482 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



course pursued by that body, and in a very short time 

 I think all the difficulties will be amicably arranged. 

 These difficulties arose in part from a misapprehen- 

 sion as to what constituted the legal government of 

 the country, and in part from the unpopularity of the 

 first alcalde of that district, against whom serious 

 charges had been made. Unfortunately, there was 

 at the time no legal tribunal for investigating these 

 charges ; and, there being no other magistrate in that 

 district, I could not, with propriety, remove him from 

 office. A new election, however, will soon be held to 

 supply his place; and on the organization of the 

 "superior court," the charges against him can be 

 properly investigated. 



The publication of a portion of the instructions 

 received from Washington respecting the government 

 of this country, and the disposition manifested by the 

 authorities here to enforce the existing laws, have 

 done much to remove the erroneous opinions which 

 were for a time entertained by a portion of the people 

 of California. The civil government of this country 

 has been, and will continue to be, administered on the 

 principle laid down by the Supreme Court of the 

 United States, viz : on the transfer of the ceded 

 territory, it has never been held that the relations of 

 the inhabitants with each other undergo any change. 

 Their relations with their former sovereign are dis- 

 solved, and new relations are created between them 

 and the government which has acquired their territory. 

 The mere act which transfers their country transfers 

 the allegiance of those who remain in it ; and the law 

 which may be denominated political is necessarily 

 changed, although that which regulates the intercourse 

 and general conduct of individuals remains in force 



