“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ... “MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
merchant, prominent colorado and member of Salto’s JEA. Guarch addressed claims to public lands by a local merchant company, Falcon, Fructuoso, Paiva y Cia. According to Guarch, his fellow JEA members had improperly concluded that the lands in question belonged to Gabriela Pareja de Raffo, the wife of the now-deceased José Raffo. Raffo originally received the tract through a grant from Salto’s JEA in 1864. Guarch alleged that the 1864 grant, however, suffered from several procedural irregularities. These rendered it invalid. Guarch noted that because of these prior infirmities, the JEA now had to bid the land out properly. The Falcon group should be free to purchase it. 3 Guarch commented that he had no real opposition to Raffo. Rather he had to act in order to “save the honor and dignity of the junta [that is] compromised in this matter” as well as “my own is particular.” He continued: “No authority can nor must respect, nor render valid, anything that is not based upon the law.” Guarch then set out the reasons for why the 1864 grant was illegal. He claimed that Raffo possessed an affirmative duty to “subdivide the land in question into solares, enclose them, and then settle them.” Because Raffo failed to do so, the result was a “concentration of donations” in the hands of a single recipient. Guarch alleged that this was improper. Faced with this reality, Guarch concluded that accepting Raffo’s legal titles would be akin to “recognizing a property that she does not possess and would amount to defrauding the junta of its own interests; it is a misstep that gives rise to favoritism and which must disappear.” 4 Despite Guarch’s exhortations to the JEA, the other members had concluded that Raffo did possess a valid title. With his position rejected by local officials, Guarch then made his disagreement public by publishing the article. Guarch’s actions, and particularly his 3 Ibid., 1. 4 Ibid., 1-2. 334
pointed link between the “honor” of the JEA and the outcome of the land dispute, directly challenged the personal reputations of the other members. Francisco Guimaraens, the president of the JEA, responded by publishing his own interpretation of events in La Aspiración Nacional. He expressed his surprise that the paper would publish “the unjust charges that Mr. Guarch, member of the corporation over which I preside, has levied against my person.” 5 He argued that the JEA had done nothing more than attend to Gabriela Raffo’s legitimate property rights. Guarch’s allegations were wholly inaccurate. The sharp dispute between Guarch and Guimaraens over Raffo’s property rights quickly moved beyond the JEA and into the local courts as the matter became more public and controversial. Falcon filed suit on behalf of his partners seeking to have the JEA’s decision reversed. Shortly thereafter, an article by Bernardo Gomez appeared in La Aspiración Nacional attacking David Larrondo and indirectly members of the JEA aligned with Guarch for their role in the Raffo proceeding. 6 Gomez in turn had represented Raffo in her legal battle before the JEA over the disputed property. Gomez now accused Guarch of conspiring with a “circle of exploiters” to alienate the public lands in and around the town. Gomez declared that Larrondo was the leader of this ring of speculators. He represented a tempting target. He was an outsider from Buenos Aires. Gomez played up this fact. He emphasized that Larrondo’s law degree and his connections to persons in Montevideo and the Argentine capital permitted him to “win over the friendship of the Secretary of the JEA [Guarch].” 7 Gomez alleged, however, that the “perennial [perrenne] presence in the Junta of the supposed Doctor came to the attention of various merchants 5 La Aspiración Nacional, Año III, n. 249 (August 25, 1874). AGN. Sección Administrativa. Salto: Junta Económico-Administrativa. Caja 1865-1874, 1. 6 D. David de Larrondo en querella criminal contra D. Bernardo Gomez, AGN-SJ. Salto. Penales, n. 85 (1874). 7 Ibid., 1. 335
- Page 293 and 294: anything, Orientales.” 56 Gomez
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- Page 389 and 390: Lasso, Marixa. Myths of Harmony: Ra
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- Page 393 and 394: Schultz, Kirsten. Tropical Versaill
pointed link between the “honor” of the JEA and the outcome of the land dispute, directly<br />
challenged the personal reputations of the other members. Francisco Guimaraens, the<br />
president of the JEA, responded by publishing his own interpretation of events in La<br />
Aspiración Nacional. He expressed his surprise that the paper would publish “the unjust<br />
charges that Mr. Guarch, member of the corporation over which I preside, has levied against<br />
my person.” 5 He argued that the JEA had done nothing more than attend to Gabriela<br />
Raffo’s legitimate property rights. Guarch’s allegations were wholly inaccurate.<br />
The sharp dispute between Guarch and Guimaraens over Raffo’s property rights<br />
quickly moved beyond the JEA and into the local courts as the matter became more public<br />
and controversial. Falcon filed suit on behalf of his partners seeking to have the JEA’s<br />
decision reversed. Shortly thereafter, an article by Bernardo Gomez appeared in La<br />
Aspiración Nacional attacking David Larrondo and indirectly members of the JEA aligned<br />
with Guarch for their role in the Raffo proceeding. 6 Gomez in turn had represented Raffo<br />
in her legal battle before the JEA over the disputed property. Gomez now accused Guarch<br />
of conspiring with a “circle of exploiters” to alienate the public lands in and around the<br />
town. Gomez declared that Larrondo was the leader of this ring of speculators. He<br />
represented a tempting target. He was an outsider from Buenos Aires. Gomez played up<br />
this fact. He emphasized that Larrondo’s law degree and his connections to persons in<br />
Montevideo and the Argentine capital permitted him to “win over the friendship of the<br />
Secretary of the JEA [Guarch].” 7 Gomez alleged, however, that the “perennial [perrenne]<br />
presence in the Junta of the supposed Doctor came to the attention of various merchants<br />
<br />
5 La Aspiración Nacional, Año III, n. 249 (August 25, 1874). AGN. Sección<br />
Administrativa. Salto: Junta Económico-Administrativa. Caja 1865-1874, 1.<br />
6 D. David de Larrondo en querella criminal contra D. Bernardo Gomez, AGN-SJ. Salto.<br />
Penales, n. 85 (1874).<br />
7 Ibid., 1.<br />
335 <br />
<br />
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