Initiative of the executive asking extraordinary faculties in finance and tear, declaring in force the laws of the 2d of December, 1871, and the 17th of May, 1872., May 17, 1875

Initiative of the executive asking extraordinary faculties in finance and tear, declaring in force the laws of the 2d of December, 1871, and the 17th of May, 1872.

[From the “Diario Oficial” May 22, 1875.]

To the Citizen Deputy Secretaries of the Congress of the Union:

The citizen governor of the State of Michoacan, under date of the 30fch of April last, transcribed to the department in my charge the resolutions of which copies are inclosed, in which the honorable legislature of said State, on account of the gravity of the situation and the difficulties which surround the government at every step in following up the hands organized under religious pretexts, judges it necessary that the Citizen President of the Republic propose to the Congress of the union the suspension of the guarantees to which the law of the 17th of January, 1870, refers. Although this communication was duly received, no resolution had been given to it, because, although the violation of the peace and the uprising against the constituted authorities and the institutions which rule us were notorious, and order was disturbed not only in Michoacan, but in the States of Queretaro, Guanajuato, and Jalisco, the President wished to await the result of the continued pursuit which was being made of the reactionary bands, in order to see if it was possible not to ask of Congress the suspension of any guarantees and the authorization proper for the re-establishment of peace and order unfortunately disturbed in these States; but yet, by the kind of warfare which the bands carry on, formed by the ruggedness of the country, not being easy to overtake them, neither to have decisive combats, the people continue to suffer all the evils which this war of vandalism creates, and the government, under obligation to preserve the guarantees for which the constitution provides, has not been able to have all the liberty of action which it needs for the prosecution of the results which should be accomplished. Compelled in this way by the imperious law of necessity, by advice of the council of ministers it has resolved to solicit the chamber to declare in force the laws of the 2d of December, 1871, which conceded to the executive extraordinary faculties in finance and war, and suspended some of the individual guarantees, with the modifications of the law of the 17th of May, 1872.

The revival of these two laws is asked, because the executive considers them sufficient for the object, in place of that of the 17th of January, 1870, indicated by the legislature of Michoacan, which concedes greater amplitude of faculties and enlarges more the suspension of guarantees. In presenting this initiative, I ought to state in the name of the government that the revolution which is waged by the leaders who invoke it, it is hoped may not be seconded by reasonable and intelligent citizens, who love the institutions and principles of liberty and progress, which the nation has secured at the cost of so many sacrifices; but as, under a political pretext, every individual right is violated, the ruin of the material elements of prosperity is produced, commerce is paralyzed, and the discredit of the republic is occasioned, the duty of the government is not only to combat sedition where it is sustained with arms in hand, but to prevent its spread in the rest of the republic. The President would desire to make the least possible use of the authorizations which he solicits, striving that the people should not feel them more heavily than is absolutely inevitable. Thus he has formerly acted in similar cases, and if these authorizations should be conceded, he will employ them no further than for the exclusive object of re-establishing and assuring the public peace. While Congress should be in session, the government had not thought it necessary to ask the authorizations which this initiative contains, because the chamber could provide for the difficulties which might arise, but it being near to the last period of its sessions, on account of which the majority of the citizen deputies will return to their States, its re-assembling would be difficult, even if it should be convoked in extraordinary session. In order, therefore, that the executive may be able to face the situation, it has found itself under the necessity of asking the said authorizations, and it hopes that the chamber will see proper to grant them to guarantee our institutions and put an end to the civil war, which causes so many evils to the republic. In virtue thereof, by direction of the President, with the advice of the council of ministers, I have the honor to submit to the Congress of the union the following:

Project of law: Only article. There is declared in force, until one month after the next meeting of Congress, the law of the 2d of December, 1871, which granted to the executive extraordinary faculties in finance and war, and suspended certain individual guarantees, with the modifications of the law of the 17th of May, 1872.

(Here follow the laws cited and the resolutions of the legislature of the State of Michoacan.)

Independence and liberty.