14th of April following, this regulation was proclaimed by Viceroy Garibay; but the concession had been granted grudgingly and under the pressure of circumstances, and the junta central was in no haste to see the córtes assembled. Although on the 22d of May following it proclaimed the establishment of the old form of representation, and convoked the córtes to meet on March 1, 1810, it took no preparatory steps for such an event.[1]
When, however, the junta central was compelled to resign the affairs of the nation to the care of a regency, it required the new government, as already narrated, to convoke the córtes at the earliest opportunity. This could not be immediately accomplished, since there were difficulties which rendered it no easy matter to readopt the ancient mode of government, and assemble in one congressional body the córtes of the various kingdoms of Spain. While these kingdoms respectively retained their córtes, the general assembly of them for purposes of government had during the dynasty of the Bourbons been neglected, and they were seldom convoked except to do homage, or sanction a succession to the crown. The córtes formerly had been composed of three classes representing the nobility, church, and burghers; and the
- ↑ This decree was published in Mexico on the 14th of August, 1809. Dispos. Varias, i. f. 139; Interfer. Brit. Gov., MS., in Mayer MS., no. 27, p. 2. On the 4th of October the deputy for New Spain was appointed, the lots having decided the election in favor of Miguel Lardizábal, a Creole of Tlascala resident in Spain. Gaz. de Mex., xvi. 901 (Gaz. Ex.); Alaman, Hist. Mej., i. 308. He was afterward appointed member of the regency for the American colonies in place of Fernandez de Leon, who suffered from ill health. Bustamante in Cavo, Tres Siglos, iii. 269; Córtes, Diario, 1810, i. 8.
would be composed of 36 European members, 9 American, and one from the Philippines. Rev. de N. Esp., i. 253, ii. 638-9. The election of an American deputy was to be thus conducted: The ayuntamiento of the capital town in each province of a viceregal kingdom was to nominate three competent persons, one of whom was then to be elected by casting lots as the representative of his province. When all such representatives were elected, the viceroy and real acuerdo were to select by vote three of them, from whom the deputy to Spain was finally appointed by lot. Gaz. de Mex., xvi. 325-8. In New Spain the ayuntamientos which sent up candidates to Mexico were those of Puebla, Vera Cruz, Mérida de Yucatan, Oajaca, Valladolid, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Guadalajara, Zacatecas, Tabasco, Querétaro, Tlascala, Nuevo Leon, and Nuevo Santander. Id., 1810, i. 420.
