the berg. *Morelos* then via San Blas on the goleta *Nieves* (toward Loreto); the shortfall traced to Herrera spending part on goods (cigars, effects) at Tepic; only ~$3,600/mo reached the SB company. Also names a customs/otter-duty waiver Herrera granted the American brig *Nile* (Oct 1825). Merchant Luis Bringas (the goods' seller) deposed at LA: the goods (~$45,000 worth) came from Tepic (financed by Saltillo merchant Salvador Tejada + a Herrera relative, guarantor Ramón Pareja); Herrera helped ship them on the warship *Morelos*, and they were sold from Herrera's own house then peddled at the presidios/pueblos/missions — the heart of the malversation question (public office aiding a private import venture). Courier Ignacio Mª Alvarado (paid $30 by Bringas to carry letters to Herrera) deposed; financial detail names a draft to the American merchant Guillermo (William A.) Gale. ⭐ Conclusion (n312, fiscal Capt. Pablo de la Portilla, LA 30 June 1827): Bringas — and by extension Herrera — found complicit 'en el fraude de los intereses nacionales.' ⭐⭐ Fiscal Zamorano's overall conclusion (Monterey, 6 July 1827, n313–16): no doubt Herrera spent a considerable part of the $22,000 on goods at Tepic — only $6,500–$8,500 entered the territory as cash, leaving a ~$13,000 shortfall (≈ the value of the 20+ extra fardos landed at Monterey); Herrera infringed the ordenanza de Intendentes barring a comisario from any commerce, esp. with public funds; recommends a letrado's opinion + the Diputación member Juan Bandini's deposition. Process handed to the Cmdt. Gen. 5 July 1827. Orig. pp.701–760.
| Date | 1827-07-31 (exact) |
|---|---|
| From | Agustín V. Zamorano, Juez fiscal (sec. Antonio del Valle) |
| Place | Monterey |
| Series | Dep. State Papers, Benicia (Military) |
| Tomo | LXIX–LXXVII (volume range; this entry is not resolved to one tomo) |
| Original tomo page | 701–760 |
| Savage copy page | 293–311 |
| Scan leaf | n298–n316 |
| Document type | verbatim/criminal |
| Source | verbatim transcription |
Read this leaf on the Internet Archive ↗ · leaf n298–n316
Agustín V. Zamorano, Juez fiscal (sec. Antonio del Valle), Monterey, 1827-07-31, Dep. State Papers, Benicia (Military), LXIX–LXXVII, 701–760, Archives of California, C-A 19, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. [the tomo is given as the volume’s full range: this entry has not been resolved to a single tomo within LXIX–LXXVII]Cite the document by series, tomo and original tomo page, as the literature does; the C-A number locates it in the repository. To cite this catalogue entry itself, use https://archivesofcalifornia.com/record/ca19/ca19-d171.html