and constitutional issues He forbade all government offices from accepting any payment in credit. He assisted at the National Cathedral celebrations of St Philip of Jesus. He named various governors. The Chamber of Deputies encouraged the departmental assemblies to pass economic reforms, and established a commission to publish a report on such reforms, which also began to focus on legal reforms. One of the major issues facing the Herrera administration was that of constitutional reform. The country had faced decades of political and military conflict over whether the constitution should be federal or centralist, and Santa Anna had used the centralist Bases Organicas to establish a dictatorship. The government began to sound the opinions of the departmental assemblies to get feedback about which direction to proceed. It also began to seek a legal basis upon which to possibly annul the constitution. Texas and Herrera's downfall Another pressing issue, and one that would eventually lead to the fall of Herrera's first administration, was the matter of Texas. Herrera had a pragmatic approach to the matter, accepting after ten years of failed efforts to recover it, that Texas would never return to Mexico. It was hoped to arrange a treaty with Texas and avoid its annexation to the United States. However, the United States Congress had already approved the annexation of Texas which resulted in Mexico breaking off diplomatic relations and closing all of its ports to the United States. The threat of war now loomed between the two nations, and the Mexican congress resolved not to resume diplomatic relations without the condition that the United States would not annex Texas. The president was also authorized to raise the resources and conscripts necessary to defend the nation. The nation was inflamed by anti-American sentiments, fueled by the press. Despite the popular indignation, Herrera was aware of the nation's poverty and relative weakness against the United States, and hoped to find a diplomatic solution. Luis de la Rosa of Finance sought authorization so that the president could take out a loan of three million pesos, while Mr. Cuevas, Minister of Foreign Affairs sought authorization to listen to the proposals being made about Texas to seek a treaty that would allow the nation to save face, letting Congress keep up with such diplomatic developments. Knowledge that Herrera was open to the possibility of recognizing Texas inflamed the opposition against him, and turned public opinion