Frías formed, questioning the legitimacy of his accession to the Presidency. Paradoxically, during the administration of Ballivián, Frías was believed to have been the rightful and truly constitutional successor of Morales. Now that Ballivián was dead, his legitimacy was vehemently questioned. Challenges to government legitimacy The first act of his second administration was a supreme decree issued on March 2. The decree stipulated the reduction of funding for municipalities, which had been far too burdensome, and at the expense of the government and the Ministry of Public Instruction. This new law also outlined that municipalities had to account for their expenditures, requiring them to report and seek the approval of the National Assembly for any extraordinary expense. This was met with resistance from the municipal governments, namely that of La Paz, which claimed the new law to be unconstitutional and a violation of the autonomy that had been granted to municipalities for decades. The municipal authorities of the city of Cochabamba protested against this law as well. After the complaints issued from several municipalities, a council of ministers deemed it to be an adequate law and promulgated it, being officially made legislation on April 8, regardless of all the resistance the decree had met. Newspapers in La Paz condemned the government, inciting further dissidence and encouraging the rebelliousness of General Daza. In order to pacify the young General, Frías called Daza to Sucre. When he refused, the President headed to Oruro to offer him the Ministry of War. Although Daza had turned down the offer, Frías returned to Sucre and passed a supreme decree on May 13, making Daza his Minister of War. By doing so, the President hoped to pacify the country and prevent a civil war, one which Daza might have sparked. Many criticized the President for this action, since it gave power and legitimacy to a man that had tirelessly conspired against the government. However, Frías saw this as his only option, separating Daza from his center of power and taking him far away to Sucre. Nonetheless, this appointment had serious implications for the future, ominously setting the stage for the final rebellion which dethroned Frías in coming years. 1874 National Assembly As per the Constitution, legislative elections were to be held that year. In La Paz, out of the four possible deputies, not a single ally of the current administration had won. In fact, all the